THE dramatic escarpments, awe-inspiring cliffs, sweeping upland plateaus, secluded valleys and wealth of woodlands in the North York Moors National Park have been around for hundreds of thousands of years and now their story is being told in a huge £500,000 five-year initiative called the Lime and Ice Project.

The project, funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, is a partnership between the North York Moors National Park Authority, Natural England, English Heritage, the Forestry Commission and the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which will run until 2013.

The project, involving 23 separate initiatives, will see new access, interpretation and conservation ventures carried out in the southwest corner of the North York Moors National Park and the northern part of the Howardian Hills.

People from every walk of life are invited to get involved with the heritage that inspires them, making choices about what they want to keep and share from the past, for future generations.

Lime and Ice Project officer Jennifer Smith said: “Really it’s all about involving local people and visitors and providing good quality opportunities for people to understand, explore and enjoy the landscape and heritage of our area.”

The project started 12 months ago, and is now well underway, with several initiatives having already being undertaken. These include and archaeological excavation at Boltby Scar Iron Age hill fort last September, developing new circular walking trails around Kilburn and Oldstead, with new leaflets picking out points of interest for walkers along the route, and investigations on Yearsley Moor.

Talking about the Boltby Scar Iron age hill fort excavation, Jennifer said: “We invited local people to volunteer which was a huge success – they learned a new skill (and some of them got to flex an old one) and participated in a really exciting dig.

“It also provided evidence of a fort little known or understood and we’ve recently been getting some dating results back – determined from pollen samples. We also held an open weekend and the public were given the opportunity to look around the site. We’ll be doing the same this year and looking for willing volunteers again.

“We also have a group of dedicated volunteers who are researching the history of Yearsley Moor, uncovering tales of Bronze Age burial mounds, coal mining and the influences of the large and wealthy neighbouring estates by looking at old maps, photographs and documents as well as getting out on the ground and searching for clues.

“We’re supporting them with training provided by English Heritage.

“We also ran a programme of events, worked with local schools, did some conservation management works at a scheduled monument site and this year we will be doing more of the same.”

This includes developing more trails around Ampleforth and Oswaldkirk, more excavation at Boltby Scar, working with local schools whose pupils will walk new routes and involving them in exploring the landscape.

An initiative called Hidden Gems will also be providing opportunities for local people to gain access to things they might not ordinarily otherwise have, including Scotch Corner chapel near Oldstead, celebrated in Madeleine Bunting’s book, The Plot.

There will also be a series of new events such as the Little Boots Safaris – guided exploration walks for children and storytelling sessions at Sutton Bank, Rievaulx Abbey and the English Heritage Archaeology Store in Helmsley.

One of the major things planned for the end of the project is to revamp the exhibition area at Sutton Bank National Park Centre, “This is the best opportunity to tell the many thousands of visitors about the area’s magnificent landscape and its many tales,” said Jennifer.

For more information about the project and how to get involved, phone 01439 770657 or email j.smith@northyorkmoorsnpa.

gov.uk or n.lishman@northyorkmoors- npa.gov.uk