For the past month this site has been suffering a denial of service attack so traffic has been limited to the UK only. We are very sorry if you have been unable to access us during that time.
The attack is no longer as ferocious but is still ongoing so it may be necessary to again limit access. Should you need to have access please send your ip address to yas.web at gmail so that we can let you through.

 

 

Christmas closure and opening hours

Please note that Claremont will close for the Christmas holidays at 5.30pm on Thursday 19 December 2013. We will re-open on Thurs 2 January 2014 at 10am. We will endeavour to answer any enquiries sent in over the holidays as soon as possible in January.

Members and visitors are reminded that new opening hours are now in operation so that we are no longer open on Friday mornings.

3/12/13

New reading room arrangement at Claremont

The rearrangement of furniture at Claremont is now complete, so that we have a new combined library and archive searchroom in the Sir Charles Clay Room. We hope that this provides a pleasant working environment and allows staff to be on hand to help both library and archive visitors more effectively.

The new tables and chairs was in part financed by a generous donation to be used towards the library.

In order to create a staff area at the top of the Clay Room we have closed off the first door so that the only entrance is from the central hallway next to the lockers.

The former archive searchroom now houses the library card catalogue and the archive lists. We have also been able to create working space for volunteers and groups, which can also be used as another meeting space when the catalogue does not need to be accessed.

Many thanks to all the volunteers who made the move run smoothly including Denise Hirschmann, Christine Farmer, Chris Blanchard, David Asquith and Morag Fyfe.

28/11/2013

 

Brenda Telford

As many members will know sadly Brenda Telford, a long time member and archive volunteer, died at the age of 84 in October 2013. Brenda kindly bequeathed her books on Yorkshire history and archaeology to the Society in her will. Those books in her collection which we do not hold in the YAS library will be added to our collections, whilst her nephew has allowed us to offer those we already have for sale to members with proceeds to go to the Society.

We are also grateful to Brenda's relatives who arranged for the collection at the funeral to be given to the Society in recognition of the importance of the YAS in Brenda's life. We were delighted to received donations from family and friends and the Upper Nene Archaeological Society. It is as yet undecided what exactly how the collection will be used, but we intend to put it towards purchasing an appropriate item for the library or archives at Claremont.

 

New opening hours at Claremont from 4 November 2013

New opening hours at Claremont from 4 November 2013
Monday	(closed to public)
Tuesday	10.00 am - 5.30 pm
Wednesday	10.00 am - 5.30 pm
Thursday	10.00 am - 5.30 pm
Friday	(closed to public)
Saturday	9.30 am - 5.00 pm

 

From November the YAS library and archives we will be closing all day on Friday. Whilst we regret having to reduce opening hours, it is being done so that staff can carry out important 'behind the scenes' work, which cannot be done whilst supervising the reading room. we also intend to use this time to look at modernising the library and to create more time to supervising volunteer projects.

These new opening hours will be in operation from now until the end of 2014, when the situation will be reviewed.

30/10/2013

 

 

Robert and Janet's retirement

Robert and Janet are retiring from the library after 16 years. They will both be greatly missed at Claremont, but we hope that they enjoy their retirement. We look forward to seeing them both return as volunteers in the near future – Janet has taken up the post of Hon Excursions Secretary, and Robert will be back to work on the Frankland of Thirkleby collection in the archives.

Although Robert has already left and Janet will finish work at the end of October (she is currently on sick leave) their retirement celebrations will take place in December after the Volunteers' Christmas Party. Their leaving gifts will be presented at 3pm, on Friday 13 December, directly after the party, and all are welcome to attend the presentation.

If you would like to make a donation towards a leaving present please give cash in person, or send a cheque (payable to 'YAS') to Kirsty.

(Unless otherwise specified, all donations will be split equally between Robert and Janet.)

There is also a card to sign at Claremont. Please speak to Kirsty or Diana. Farewell messages and good wishes can also be sent by post or email c/o Kirsty who will pass them on.

 

YAS in the news!

Eagle-eyed members may have spotted coverage of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society in serveral publications recently, most notably in the Yorkshire Post Magazine ('Antiques Roadshow' Sat 24 Aug) and the Dalesman Magazine.

The Dalesman's July issue featured an article on the exhibition in Settle ('The Past is Always with us' by) and the September issue begins a three part feature by Sebastian Oake and Margaret Tylee of the YAS's Industrial History Section on Yorkshire's textile mills.

Other places the YAS has appeared this year include: The Post Hole, Local History News, The Craven Herald, North Leeds Life, Kirkstall Matters.

