The grant has been given to Boroughbridge and District Historical Society to focus on a small area west of the A1 motorway examining Neolithic finds, ancient river crossings, Roman remains, 16th-century properties on the Newby Hall Estate and the remnants of a Victorian brickworks.

The Dog Kennel Lane project in the parishes of Newby-with-Mulwith and Langthorpe, near Borough-bridge, has its boundaries defined by the River Ure and the A1M. The Study Group will work under the guidance of professional archaeologist Kevin Cale.

One of its aims – in co-operation with the Newby Hall Estate and Langthorpe Parish Council – is to create a permanent heritage trail through what for many people has become a forgotten historical landscape. Primary school children will look at the wildlife of the area, explore their heritage and learn new skills. The area to be studied includes Brampton Hall, once the home of the Tankard family, and Mulwith, where Mary Ward, founder of the Bar Convent in York, was born. The Tankards were Catholics, who were implicated in the 1569 rebellion against Queen Elizabeth I.

The HLF grant will pay for a year-long programme of workshops, study days and off-site visits, field walking, earthwork recording, oral history and the examination of agricultural changes across many centuries. The research will be shared with a local and international audience by creating a designated website, holding events in and around Boroughbridge, producing leaflets and by setting up a display board to interpret what can be seen on the Heritage Trail.

The project will be launched on Saturday, February 1, at an event in the Coronation Hall at Langthorpe, Boroughbridge, when its aims will be explained and the public will have an opportunity to offer help with the research. The event will run from 10am to 4pm.

Project chairman David Barley said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. I am delighted that an area, which I knew as a boy, will be researched and that the information gathered will be recorded in a way that makes it available to future generations.”

Fiona Spiers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Sharing Heritage is a wonderful opportunity for communities to delve into their local heritage and we are delighted to be able to offer this grant so that the Boroughbridge and District Historical Society can embark on a real journey of discovery. Heritage means such different things to different people, and HLF’s funding offers a wealth of opportunities for groups to explore and celebrate what’s important to them in their area.”

Notes to editors

Boroughbridge and District Historical Society was founded in 1994 to encourage and develop an interest in the heritage of the area. The society holds an archive of photographs and related material from Boroughbridge and surrounding villages. Its members stage exhibitions and meet monthly for a programme of talks by visiting speakers.

Further information

David Barley on 01423 322 677, email: david.barley224@btinternet.com.
Linda Dooks, Secretary on 01423 322 988.