15 November 2010

Hoylandswaine

Hoylandswaine - a Yorkshire village west of Barnsley. It clings to the Pennine chain - England's backbone. It's a strange name isn't it? "Hoyland" is not an uncommon placename in South Yorkshire. It probably means "high farm" and is derived from an ancient Norse language - testament to our invasive forefathers. The suffix "swaine" or earlier "sveinn" may refer to "Sveinn" the son of Ailric who died in 1129. So Hoylandswaine - a high farm belonging to Sveinn.

On such a gorgeous blue-sky autumn day, I couldn't spend more hours scrabbling around decorating bathrooms. Besides I needed exercise, so I slung my boots in the car and tootled northwards through Grenoside, Wortley and Thurgoland till I came to Hoylandswaine. With camera and banana in rucksack, I headed out of the village towards Guyder Bottom then on to Banks Wood, Roger Royd and Bull Haw Farm over Whin Moor to Kine Moor, the hamlet of High Royd and then back to Hoylandswaine. These are not pretty southern English names like Chipping Norton or Little Gidding, they are blunt and earthy like the area's former inhabitants and the unpromising land they farmed.

So here are four pictures I snapped today. I can never understand why Blogger allows some photos to be clickable so that you can quickly see much enlarged versions while at other times this is disallowed. If anyone knows the answer - please advise.
Village sign - in stone
Pinfold Farm entrance
Lonesome tree near Roger Royd
Sheep at High Royd

8 comments:

  1. Looks like you had a lovely day for your walk. How many ks did you walk do you think? The English are great walkers aren't they?
    Tony and I went for a walk around our neighbourhood yesterday afternoon about 6 o'clock for about an hour arriving home in the dark but still in a lather of perspiration. Too hot to walk in the daytime for me.
    Cheers
    Helen

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  2. Glad to see you heading out of Sheffield to the more cultured and beautiful spots of South Yorkshire ....

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  3. The village names may be blunt and earthy, but the surrounding landscape is very beautiful! I enjoyed your photos.

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  4. I'm glad that your banana stays in your rucksack when you tootle. Just sayin'...

    I shall rename my little plot of earth Hoylandplogge at once.

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  5. HELSIE As you should realise we English still resist kilometres. I walked for around five miles - that's all - just a gentle stroll. And no problem with heat, spiders or angry wallabies!
    BRIAN Ey up lad! Wor ah in thy neck o'woods?
    PAT ARK. Thank you. England is such a varied, photogenic and changeable country. Sadly, so many of my fellow citizens take the beauty for granted .
    RHYMES WITH BANANA Nice to see that some of my mischievous sense of humour is rubbing off on you. And this riposte - "Just sayin'..." seems to signal your Lenny Bruce moments. I may add it to my own limited blogging vocabulary.

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  6. Elizabeth12:44 am

    YP,I really love that nostalgic feel that your photographs always have. I don't quite know what it is that sets them apart, but I like it...

    Won't be around for a while...take care and my love to you and Shirley. xx

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  7. Such interesting photos because of their ordinary nature...your part of the world through your eyes. I am trying to take tentative steps into being out and about taking photos but stupidly need to get over that slight embarassment (sp)..you know, taking your time, using your little digital etc., but you are inspiring me to just do it.

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  8. ELIZABETH I thought about having fun with the expression "nostalgic feel" but instead I will just say thank you for enjoying my pictures.
    LIBBY Don't be shy - just get your camera out and take some shots. Sometimes, perhaps as Elizabeth implied, what emerges is an outward emanation of the photographer - just like a poem we might write.

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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