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Fishergate, Fulford and Heslington Local History Society
Since the initial meeting held in St Oswald’s Church last September we have made slow but steady progress. In January we received the first subscriptions from 30 members but we are also formulating an appeal for financial assistance.
Our monthly meetings have been attended by an average of 25 people and they tend to be social events forming part of our aim of social interaction with the community. In addition to a “bring and show” family history day, our topics have included vernacular buildings and a visit to Lingcroft Farm – the site of evidence of Mesolithic roundhouses. We are currently working on projects including the buildings of our area - one of the Heslington houses dates from at least the 16th century. One of our members has completed, and is seeking to publish, a pamphlet of a walk around historic Fishergate. We shall be inaugurating this walk in our April meeting.
Our plans for the year include talks on our research into the families of the persons named on the local war memorials, the archaeology of Heslington, a visit to the Fulford Community Orchard and a visit from our colleagues in the North Duffield Archaeology Group.
Located in the Designer Outlet is a display on the archaeology of Walmgate Stray.
Contact: John Hurd at j.hurd598@btinternet.com
Friends of York Walls
The Friends of York Walls is a voluntary non-profit-making group. We aim to help promote, manage and develop York’s historic defences for the benefit of local residents and visitors. We organise and undertake practical work and organise public events in co-operation with the City of York Council and other like-minded groups or individuals. We seek to establish York Walls as a major worldwide attraction, one that the residents of York can take pride in, and residents and visitors can enjoy to the full.
One of our projects is to open Fishergate Postern Tower for the community and visitors. We plan to open the Tower during the summer months and give guided tours of all the four floors by using the quirky spiral staircase. Masons’ marks, trip steps and a garderobe are some of the features you might find of interest.
We will be open daily for the Council for British Archaeology Festival, a UK-wide event that aims to make archaeology accessible to people of all ages and abilities; 13th to 28th July, 10am to 4pm daily.
Venue: Medieval Fishergate Postern Tower, Piccadilly, York. YO1 1PL.
We are seeking volunteers to guide and assist in this venture.
Contact: sec@yorkwalls.org.uk or visit our website at http://yorkwalls.org.uk for more information.
Chris Dowell (Secretary, Friends of York Walls)
Holgate Windmill Preservation Society
2012 was our most successful Christmas with 313 children visiting Santa. The 460 visitors on “Residents First Sunday” were enthusiastic and generous. Grants have helped complete the health and safety requirements and we have now passed our inspection from the Executive and can sell our flour.
In February we celebrated the completion of restoration and the use of many types of timber in the mill by joining with “Treemendous” and the City of York Council as they planted 10 mature trees along Poppleton Road. This line of trees (dating back to 1840) was formerly part of a boundary of the Gutch Estate – the donor of the mill to the City.
An exhibition, by Anna Cook, entitled “Our Daily Bread” will be on display from Easter. Anna has also won a Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) competition and her research on the history of Holgate millers will be published.
The mill opens on the first and third weekend of the months from May to October. It is also open on some Thursdays to Saturdays when the miller is working
Contact: Jen Hay on 01904 792638; website: www.holgatewindmill.org
Pocklington and District Local History Group
Pocklington is very much a local history group with an active core of interested participants. We do not have a formal membership or subscription; we make our revenue from charging £2 on the door of our meetings. We were left a donation from the outgoing Mayor of Pocklington and we decided to spend it on a permanent feature in the town to help visitors interested in our heritage. A sundial was created based on the original designs of one of Pocklington’s residents, William Watson who was a mapmaker and sundial maker with an amateur interest in astronomy. He died in 1858 and left the town the legacy of his finely drawn maps and sundial designs, with a few surviving still in the district and in his birth village of Seaton Ross. The sundial was erected in September 2012 in George Street,still s ed in our heritage. A S a short distance from the house where he lived in Pocklington. The sign below the sundial reproduces one of his best maps from 1855. Another heritage sign has also been created and placed on the Oak House Arts Centre in Market Place. Our best-attended meeting in November was held in the old railway station (now a school sports centre) when over 120 people attended. The talk was given by the man who locked Pocklington Railway Station for the last time on the night of 27th November 1965.
Some of our sub-groups include members studying the history of women who have written a book on the subject and another book studying the Pilgrimage of Grace. The group have been awarded a “Leader Grant” to create cycle routes and information signs in the area to explain how the local people fought to save their local monasteries and nunneries such as Warter Priory, Nunburnhome Nunnery and Wilberfoss Priory. The Pilgrims camped on Pocklington common, swearing in further recruits before resuming their march on York. Pocklington Market Place was one of the key places where public proclamations and letters were read out during the rebellion. The school children of Pocklington have been inspired to take part in reconstruction events.
Our website is: http://www.pocklingtonhistory.com
Poppleton History Society
We were disappointed to find that the archaeological excavations at the Poppleton Park and Ride site revealed very little material that added to knowledge of the past activities in the area. There were instances of pre-Roman and Roman artefacts but none in a complete state. However, the excavations had involved a large number of enthusiastic villagers and were a resounding success in community participation.
Our monthly meetings and talks will resume again next September: the schedule of talks can be found on our website: www.poppleton.net then select History Society. All are welcome.
We are members of the OASIS project (University of York) which records the more localised reports on investigations of archaeological sites.
For further details, contact 01904 338610
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