Introduction and Background

The Dog Kennel Lane Project was triggered by one man’s memories of a childhood spent playing in fields around his home and being puzzled by strange features in the landscape.

David Barley, chairman of the study group, which was financed by a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant, said: “I am delighted that an area, which I knew as a boy, has now been researched and that the information we gathered is recorded for future generations.”

Fiona Spiers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “The Dog Kennel Lane Project has enabled the local community to develop new skills, share their memories and learn more about the history of their local area.

The Dog Kennel Lane Project was set up by Boroughbridge and District Historical Society and involved 15 months of research. Members consulted archives, examined maps and aerial photographs, including digital imagery; gathered oral history, carried out field walking and geophysics.

In 2014 HLF awarded the Society £10,000 for an archaeological research project covering a small area in the parishes of Langthorpe and Newby-with-Mulwith, north of the River Ure and west of the A1M.

The Study Group worked under the guidance of professional Community Archaeologist Kevin Cale.

The research is now being placed on the Internet at:
www.boroughbridgehistory.co.uk

BDHS members can download the whole project as a PDF file (86 pages, 20MB) from the Members’ area of the site.

Or you can continue reading the online version (currently under construction, not yet complete!) on our website – see the links in the menu above.

The Dog Kennel Lane Project – named after dog kennels which stood beside the original carriage drive to the 16th century Brampton Hall – discovered Neolithic finds, ancient river crossings, researched Roman remains and properties with historic connections on the Newby Hall Estate.

Members found links to the Battle of Culloden in 1745. Historic properties included Brampton Hall, once the home of the Tancred family, who were implicated in the 1569 rebellion against Queen Elizabeth 1. They suffered persecution as Catholics in Protestant Elizabethan England and were arrested in 1579 and their lands were confiscated by the Crown.

Mulwith was the home of Mary Ward, born in 1585. She was a Catholic, who founded religious institutions across Europe. One of the institutions established the Bar Convent in York.  Her maternal uncles, John and Christopher Wright, were involved in the Gun Powder Plot led by Guy Fawkes.

One of the project’s aims was to create a Heritage Trail, which will now be known as the Dog Kennel Lane Circuit. The five-mile walk was made possible by a permitted footpath granted by Newby Hall Estates, which links existing rights of way between Langthorpe and Skelton-on-Ure.
Pupils from Skelton Newby Hall Church of England School have been involved in the project, looking at the area’s wildlife, exploring their heritage and learning new skills.

About the Heritage Lottery Fund
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy.
From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, it invests in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported over 37,000 projects with more than £6bn across the UK, including £445m to over 3,100 projects in Yorkshire and the Humber alone.
www.hlf.org.uk

Boroughbridge and District Historical Society
The Society was founded in 1994 to encourage and develop an interest in the heritage of the area. The Society holds an archive of photographs and related material from Boroughbridge and surrounding villages. Its members stage exhibitions and meet monthly for a programme of talks by visiting speakers.

  • Dog Kennel Lane Project’s approved purpose as specified by the HLFTo provide opportunities for members of the community to research five aspects of heritage connected with the area around Dog Kennel Lane through visits to relevant archives and sites of interest, carrying out historic building surveys, recording oral history, undertaking field walking and recording earthworks.To involve primary school children in conducting a wildlife survey.To provide oral history training for project participants.

    To share the findings with wider audiences through events, web-site information, a leaflet and heritage display board to accompany a waymarked trail.

    To archive the findings with local libraries, the County Records Office, the Historical Environment Records Office and local schools.

2-1854 map1854 Map of the Dog Kennel Lane Project area. (North of the River Ure)

To the south of Dog Kennel Lane (Lowfield Lane on the map above) are shown the random location of small fields owned by different farms in Langthorpe village