Feature of the season

Feature of the Season (FoS) is a project designed to enhance our understanding of historic features within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.  It aims, with considerable help from the Dales Volunteers, to find un-recorded historic features ranging from unusual gate posts and churn stands to veteran trees and turbary stones.  These are recorded in a series of web-based datasheets and are included in the National Park Authority's Historic Environment Record (HER).  Investigating and keeping records of the historic features in the Dales aids the National Park Authority in its commitment to conserving and protecting them for the future.
The successful running of FoS is dependent on a great deal of involvement by the Dales Volunteers.  Most of this is by volunteers locating and recording the relevant historic features in the Dales, either by looking out for features in the course of their other duties or by making an active search for features.  A very small number of volunteers, however, are central to the day to day running of the project, undertaking administrative tasks such as co-ordinating field visits, collating records and photographs and and updating the datasheets.

The datasheets are simple spreadsheets that can be read by many people at once.  Each feature is assigned a unique number within the HER and the information recorded includes:

• the location of the features (both a general description and and a more accurate grid reference - preferably provided by a GPS receiver);
• the approximate dimensions of the features;
• the materials used in the construction of the features;
• the condition of the features;
• the names of the surveyors and the date on which the features were recorded.

We are also maintaining image galleries of the features, sorted by HER number.  In some cases it is useful to have several images of the features to show them from different angles.

To learn more about the features that have been recorded and to see the data collected, please select from the links in the left hand menu.

If you would like more information or have any questions about the Feature of the Season project please email the Historic Environment team at herinfo@yorkshiredales.org.uk.