2009 saw the 60^th anniversary of the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, which led to the creation of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). To mark this special anniversary and celebrate our protected landscapes Nidderdale AONB and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority joined forces to work on a legacy project.

 

The project employed a creative writing workshop leader, Alice Maddicott, to work with a variety of groups on a project centered around Grimwith Reservoir in the Yorkshire Dales and Scar House Reservoir in Nidderdale. Both reservoirs have remote and magical moorland settings and the aim was to inspire adults and children to write about their experiences of a visit.

 

The Nidderdale part of the project took place in October 2009 and focused around Scar House Reservoir in Upper Nidderdale. It saw five groups spend a day each with the workshop leader at Scar House. Four of the groups involved were from local primary schools and the fifth group was a group of adults from the local community.

 

Each school group spent the first part of the day doing a mini picture hunt around the ruins of the old village. Old photos of the village were placed among the ruins and the children were then asked to find them and think about the village that once stood and the lives of the people that lived and worked there. Following this the group wrote a series of short stories. The second part of the day was spent looking at the landscape, the dam and the reservoir itself. Following this the group wrote a series of poems.

 

The adult group took on a slightly different format and they spent time absorbing the wonderful scenery of Scar House before writing a series of poems and stories.

 

A selection of the work produced can be viewed on the following pages and we hope that this will inspire you to visit Scar House and produce some creative writing of your own.