Local Videos:

The Byland Estate Lands (Updated May 2023)

General Introduction

This is one of a series of ‘flights’ across  the Cumbrian parish of Asby, part of the ‘Westmorland Dales’ extension to the Yorkshire Dales National Park.  It is the first in a series of videos by members of the Asby History Group which uses Google Earth technology to explore the  historic landscape of the parish.  One of the themes of the series will be to use the meaning of minor place-names to help us better understand human activities in, and changes in use of, our landscape.

“Tracing a Medieval Estate of Byland Abbey”

The production of this video has used medieval documents to attempt to trace lands within the parish which were granted, in the 12th and 13th centuries, to the Cistercian monastery of Byland which was located in North Yorkshire.  To find out more about Byland Abbey and its history, check its pages on the the English Heritage website.

In the process of tracing these lands, the video also explores the origins and meaning of the names of fields and landscape features, as well as identifying what appears to have been another significant monastic landholder in the parish.

YouTube player

Some Tips for viewing this video

  • It is best watched in high resolution and in full screen mode.
    Youtube ControlsTo ensure the best resolution click on the gear wheel to select ‘HD’.
    Click on the right-most icon to view in full screen mode.
  • This is not a short video. It is some 65 minutes long and presents a quite detailed picture of one segment of the landscape.
    You may not wish to look at all of it in a single sitting.  Note that, when returning to the video, you can always move the red progress slider to the point where you left off last time.

Resources

  • A map of some of the footpaths emanating from Great Asby.  Download.  PDF on red bar
    – The ‘You are Here’ legend points to the bus shelter, in the centre of Great Asby, where this map can also be found.|
    – This ‘flight’ starts in the fields towards the bottom right of the map and continues through the landscape to the south of it.
  • The remains of the 12th Century Abbey of Byland can still be found on the southern edge of the North York Moors National Park, close to its better known neighbour of Ampleforth Abbey.   Now under the stewardship of English Heritage, to discover more and perhaps plan a visit, check their website.

Contact ATG

Please feel free to contact the Group Officers, as follows:

Chair – Dan Docker

Secretary – Keith Cooper

Treasurer – Lisa Harrington

Donations to ATG

If you would like to support the work of the Tree Group by making a donation to help cover the costs of essential tree guards or the purchase of trees for planting, that would be very much appreciated.

Account details are:
Account Name: Asby Tree Group
Sort code: 20-55-41
Account number : 50979708

ATG Activities

We will be working with local landowners to identify small areas of land that can be used to plant trees or hedges. Occasional requests will go out to members, seeking volunteers to survey areas of land to assess the age and health of trees and to identify possible planting areas, as well as to take part in planting trees and hedges. These activities will normally be scheduled to last for no more than three hours.

The Tree Group has insurance to cover members carrying out these activities.

ATG Membership

A membership form can be downloaded here,
or obtained from the Secretary:
Keith Cooper

There is currently no membership fee.

COVID Policy (Feb.2022)

Unfortunately Covid-19 has not gone away, and we still want everyone to feel safe whilst being able to enjoy the film.

  • We use ‘cabaret-style’ seating around suitably spaced tables.
  • We recommend that you continue to wear a face covering when moving around the village hall, though this may be removed whilst you are seated.
  • It would also be appreciated if you could complete an antigen (lateral flow) test before attending.  (We are more than happy to refund your ticket should your test unfortunately prove positive.)

Opening Hours Xmas 2021

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