West & East Heslerton
West Heslerton, about half way between Malton & Scarborough, is a village of great importance to the web master of this web site as it was the village in which I spent the first twenty years of my life. This is the only page where I think it appropriate to discuss myself on Ryedale.co.uk.
I learned to do most things there, none of which I am willing to discuss on these pages. No under ten year old could throw the cricket ball further, draw a six gun faster or play a mouth organ better than me. Later my gang used the unoccupied vicarage as a den, used it's out buildings to learn how to smoke and swear and caused absolute havoc on mischief night. We were allowed to drink shandy in the Dawney Arms, long before we were of legal age, the idea being if we were in the pub we were not up to mischief else where. The junior school, now the village hall, was in the village and had a wonderful head master, Mr. Moore, who I admired greatly. He was a gifted pianist and he was responsible for my life long love of music. He took us on school trips to Edinburgh, London and Stirling. The other teacher at Heslerton was the amazing Tony Brewster. He gave me the cane for something I didn't do and I hated him until I met him just before he died and realised I missed knowing a great and interesting man. He took me on
my first archeological dig at Staple How which I suppose was the first archeological connection in the village. The connection is still there today with the Heslerton Parish Project, mentioned below. The primary school was on the north side of the A64 which passed through the village in those days, it was later bypassed to leave the village a different place altogether. The school building was made out of asbestos and doubled as the Village Hall. It was demolished after the bypass was built and with it went the memories of our teacher Miss Price, who every boy at that school was in love with. We used to sledge down the hill until the road men started to grit the road so the cars could get up. I remember hating those men for spoiling our own little Cresta Run. We buried my best mate's younger brother up to his neck to see how loud he could shout for his mum, sorry Martin. Well I could go on forever but I won't....
Archeologist, Dominic
Powlesland's activities at Heslerton
www.landscaperesearchcentre.org
Also
These two superb books are now
available : Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
By
Christine Haughton & Dominic Powlesland
These two volumes cover the Prehistoric and Early Anglo-Saxon evidence from this important site, they are copiously illustrated in color and black and white reflecting innovative techniques in the use of digital data and direct scanning of objects and x-rays combined with artifact drawings in pencil and even water-color. In addition to the detailed discussions relating to the Anglian cemetery, Volume i documents the results of the excavation of the important Late Neolithic/ Early Bronze Age Hengiform enclosure, Post-Circle and Early Bronze Age Barrows that provided the setting for the later Anglo-Saxon Cemetery. This remains the most extensively excavated cemetery of its kind in the North of England producing not only a large group of well furnished burials but also a large assemblage of textile evidence relating to Early Anglo-Saxon costume.
The two volumes can be purchased for £35.00 for the pair +P&P from :
OR
The Landscape Research Centre
The Old Bridge Barn
Yedingham
Malton
YO17 8SL
inquiries to D.Powlesland@btinternet.com
