Yorkshire

Available for over a year

Jules Hudson is in North Yorkshire to find out about the history of the landscape around Richmond Castle and the surrounding Dales. Founded by the Normans around 1070, just a few years after the Battle of Hastings, Richmond Castle was a formidable addition to the landscape and firmly stamped its authority on the people and the surrounding land. The town of Richmond slowly grew up around it and the castle still sits imposingly above the River Swale. During the First World War, the prison cells at Richmond Castle were used to hold the Richmond 16. The graffiti that survives on the walls of these cells includes that written by these conscientious objectors, sixteen men who were among the first in this country to refuse to fight on moral or religious grounds. Jules also hears about the landscape history of the Dales around Richmond and the ways in which people down centuries have used the land, including the rich heritage of the lead mining industry. Presenter: Jules Hudson Producer: Helen Chetwynd.