The Society would like to reach out to as wide an audience as possible, if you have any ideas for suitable magazines to take articles or adverts please get in touch yas.president@gmail.com

3/9/2013

History of YAS's archive collecting

The latest issue of Archives and Records (the Journal of the Archives and Records Association, vol 34, issue 1, Spring 2013) features an article by Kirsty McHugh and Brian Barber on the Yorkshire Archaeological Society's role in preserving Yorkshire's documentary heritage.

'Yorkshire archives and a league of gentlemen: the Yorkshire Archaeological Society and record-collecting 1863-2013' describes what kind of archives the Society has collected and why, and discusses the YAS's role within the context of archive services throughout Yorkshire.

Off-prints are available by email from Kirsty yas.archives@gmail.com

 

Michael Wood - as seen on tv, and now in the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal!

Viewers who have been following the programmes on BBC4 on the Anglo-Saxons by historian and broadcaster Michael Wood will want to know that you can also read his latest article in the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal.

The subject is the vexed question of the actual location of the Battle of Brunanburh. This key conflict - the ‘birthplace of Englishness’ - between the Anglo-Saxons and an invading Scottish and Irish-Scandinavian army took place in 937. But where?

Here, Michael Wood puts forward a new theory in 25 pages, placing the site of the battle on the River Went, and not on the Wirral. ‘Searching for Brunanburh: The Yorkshire Context of the ‘Great War’ of 937’. Remember! You read it in the YAJ first!

Buy YAJ Volume 85 now

 

Yorkshire Archaeological Journal  Volume 85 (2013)

This year’s journal has of articles on Yorkshire’s archaeology and history, spanning in date almost a thousand years and a remarkable variety in subject-matter.

Amongst them are two articles, one by the distinguished archaeologist, Professor John Collis, which survey aspects of the history of the YAS in the year of its 150th anniversary.

The historian and broadcaster Michael Wood, has written a new study of what has been called the greatest single battle in Anglo-Saxon history before 1066.

Rita Wood, the expert on Romanesque architecture in Yorkshire, whose county-wide study the YAS has recently published, contributes an article on the ancient parish church at Adel, near Leeds.  Archaeologist Ian Roberts and archivist Chtristopher Wittick, examine medieval Pontefract.

Professor David Hey offers a study of woollen-cloth making in Holmfirth, and there are articles on the Victorian architect, Joseph Hansom, more widely known as the inventor of the ‘Hansom’ cab, and the emergence of the Labour Party in Sheffield.

Amongst the reviews is a substantial critique by historian Margaret Faull of a work on place names, a study of the deserted village of Wharram Percy, the subject of an epoch-making Yorkshire excavation, and reviews of two important YAS publications: the latest volume in the Wakefield manor court rolls series and the major court case over 18th century Swaledale lead mining.

Click here for full contents
Buy Now

Aug 2013

 

Cambridge Library Collection and the YAS Record Series - A new venture for our anniversary year

As part of the celebrations for its 150th anniversary year, the YAS has been collaborating with the Cambridge Library Collection, a division of Cambridge University Press. This makes available again more than fifty of the titles which first appeared in the YAS Record Series from the 1880s to the 1990s. The reprints include the celebrated dozen volumes of Early Yorkshire Charters, and the five volumes of the earliest of the Wakefield manorial court rolls. Both of these series are landmarks in the society’s distinguished record of publications.

For full details and prices of the Cambridge reprints click here

A Notable Gift to the Library and Archives

One of the many achievements the Society can celebrate in its 150th year is the remarkable range of resources for the study of Yorkshire’s archaeology and history which it has accumulated at ‘Claremont’, its Leeds headquarters. Amongst these is a large library of printed works on Yorkshire archaeology and history, unrivalled in size or scope outside the British Library. Another is its substantial holdings of documents of all kinds on the whole of the historic county. The archives the Society holds range over many centuries and fill several miles of shelves.

Maintaining such facilities is expensive, so the Society is really pleased to acknowledge an anonymous donation of £1,000, which has been received towards the work of the library and archives. Such welcome generosity is of lasting benefit to readers now and in the future.

A Remarkable Bequest from Mr John Wade of Ilkley

In drawing up his will, Mr John Wade of Ilkley decided that he would like to remember the YAS amongst the charities that would benefit from his estate. After the death of his wife, Sheila, in October 2009, the Society was informed that it was fortunate enough to be one of his beneficiaries.

The process of carrying out his wishes is now drawing to completion, and the Society would like to announce, with great gratitude, that it has received a first payment of £79,000 from the estate.

Such a sum could not come at a more timely moment for the YAS. The Society relies wholly upon it members and well-wishers for its funding. It receives no contribution from public funds towards its work. Financing its exceptional resources is a continuing dilemma for its Hon. Treasurer and the Management Board. This is especially true at present, when the economic climate has had a real impact on the Society’s income.

