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“People also leave presence in a place even when they are no longer there”
Andy Goldsworthy.
I had two objectives today – The Poetry Path in Kirkby Stephen and Andy Goldsworthy’s six Pinfold Cones, from early this century, scattered around the area. As the day progresses an Eden Benchmark crept into my itinerary. It became a bit of a whirlwind day. Just warning you, in fact I have just decided to remove the poetry to another post.
It is difficult to write a post when virtually all of your six subjects, in this case the Pinfold Cones. are almost identical.
A fairly early start and I found myself driving narrow lanes in the mist. This is limestone country. Through the village of Orton and onwards to Crosby Ravensworth to try and find my first pinfold. This was easy as it was next to the main street at the south end of the scattered village. A small square pinfold with one of Andy Goldsworthy’s stone cones in the centre. The cone shape is said to have been influenced by the Nine Standards Rigg above Kirkby Stephen. He has used it in installations in many places. He talks of the cone shape being warm and enveloping, a source of hope and also protection. They focus our attention on the environment and the history of man’s influences upon it.
This cone is made from local limestone, looking quite black in this damp morning. The Pinfolds will have been around for a long time, a pen used for stray animals before they could be reunited with their owners. We have a good example on the outskirts of Longridge. I have found some reference for Goldsworthy’s pinfolds being rebuilt on the original sites, there doesn’t seem to be any documentation for each one. I must assume at least that it will now guarantee their survival.
Back in Orton I stopped for a coffee in Kennedy’s Fine Chocolate shop. Maybe I should have stocked up on luxury Christmas presents, but I didn’t. Across the street is The George Hotel, we ended up there one afternoon after climbing at nearby Jackdaw Scar, Kings Meaburn, a crag where you start on a sandstone lower wall which morphs into limestone as you progress. The geology of this whole area is fascinating and one learns a lot from climbing on its cliffs. The bar staff had had a busy Sunday lunchtime and were wanting to rest before the evening’s trade. Being officially open, they happily accommodated us though, by locking us into one of the bars at the back with orders not to let anybody else in. We sipped our supplies of beer and played pool for an hour or so. 
I drove through the village of Raisbeck without realising and ended up on a single track road going nowhere. I had to backtrack and found the next Pinfold, a larger square with a gated entrance hidden away in the trees, the clue being Pinfold Bridge shown on the map. Another limestone construction. Judging by the vegetation few people bother to search it out. 
Not wanting to face that narrow lane again I retraced my way back through the few houses that make up Raisbeck. Something caught my eye as I passed a small building. Stopping for a closer look it turned out to be an old school house. The Dame School was built in 1780 by farmers of Raisbeck and repaired in 1857, probably closed by 1900. Dame schools were for young children of poor families providing only a basic education. By the 1970s the old school building was in a bad condition. A poet named Michael Ffinch and local supporters fought to have it designated and restored.
The notice on the door said “COME IN”. There was a room downstairs with a fireplace and wooden floored room upstairs. There wouldn’t have been space for many children. How good that it has free access without any obvious funding. Ffinch wrote a poem about it and I wished I had photographed it in the room because I can’t find it now.
Outside was an unusual stone picnic table and 2 stone ‘flower beds’ one celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s reign, the other Charles coronation. They are quick off the mark up here.
There was still mist about on the hills as I drove down to Kirkby Stephen. 
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My next stop just outside Kirkby Stephen – The Poetry Path. But I am leaving that for a separate post.
*
The day was still young or so I thought and therefore I decided to drive to find more Goldsworthy Pinfolds which were easily accessible by road in the area north of Kirkby Stephen.
I drove the short distance to Church Brough and parked under the shadow of the castle at the primary school. There was the circular Pinfold with its Cone – but slap bang in the middle of the school’s play field. I hesitated taking any photo of this one due to its proximity to the school. 
Up the fast and furious A66 to Warcop. All around are military training grounds with lots of warning signs. In fact as I got out of the car distant artillery bursts were audible. The little square pinfold was a haven of peace. We are now in sandstone country.
Farther up the A66 past Appleby I took to those narrow country lanes again to the small village of Bolton. The pinfold was easy to find right next to the road. New housing is going up all around and it is good that the Pinfold survived even though it is somewhat hemmed in. Not as sympathetic to the environment as Goldsworthy would have liked..
