Rural View - column by Peter Walker

Unravelling the story behind market crosses

3:37pm Friday 19th March 2010

I AM frequently asked why some market crosses look more like ornate temples than a simple post fashioned from local stone.

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The many uses of the hazel tree

2:52pm Friday 5th March 2010

MY morning walk takes me along a lane where hazels grow in profusion, and in recent days I have noticed that their catkins, the so-called lambs’ tails, seem to be thriving despite the tough winter.

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Enduring childhood tales of the riverbank

12:30pm Wednesday 17th February 2010

ONE of the enduring memories from my childhood is exploring the banks of the River Esk in Glaisdale where it flows between East Arncliffe Wood and Limber Hill Wood deep in the North York Moors.

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A leap into the known

12:09pm Thursday 4th February 2010

Throughout history, February has had a chequered existence and even today it differs from other months because it is the shortest.

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We’ve had large dollop of snaw doon yonder

2:25pm Wednesday 20th January 2010

THE recent heavy snowfalls have reminded many of us of the severe winter of 1947. I retain clear memories, even if my area of recall was more than 60 years ago and restricted to my home village on the North York Moors.

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Yorkshire tykes wear the badge with pride

11:49am Thursday 7th January 2010

ONE of the regular queries I receive is why Yorkshire men are often known as tykes. This name does not seem to apply to Yorkshire women and it can be spelt as both tyke and tike.

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Casting light on the origin of Christmas

9:30am Wednesday 23rd December 2009

CHRISTMAS means different things to different people.

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A look back through the history of stained glass

2:59pm Thursday 26th November 2009

ONE of the most striking images in this region are the ruins of Byland Abbey with its spectacular west front and main entrance dominated by the space for a missing circular window of giant proportions.

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Stepping back in time to the age of sundials

2:50pm Wednesday 11th November 2009

I WAS in a garden centre near a selection of sundials when a woman asked “Will they show the right time in winter?” She will have no idea she inspired these notes.

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Using countryside lore to predict the weather

3:18pm Friday 30th October 2009

IN the past – and indeed the fairly recent past – country dwellers and farmers, in particular, would strive to plan their working lives around the prevailing conditions while also bearing in mind that their livelihoods so often depended upon a correct assessment of the forthcoming weather.

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