Dales Countryside Museum

As the weather worsened, the only feasible place to be was inside, so it was a pleasure to visit the Dales Countryside Museum, housed in Hawes' redundant railway station. It has interesting displays covering the history and development of the Dales, home and social life, industry and farming. 

I was deeply impressed with the bronze spearhead (above), about 9 inches long, possibly a votive offering made in the Bronze Age (between 4000 and 2000 BC) and found in Semerwater, a nearby lake. Wow, wow, wow! It is absolutely beautiful, with such lovely detailing.  

I learned of the importance of knitting in the local communities, done by men and children as well as women and quite a sociable, community activity. I also learned that there is such a thing as a 'knitting stick'.  A knitting stick (seen in use above) is a tool used by knitters to secure one needle and take the weight of their knitting.  These handy little gadgets help serious knitters to knit quickly (some can knit as fast as three stitches per second - that is 180 stitches per minute!) and also makes it easier for them to knit on the move, while they are walking around. There were many examples on display, mostly wooden, turned and carved with personalised symbols.

There was a display about lead mining (above), which I found interesting in the light of my recent exploration of the lead mines above Grassington and another exhibit about peat cutting, peat being used extensively as fuel for homes and industry. 

 All very fascinating - I could have spent longer exploring and there was a lot to take in.