Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival - North Yorkshire

Scarecrows first came to Kettlewell in 1994 when a fund raising event was organised for the local school which serves much of Upper Wharfedale with its villages, isolated hamlets and remote farms. The enthusiastic response of parents and residents led to over 100 scarecrows appearing in gardens,openspaces, hidden corners and even on rooftops. The event was successfully repeated and, growing year by year, now attracts thousands of visitors over nine days in August.

Since 1998, the Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival has been organised on behalf of St. Mary’s Parish Church, Kettlewell Village Hall and the original beneficiary – the school. A small committee leads the way, but the whole community responds magnificently; making and renovating scarecrows, preparing and serving delicious home made produce to feed the many visitors, and organising parking and traffic.

Kettlewell is a delightful village, attractive, interesting, and ideally situated in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

Whitby Abbey - North Yorkshire

Whitby Abbey was founded in 657 AD by the Saxon King of Northumbria, Oswy as Streanshalh.  The name Streoneshalh is thought to signify Fort Bay or Tower Bay in reference to a supposed Roman settlement or Roman Signal Station that previously existed on the site. He appointed Lady Hilda, niece of Edwin, the first christian king of Northumbria, as Abbess. The double monastery of Benedictine monks and nuns was also home to the great Saxon poet Caedmon. In 664, the abbey, built on the east cliff overlooking the Esk and town of Whitby, was the site of the Synod of Whitby, at which the Northumbrian Celtic church was reconciled to Rome. In 867, the abbey fell to Viking attack, and was abandoned until 1078, when it was re-founded by Regenfrith (Reinferd) a soldier monk, under the orders of his protector, the Norman, William de Percy. The second monastery lasted until it was destroyed by Henry VIII in 1540. The abbey buildings fell into ruins, and were mined for stone, but remained a prominent landmark for sailors.

Staithes - a seaside village, North Yorkshire

Staithes was once one of the largest fishing ports on the north east coast of North Yorkshire and an important source of the minerals Jet, Iron, Alum and Potash. At the turn of the 20th century, there were eighty full time fishing boats putting out from Staithes (or Steers as it is known by the locals). A hundred years later there is only one. Still a father and son fishing operation, three generations of the Hanson family currently work the lone full time fishing boat. There is a long tradition of using the coble (a traditional locally made fishing vessel) in Staithes.

In 1745-1746, Staithes's most famous resident, the young James Cook (born in Marton near Middlesbrough), worked in Staithes as a grocer's apprentice where he first gained his passion for the sea. He later moved to nearby Whitby where he joined the Royal Navy. William Sanderson's shop, where Cook worked, was destroyed by the sea, but parts were recovered and incorporated into "Captain Cook's Cottage". This has been the residency of a local Staithes family for several generations.

Today, Staithes is a very attractive tourist destination.