Mr Wade thus joins that succession of donors stretching back to the very beginning of the Society. Their thoughtful and invaluable generosity has helped to safeguard the Society’s work in promoting the study of Yorkshire’s past.

 

A generous gift from an anonymous donor

The YAS relies for all its income upon voluntary sources to finance its varied work in promoting, publishing and preserving the archaeology and history of Yorkshire, England’s largest historic county. Making ends meet, especially in the present economic climate, is a perennial headache for the Hon. Treasurer.

So it is with the greatest of pleasure, and a very lively sense of gratitude, that we can now acknowledge a recent splendid gift, a cheque for £,3000, towards our work. The way in which the donation was received ensured that the donor remained anonymous.

The members of Management Board have decided that the only way in which they can express their thanks to our unknown benefactor is to announce our appreciation on the website. We can only hope that the donor looks at the website from time to time, and so will find this message when he or she does so.

 

Access to Brotherton Library collections for YAS members

The YAS has set up a reciprocal agreement with the University of Leeds which will allow YAS members to use the Brotherton Library collections for reference purposes.

From 1 March 2013 Individual and Associate YAS members will be able to use the Brotherton Library for reference purposes by showing their YAS Library Borrowing card. YAS members eligible to borrow books at Claremont can purchase a Borrowing Card, costing £1, from library staff at Claremont. Individual, Associate, Family, and Family Associate members of the YAS can apply for a Library Borrowing card - this card gives borrowing rights at Claremont (but not the Brotherton) as well as allowing access to the Brotherton Library for reference.


The Brotherton Library, located in the Parkinson Building, contains the main collections for the arts, social sciences and law.

 

 

New publication on twelfth-century Yorkshire

The latest volume in our occasional paper series is 'Romanesque Yorkshire' by Rita Wood

Whereas Pevsner described architecture after the Conquest as 'Norman' and 'late Norman', the inclusive term preferred nowadays would be Romanesque; in England this covers the period 1066 to 1200. The Romanesque style, in illumination and metalwork as well as architecture and its allied crafts, is recognisable throughout the Christian West and spans a longer period than is relevant in England, at least two centuries.

This volume is divided into two sections. Firstly a 31 page introduction featuring a glossary of architectural terms and map of Romanesque sites in Yorkshire also gives background information to Romanesque topics as these are experienced in Yorkshire. The text often suggests a few sites where features under discussion can be seen.

The second part of the volume is a gazetteer listing over 300 sites with appreciable Romanesque remains. Arranged by place name, the location of the site (usually a parish church) is given in brackets e.g. FOUNTAINS ABBEY (WR/SE 274 683/National Trust/90.B3). The book is fully illustrated with black and white plates and the photographs have been chosen to cover the range of work to be seen in the county and to illustrate as many as possible of the features described in the text.

This publication is available to buy through our online shop or by contacting Claremont or yas.shop@gmail.com.

 

YAS online developments

We can now accept online payments for photocopying, publication sales, membership renewal, research and excursions. We will also be launching our online shop later this year.
If you would like to comment on any aspect of our website or online activities please get in touch.

Please remember we are also now on Facebook.

 

Facebook

The Yorkshire Archaeological Society is now on Facebook! Please find our page and "like" us. You will then be able to receive YAS news updates and information about events via Facebook.
If you have any feedback or ideas about how we can use our page please let us know.

 

Archive enquiries

Please note our new archive email address yas.archives@gmail.com .

 

Vernacular Buildings Reports

As many members may be aware copies of building reports made by the Yorkshire Vernacular Buildings Study Group are held in the YAS Archives. Afull list is now available of all those reports held at the YAS on our website. To make an appointment to view a report or request a copy please contact the archives. Please note the building name, parish/township, building report number and archive reference number when enquiring about reports.

 

Online archive guide

It is now possible to search the archive holdings on the YAS website.

The Guide provides an overview of the contents of the YAS’s collections. It currently covers all items deposited or gifted to the archives between 1867 and 2008.

The collection descriptions derive from the two published guides to YAS records; “Catalogue of Manuscript and Deeds in the Library of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society 1867-1931” by E.W. Crossley and “Guide to the Archive Collections of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society 1931- 1985” by Sylvia Thomas, plus details of new collections drawn up by previous and current archive staff.

Some collections are only one item, in other cases one collection may extend to many boxes. In this guide the contents of each collection is summarised; the degree of detail given in many cases depends on to what extent the collection has been catalogued. You will find more in-depth listings of some collections on Access to Archives or the West Yorkshire Archive Service's online catalogue, for other collections detailed lists are only available in paper form at Claremont.

Please contact the archives to find out if more information is available on particular collections. When enquiring about collections please quote the Collection Reference.

The archive guide

 

Journal articles

For details of how to submit articles for consideration for the YAJ, please contact the YAS Secretary by email or post.