Nidderdale Conservation Volunteers' Blog: Heritage training: 13-07-2021

This week the NCVs were involved with some rather unusual training. They were being used as guinea pigs to check out a special app that has been developed for the AONB.

This is what they were told to expect:

“The Scar House reservoir digital heritage app combines video images and audio commentary to tell the fascinating stories of Scar Village, the temporary settlement constructed to house workers who built the reservoir, and the lost Village of Lodge, a settlement with medieval origins on the reservoir shore which was abandoned to avoid risk of contaminating the water supply.

The app is now available to download via a Wi-Fi link at Scar House reservoir Café. It can be used on its own or in conjunction with onsite information panels to provide a fascinating accompaniment for a stroll across the site of Scar Village and a visit to the remains of Lodge on the northern bank of the reservoir."

So - no hard work this week. All they needed to do was to pretend they were visitors to Scar House Reservoir. Hurray! They could do that easily.

Here's a few pics from the day.

Morning assembly.

The class was instructed to go to the nearest interpretation

board to download the app from the QR code.

Some NCVs had a QR code reader on their phone.

Not everyone did - these two found that their phones wouldn't cope.

Plan B - link to the website via the wi-fi connection in the cafe.

Easy. Yes? No. Nothing seemed to happen.

OK. Plan C.

Let's walk up to a recently refurbished barn -

The Scarhouse Workshop, a new training space.

This is one of Yorkshire Water's 'Beyond Nature' project farms.

Oooooo. Swanky!

The NCVs were happy to wait in here whilst

the wi-fi connection was looked into.

Not only was the lovely Jo from Yorkshire Water

ready to serve up teas and coffees...

...but she had also provided cakes!

Plan C was very acceptable.

Some very hopeful labs joined the NCVs outside.

'Go on - give us a bit'

'No? What if I look at you with very appealing eyes?'

Ros K. drew on years of teaching experience

to keep the labs behaving.

Whilst the NCVs scoffed their goodies, Jack - one of Yorkshire Water's

contractors - explained the current work that is being done up at Scar.

It involves the installation of 16 residia

(water filtering chambers to the uninitiated).

Eventually access to wi-fi was achieved - by turning the router off

and back on again! Why didn't we think of that right away?

Now everyone could download the app and get started.

Whilst waiting for others to catch up Tom got into the groove

by listening to his latest Spotify album 'BCC' ('Beat combo compilation').

This is where the NCVs finally began their tour.

It was fascinating listening to the history - and, in particular,

the personal stories of the people who used to live at Scar village.

It's hard to imagine that, for 16 years, 2000 people lived here.

There was a chapel, a gym, an early Morrisons, a cinema and houses

which had much better facilities than many towns.

You could even catch a train to London or Scarborough!!

As well as the indoor house toilets there was a gents loo.

Here some NCVs model how it would have been used.

(No wee was passed in the making of this blog.)

Having heard all about Scar village the NCVs

headed off, over the dam, to Lodge village.

Unfortunately - upon reaching Lodge a number of NCVs found that

the app was no longer working. There is obviously a way of

holding your mouth in order to make it work.

These glitches were all taken account of in the feedback.

Never mind. Plan D - stand in groups with an NCV who had a

connection and listen to the stories of the buildings together.

Hidden below this turf is a lovely cobbled street

that the NCVs helped to uncover a few years ago.

Having been documented it is felt that the turf

regrowth will better protect it.

Some of the buildings were still very obvious.

The village was here for 700 years before everyone

was moved out to allow the reservoir to fill.

Down here is a hidden gem - an underground root house,

used for storing all the root vegetables that the villagers grew.

Brenda decided to go back to her roots.

...but, like Ros E. found only stalactites and sheep poo.

Time for some socially distanced lunch for those

who had bothered to carry their bags this far.

The rest walked back to sit at a table (and eat the rest of the cake!)

App feedback was given and the NCVs set

off for one last stop at the bottom of the valley.

What could it be?

Gorgeous!

2 lovely wild flower meadows were just about to be harvested.

Before the tractor moved in the NCVs took a closer look.

This time it was the other Ros who played the part of teacher.

An impromptu flower ID session ensued and with a bit of searching....

...everyone was able to work together to find a wide

range of species including lesser stitchwort, germander

speedwell, self heal, meadow buttercup, meadowsweet,

crosswort, field bedstraw, white clover, knapweed,

birds foot trefoil and the more unusual agrimony,

to name just a few. And that was just along the verge!!

All in all it was a great day to be a guinea pig!

And finally - a wildflower meadow related update from Anita:

Regular readers of our blog may remember reading about the environmental improvement work that various NCVs carried out during different covid lockdowns. Now Anita would like to share a spectacular outcome that she helped to achieve in her daughter's garden. We last saw a picture of it early this year, just after the area concerned had been cleared of laurel bushes (no easy task!) Now it is an absolute haven for pollinators and other wildlife and Anita et al need to be awarded an A* in garden improvement. See for yourself.....