Each summer the Society arranges a number of visits with a historical theme. Visits are open to all, subject to a limit on numbers. Further information can be obtained through this site or by contacting Bernard Peel - see under Committee for contact details.

Three visits were made in the summer of 2008 -

Burnsall
The first visit this year was on the evening of Thursday 22nd May when Alan Stockdale gave a guided walk through Burnsall, followed by a tour of the Church and School guided by John Townend.
Burnsall, one of the prettiest villages in England, proved to have an interesting history. A former textile mill has been converted to houses in the village centre. We visited the site of the former medieval corn mill set some distance away from the village. The village itself consists of stone built, vernacular, most attractive houses and farm buildings, most of which have now been converted to houses. These mainly date from 1700-1850. 
The stone built bridge over the Wharfe which, together with the green, is the village's most attractive feature is comparatively recent, being built in the late 1880s to replace the bridge washed away by floods in 1883.

The church is of especial interest, dating back to at least 1300. It served a large area of Wharfedale and had two rectors serving the northern and southern ends respectively. The church is dedicated to St Wilfrid. Late saxon carved stones and several viking "hogshead" tombstones are displayed in the church.

The grammar school dates from 1604 and was endowed by the village's own Dick Whittington - William Craven who was sent to London as a draper's apprentice, set up his own business, became a member of the Guild of Merchant Taylors and eventually Lord Mayor. The school is still in use as the village primary school. It is a fine two storied building with mullion windows.

Gargrave
Our second visit was to this large village situated on the A65 and astride the River Aire on Thursday evening 19th June when Mrs Val Cutter provided a guided tour.
The village has a long history. The bones of 7 members of an iron age family dating to 300 BC were discovered a few years ago. A Roman Road running between the forts of Elslack and Bainbridge fords the river near the main bridge. The paving in the river bed is still in excellent condition. There is the site of a Roman Villa south of the river. Val said this is of interest as it is so far north. Its siting is probably due to the excellent agricultural land in the vicinity. At the time of the Conquest there were manors north and south of the river. That to the south subsequently owned by the Percy's, that to the north by the Cliffords. The moated site of the former is apparent south of the village. The latter is believed to have been where the village hall now stands. 
In medieval times the local farms grouped together in the village as protection against Scots raids, although not in particularly defensive positions. The village has numerous extensive greens, mainly but not exclusively along the river side.
In the late 18th century 3 cotton spinning mills were established along the river (the high, middle and low mills). One at least was probably an earlier corn mill. There was also a saw mill. The mills employed at least 160 local people according to census returns. The 18th century also saw the Keighley to Kendal turnpike (now the A65) pass through the village. A number of coaching inns were established and these are still evident today with their converted stables and, in one case, an assembly room. In 1777 the Bingley to Skipton section of the Leeds Liverpool Canal was extended to the village. This enabled cheaper coal to be brought in and limestone to be exported. The canal extension to Liverpool was not completed until 1826 when carriage of raw cotton to the village was facilitated. The mills suffered from the blockade of the Southern States and were not particularly successful thereafter because of their small size and distance from main centres.
The Settle-Carlisle railway passes about 1/2 mile south of the village centre. The developers were primarily concerned with establishing an alternative route to Scotland rather than with a service for the local villages.

In 1932 salvation came when Johnson and Johnson the medical supplier and pharmaceutical firm took over the Low Mill. They were looking for a site offering clean air and water for the production of bandages, sterile dressings and cotton wool. A nearby spring proved the source of pure water. The firm is still the main local employer at times having had a workforce of close to 1000.

A visit was made to the Parish Church of St Andrew which was rebuilt about 1852. The churchyard is the burial place of Ian McLeod, the Tory politician, who was briefly Chancellor of the Exchequer before his untimely death in 1970.

Today the village appears prosperous with the building of stone faced houses largely maintaining the character of the 18th and 19th century dwellings. 

 
Gayle Mill
Our third and final visit was to Gayle Mill near Hawes on Saturday 19th July.
The mill was built in 1784 being based on Samuel Crompton's Mill at Cromford with the rectangular rooms on 3 floors being twice as long as broad. The mill was used for cotton spinning with raw cotten carried by packhorse, it is believed, from Glasson Dock. It is not clear where the spun cotton was sent. The machinery was driven by a 25 foot overshot waterwheel. By 1808 the mill could not compete with larger mills in the towns and turned to flax spinning using flax imported from Northern Ireland. By about 1820 this came to an end and the mill turned to wool spinning. By 1835 this trade came to an end and the mill may well have gone out of use. At some stage, about 1850, part was used as a residence. Soon afterwards the mill began to be used for saw-milling, joinery and carpentry and this continued up to the 1970s. After being derelict for more than 20 years, the Gayle Mill Trust had the building repaired and reopened as a working museum, as a woodworking training centre and actively engaged in woodworking.
Among novel features -
The mill had a pond, but instead of feeding directly into the mill goit this fed back into Gayle Beck when extra water was needed and the beck in turn fed into the goit. The pond could provide 4 hours power supply.
In the 1870s a turbine was installed in place of the waterwheel. This was in use until the mill closed and following minimal repair and refurbishment is back in use. It may be the oldest turbine in use in the world.
Thomas Armstrong, the shipbuilding and armaments manufacturer came to inspect the turbine before installing the same model in his new house at Cragside in Northumberland to provide the first domestic electricity in the world. Two further turbines were installed at later dates. From early in the 20th century they provided electric power and lighting in the mill and also in the villages of Gayle and Hawes. The turbines are turned on to demonstrate the working of original lathes, planing machines etc.
During the 2nd World War the mill pond was used in training for tanks to be used in the D-day landings. The troops were billeted on the upper floor of the mill.
A vist to Hawes, Gayle and the Mill can be highly recommended.