Hutton-le-Hole (From Gazette & Herald)

Hutton-le-Hole

IF IT weren't for the sheep and pheasants wandering around, you could easily think that Hutton-le-Hole was an alpine resort more at home in mainland Europe than tucked away on the North York Moors.

The village is centred on a stream which has carved out quite a rugged landscape. Things are never left unkempt, as a small woolly army of sheep, which are allowed to roam where they wish, keep the grass short.

But what four legs can't do, two legs have to. The village has signed up for the village caretaker scheme which is paid for in part by the National Parks Authority. The man appointed to the village, Philip Gospel, works for 12 hours a week keeping the village tidy and, during the summer, chats to visitors.

The sheep aren't the only animals in Hutton-le-Hole. Parish clerk, Jenny Tomlinson, has two angora rabbits that live in the house with her and her husband, Martin.

"I clip them and spin their fur. I do demonstrations of spinning too, and take the buck as he's quite happy to be handled.

"I've always had rabbits for about 30 years. These are about four years old. I've got a pedigree Golden Angora buck and a Satin Angora doe.

"We moved here 10 years ago. We'd been 'exiled' in the West Midlands. I have a sister in the West Riding, and a son in York, and we thought it would be nice to move up here. We looked around and it seemed friendly, very peaceful and nice countryside.

"It's quiet. Obviously, it's a tourist hotspot, but we don't notice the tourists. Bank holidays can be packed, but not unpleasant. It's nice to see people. We get visitors all year round, parking up and walking on the moors, even at Christmas and new year.

Given its proximity to the moors, walkers frequent the village during the better days in the winter months. During the summer, Hutton-le-Hole becomes a tourist hotspot.

This is partly due to the village being the home of Ryedale Folk Museum. Curator Mike Benson says the museum has been here since the 1960s: "The people that started the museum lived here, so it's quite historical.

"It's quiet now, but busy in the summer. We've had school parties coming in this week.

"As a business, it's a balancing act. We work hard with residents not to upset them.

"Education is the centre of everything we do. We're here for people to learn about the past."

With that in mind, the museum is expanding. A new gallery has been created which Mike says will perform two functions, the first being to bring items into Ryedale that people would not normally see, and the second being to showcase the talents of local artists and the museum's own collections.

The gallery has been created out of a pre-existing store which was crammed full of items donated to or found by the museum. These items are being re-housed in two new buildings which are in the process of being constructed.

Kevin Simms, who is helping with the work, has lived in the village since 1989.

"There are gift shops and craft shops. The pub is very much a part of the community. The landlord is good with the locals, with various activities. It even hosts the church quiz.

"Then we get shooting parties in the village. There are three woods people go to. Sometimes when you get shots coming from all three, it's like Armageddon.

"I'm vice-chairman for the parish council and volunteer manager for the village caretaker scheme. The village hall has recently been refurbished by the village hall committee, but I'm not involved in that. I try not to get involved with everything! But we do auctions to raise money when it's needed.

"There was a time when we were worried that it was going to become a retirement village. But we've got a thriving youth community. When we came, there was only my daughter and two other children. Now there are about 20 that are a mix of ages.

"We do have some second homes but there are more families now. It's quite isolating for teenagers, but the younger ones like it. They can be playing all over the village, and there's always someone to keep an eye on them.

"The green is like Scarborough beach during the summer as people bring blankets out. It's wonderful that we can share what we take for granted. It's a pleasure to walk out in a morning."

Updated: 09:41 Wednesday, January 25, 2006