Marskeswaledale.com
Overview
Welcome to this website about Marske-in-Swaledale, near Richmond, in the Yorkshire Dales.
This website provides information on topics such as the local history, (including the hamlet of Clints, Marske’s St Edmund’s church, the Hutton family of Marske Hall, and Feldom and the Catterick Training Area), landscape (including geology, glaciation, and lead mining) and nature. The hope is that these pages provide interesting, and perhaps surprising, notes on the local area – as well as providing a means of recording historical information. Whilst the focus is on the small village of Marske and its surroundings much of the material on the site will also be relevant to those with a wider interest in the Yorkshire Dales. A series of more general links is included here, and includes a link to our very own Marske Choir, including a musical introduction to Swaledale here. Website content is being actively assembled. Feedback would be appreciated via the Comments page here.
The area covered by this site roughly coincides with today’s parish: Marske, Clints, Skelton, Feldom and New Forest. The village of Marske itself lies near the half-way point on the old road between Richmond and Reeth. Today the village and surrounding area is predominantly a farming community, as it was in the past2. Indeed, as was the case over twenty years ago, the number of houses owned solely for holiday purposes is very much in the minority2. Most of the farming families have been connected with the area for generations. The village was an estate village before being broken up in the 1960s (see here). Marske is a small place: it is on the other side of the valley from the main road; it has no pub or shop; and is quiet and peaceful. The Dormouse Pub was closed by Miss Hutton in the nineteenth century, who took displeasure with it being “much and rowdily frequented”2. The soundscape after dark is dominated by the resident tawny owls. The night sky is spectacular.
If you visit Marske: welcome! There are a number of very varied walks in the area, including from the village, Helwith or from near Downholme Bridge. If you are visiting the village by car it would be appreciated if you would park in the car park on Marske Bridge (at the bottom of the hill). Please do not park on the grass verges above the bridge as that short section of road is part of a number of local walks, as well as the Coast to Coast footpath, and safe space for walkers there is limited. Naturally if you are walking in the area please stay to public rights of way, and respect the environment. Most importantly, do enjoy Marske and the surroundings. If you want to know more don’t hesitate to use the contacts form to ask a question.
The map below can be used to find locations mentioned on this website. The map is zoomable down to 1:10000 scale mapping (1 cm to 100m). Similar historic maps are to be found here; the map from 1911 is zoomable.
To locate yourself on the map – click on the dart in the top left corner.