Example buildings - many pics - many periods (DA to 1950s)

[AndrewBeasley]

We had a very pleasant afternoon on Friday at the Ryedale Folk Museum that documents life around Hutton Le Hole from the Iron Age through to around 1950.  Scattered across 6 acres (of slightly soggy) land the builds are a mix of working and domestic life and well worth a visit .  Though there was no re-enactors on site it still took a good three hours to potter around and see the majority of the area (we did miss the school / potting shed and the farm display to say nothing of me missing three areas Sue saw) and plan to return when the plants are up.

I did slip up and not buy a full guide - these dates may be a bit wrong (period is OK though) but should give you a few modelling ideas:

Oldest building on site is the Iron Age Round house - interesting to see the moss growing on the thatch:

The Crofters Cottage had a great wattle garden (inc outdoor loo without 'fake' smells like Yorvik) but very dark interior (dates inside gave details to around 1450-1500):

Note the grey wood and not the brown we often paint for the table...  Internally, the room was split into working / living / bed areas but no animals where present in the working area (neither was the fire alight shame):

(Note I had to push the camera beyond its best hence the rather 'bright' colours)

The garden outside had raised beds - around 6 inches of wattle 'fence' held the best soil from the path - not sure if this was for display only:

A separate area (for chickens maybe) was at one end:

Moving on to Stang End (1700-1730 ish) - a wonderful crook house:

(Sorry about the warped walls - only 6 foot or so to the hedge)

The building had a barn / shed to the rear - look at the wall thickness here:

No idea who did this model

And across the green was the largest and most boring manor house (no real details inside as they use it as a lecture room):

White cottage was the vicarage at one point and dates from the 1870s period (going by the dates no the pickle jars!) but I only have this one shot:

These leaves you with a series of Victorian to 1950 buildings starting with a blacksmith / tinsmith:

and the trades (workshop / post office / shop / chemist / undertaker) block:

To give you an idea of the detail inside these buildings, I'll finish with the post office / shop for the VCW / 50's folk:

Hope this gives you a couple of ideas for scratch building or even a day out and if you want a full size image or two drop me a PM and I'll link them for you.

[Mitch K]

Nice, thanks for sharing. I haven't been  for a few years. Do they still have the wattle and daub roundhouse right down at the bottom end of the site.

Last time I was there the only thing I tried to get pictures of were a couple of vardos in a shed...

[fastolfrus]

Long time since we visited (and it's virtually walking distance from here).


There's a really good dark age site in Stavanger, which did some experimental archaeology a few years back and got some surprising results. They found that most DA houses in the area had sloped floors, and assumed it was so the animals could live at the bottom end during winter (for drainage), although the fire pits suggested otherwise. When they reconstructed one and put animals at the bottom end they couldn't get the house warm no matter how much wood they put on the fire. Trying it with the animals at the top end, they found that the house stayed warm with a small fire. Something to do with micro-climates?

[AndrewBeasley]

@Mitch K

The round house is still there (the moss is on the east side of it) and very dry inside (bitter cold though) - here is the boss getting pictures in the area:

@fastolfrus

No way could I walk from Scarborough!  I had problems from the pub next door (hold on that does not sound right - oh well)

[fastolfrus]

I didn't say how long it might take to walk....

Although I did walk from "The Lion" (on Blakey Moor, so not far from Hutton) to York one summer. 54 miles. Took 7 days, although we took 48 hours getting out of The Lion.... and it was a hot, thirsty week for walking.

[Mitch K]

I didn't say how long it might take to walk....

Although I did walk from "The Lion" (on Blakey Moor, so not far from Hutton) to York one summer. 54 miles. Took 7 days, although we took 48 hours getting out of The Lion.... and it was a hot, thirsty week for walking.

People get stuck in the Golden Lion all the time. Some were snowed in up there last winter. I got stuck there myself a few years back, coming back from an overnight session fishing for sea trout in Danby. Hellish experience

[fastolfrus]

People get stuck in the Golden Lion all the time. Some were snowed in up there last winter. I got stuck there myself a few years back, coming back from an overnight session fishing for sea trout in Danby. Hellish experience

Snowed in perhaps. But we went there in June.

[Mitch K]

Snowed in perhaps. But we went there in June.

No, that was September. It's a tricky spot, the Lion: you can become trapped there in any weather and any time of the year

Sort of place that belongs on the fantasy board!

[fastolfrus]

Sort of place that belongs on the fantasy board!

Or possibly Pulp or Gothic Horror - I saw a restaurant review that compared the setting to the Slaughtered Lamb (although the food is very good)....

[dampfpanzerwagon]

A very good photo report.

I would say that it is a little too far North for a simple day visit for me.

But I am interested enough to start thinking of a weekend away.

Thank you for the heads up.

Tony