Driving back to Kirkby Stephen there is still light enough to carry on to Outhgill, higher up the Eden at the start of Mallerstang, where the last of my pinfolds was situated. I have driven through this hamlet many times but never stopped to explore. At one time Outhgill had an inn, a post office, a smithy, parish church and a Methodist chapel. Of these, only the church still functions. In the churchyard are the unmarked graves of 25 of the builders of the Mallerstang section of the Settle-Carlisle Railway who died or were killed during the construction. At the time the line was constructed (1869 to 1875) between Dent and Kirkby Stephen, six thousand navvies and there families were employed and housed in shanty towns in the valley. Can you imagine the squalor?
I noticed one property named Faraday Cottage, where the father of the scientist Michael Faraday was the blacksmith in the late 18th century. He in fact moved to London before Michael was born so the link is tenuous. 
Faraday Cottage.
The Outhgill pinfold was up a little lane and was the smallest I had come across. 
Quite a busy day. The Black Bull in Nateby proved a very friendly place with good food and beer. I slept much better than I do at home. 
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An interesting exploration, and those cairns/cones in the pinfolds do have a beguiling shape to them. It looks like wild country, and little visited – even the villages. I’d not heard of Michael Ffinch before, but have done some digging and amongst many other things I’ve discovered he wrote a book called “Portrait of the Howgills and the Upper Eden Valley” so I presume this is your man.
That’s the sort of book I may try and track down.
I’m kicking myself for not photographing his poem about the school which was on the wall.
They had a copy on Abe books for a fiver.
Yes just been looking.
What’s the significance of the Dame School being open, is it just for shelter? I like the last little pinfold, it looks quite cute.
The northern poet Ffinch was responsible along with the local community in saving the school from demolition. They considered it an important historical institution. With mainly local funding they have restored it to its present state. They wanted to have it freely open for anyone interested to look around. Minimal funding is needed in its present state (for now) and employing staff to man it wasn’t possible. There is a lot of information available within the building. I don’t think I have come across a Dame School as intact as this.
Thanks BC. it looks an interesting little place.
I nearly drove past it.
I didn’t realise there were so many Andy Goldsworthy cones dotted around the Eden Valley. I have seen the one at C R but not the others, though I haven’t particularly looked for any. There is a Sheepfold of his in Melmerby. The Dame School was a great find.
Yes I knew about his work at Melmerby.
The little school was a surprise
There must be loads of them, I’ve never seen one with a cone in before.
Goldsworthy’s cones have a life of their own and somehow give more focus to the pinfolds.
We were very impressed with the old school. Mind the eating places in Orton are so very tempting, given I’m dieting at the moment!
I was so glad I stopped off at the Dame School. Have you read any of Ffinch’s books? I see he has written about the Howgills and Eden valley.
Don’t think I have but it sounds very interesting. I did use that valley when I was writing my thord Robin Hood novel.
We are all dieting – best of luck.
I blame Covid
What a fascinating trip. I must follow in your footsteps here. I’m a big fan of Goldsworthy, and my wife worked for the Year of the Visual Arts in 1996, which commissioned Goldsworthy to produce the sheepfolds. She got to promote it and meet him in the process, which was a special moment for her, as she’d long been a fan.
Have you seen the Touchstone Fold at Tilberthwaite? A big washfold, this time without a cone but with discs of slate inset into each wall, with the slates in each set at a different angle to suggest the cycle of the sun or the seasons. It was one of the last ones he did. I think he created nearly fifty over the course of six or seven years.
I’ve always meant to go in search of the others, so it’s been inspiring to read this. The Dame school, church and Faraday’s father’s cottage all look worth a visit too.
Yes I’ve seen the Tilberthwaite one, but need to go out and search for more. Have you seen the three ‘sentry boxes’ up on Clougha Pike – they are my favourites.
Lovely job for your wife.
No, I haven’t. Added to my list!
My lists keeps getting bigger.
You must go up Clougha Pike and Grit Fell. You could get a good story from it and it’s only just out of the Lakes.
I’d count myself as a fan of Andy Goldsworthy, and would like to visit these pinfolds at some time. I visited a new one to me last weekend – a fold with a cairn by the stream which flows into Cautley Spout. Some of the sheepfolds do leave me a bit baffled though – the ones along the track above Kirkby Lonsdale for instance, each of which contains a large erratic boulder.
His pinfolds seemed more accessible – we all know what a pinfold is and there are many about. His ‘cones’ based on the Nine Standards ones give a focus to the enclosure and are beautiful objects in themselves.
Not seen many of his sheepfolds.
The Kirkby Stephen poetry trail is a quick fix. I am a fan of Pipa Hall, such skill and artistry.