The Flickr Westridingofyorkshire Image Generatr

Barbondale is on the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Prior to the boundary changes of 1974, it was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. But then it was transferred to Cumbria, which is now only a Ceremonial County. We like Barbondale because it is rugged and completely unspoilt. There are no major settlements here, nor any tourist facilities, but simply a few farm buildings and lots of sheep. The village of Barbon is just outside the western end of the dale, while at the far end is the beautiful Dentdale.

The last time we visited, there was only a trickle of water from the waterfall. But this time, there had been some recent rain, and the streams reflected this. This stream flows into Deepdale Beck below, and this in turn joins the River Dee, which flows through Dentdale.

The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, commonly known as Ripon Cathedral, and until 1836 known as Ripon Minster, is a cathedral in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. Founded as a monastery by monks of the Irish tradition in the 660s, it was refounded as a Benedictine monastery by St Wilfrid in 672. The church became collegiate in the tenth century, and acted as a mother church within the large Diocese of York for the remainder of the Middle Ages. The present church is the fourth, and was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. In 1836 the church became the cathedral for the Diocese of Ripon. In 2014 the Diocese was incorporated into the new Diocese of Leeds, and the church became one of three co-equal cathedrals of the Bishop of Leeds.

The cathedral is notable architecturally for its gothic west front in the Early English style, considered one of the best of its type, as well as the Geometric east window. The seventh-century crypt of Wilfrid's church is a significant example of early Christian architecture in England. The cathedral has Grade I listed building status. Wikipedia

The Leeds & Liverpool Canal is 127 miles (204 km) long and was built between 1770 and 1816 to connect the big industrial towns of Yorkshire and Lancashire to the port of Liverpool and America. It also connected to Hull and the North Sea via the Aire & Calder Navigation, and then to Europe and Africa.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

This scan shows the village of Collingham on the River Wharfe and the countryside to the south and east; this includes the then simple crossroads between the A1, Great North Road, and the A659 heading towards Tadcaster. This is now a major multi-level interchange between Wattle Syke and Boston Spa.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

This scan shows the old Great North Road, the A1, passing through the village of Bramham long since bypassed, and to the north, the co-joined villages of Boston Spa and Thorp Arch straddling the River Wharfe. Thorp Arch was to become a major military site in WW2 and now houses collections storage for the British Library. Also shown is the long closed railway line skirting the village.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

This scan shows the northernmost extent of coverage; an inset of Stabeck and Knaresborough and below, the village of Walton to the east of Wetherby and the "Race Course" station on the long lost LNER railway line. This station had opened in 1924 and closed in 1959 five years before the line itself closed.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

This scan is almost perfectly dissected by the Great North Road, the A1, that at this time still was the main street of the village of Aberford and ran to a simple junction at Bramham Crossroads. To say that this has changed over the decades is an understatement! One of the many large houses in this area is also shown, Hazelwood Castle.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

This page shows the village of Barwick - in- Elmet and to the north the extensive grounds of Bramham Park all to the east of Leeds.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

Anotehr scan covering the northernmost coverage of the atlas; the inset shows the north of Harrogate and Bilton; below is the town of Wetherby with the old Great North Road, the A1, still forming the high street. This was finally bypassed in the 1960s and subsequently the by-pass was itseld by-passed! Also shown are the railway lines that closed in 1964 and 1966.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

This scan shows the area to the east of Leeds including the then mining towns and villages from Garforth in the north to Castleford, and the Aire Valley, in the south. This sheet shows the town of Castleford on the railway, the River Calder and the Aire & Calder Navigation. To the south the major collieries of Glass Houghton and the Prince of Wales Colliery.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

This scan shows the area to the east of Leeds including the then mining towns and villages from Garforth in the north to Castleford, and the Aire Valley, in the south.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

This scan shows the area to the east of Leeds including the then mining towns and villages from Garforth in the north to Castleford, and the Aire Valley, in the south. The far south west of this page shows the large scale Allerton Bywater Colliery and the open country running north towards Ledston and Peckfield Bar.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

This scan shows the area to the east of Leeds including the then mining towns and villages from Garforth in the north to Castleford, and the Aire Valley, in the south. This page shows the mass of coal mining activity around Normanton and Whitwood with the maze of railway lines serving them along with the course of the River Calder and the Aire & Calder Canal.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

This scan shows the area to the east of Leeds including the then mining towns and villages from Garforth in the north to Castleford, and the Aire Valley, in the south.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

This scan shows the area to the east of Leeds including the then mining towns and villages from Garforth in the north to Castleford, and the Aire Valley, in the south.

This scan shows the then eastern fringes of the city of Leeds at Stourton as well as the highly industrialised River Aire valley notably Leeds main sewage works. South it shows some of the collieries fringing Rothwell.

A scan from the very fine volume "The Authentic Map Directory of South West Yorkshire". Not dated these highly detailed maps seem to have been issued in the mid-1930s; there are several editions of the London volume and I have another for South Lancashire. I've often wondered if one was completed for Birmingham and the West Midlands but I've never seen one. They were designed, I suspect, as reference works and also for commercial purposes as the size precludes them from being 'pocket' atlases.

This scan shows the area to the east of Leeds including the then mining towns and villages from Garforth in the north to Castleford, and the Aire Valley, in the south. This scan shows the area to the north of Mickletown and the River Aire and Aire & Clader Canal. This includes the Allerton Main Collieries along with Swillington and Kippax.