New Heritage Trail Explores the Hidden History of Iconic North York Moors Landmark
Visitors to Sutton Bank National Park Centre can now step back through thousands of years of history with Raiding the Bank, following the installation of a new heritage walking trail.
Located between the National Park Centre and Roulston Scar, a series of illustrated panels reveal different chapters in the area’s past, from prehistoric settlement and Iron Age communities to medieval warfare, Second World War defences and pioneering flight.
It’s a history that has at times been bloody, brutal and surprising. The 5km trail reveals how people have interacted with the landscape across generations, including the Iron Age builders who chose to construct their boundary around an existing Bronze Age barrow, rather than cutting through it, despite it dating from around 1,000 years prior.
In the medieval period, Sutton Bank was the scene of a dramatic military turning point: the Battle of Byland, when an English army was defeated by Scottish forces on 14 October 1322. Centuries later, its strategic position again made it important during the Second World War, when defensive trenches were constructed and a dummy airfield created to deceive enemy aircraft.
Walkers can also discover the Yorkshire Gliding Club, founded in 1934, and its connections with pioneering aviator Amy Johnson. The story takes a more sinister turn as war approached, when concerns were raised that German glider pilots who had trained at Sutton Bank before the conflict might be a little too familiar with the local geography…
“Lived, fought and defended”
Adam Ditchburn, Interpretation Manager at the North York Moors National Park Authority, said: “Sutton Bank is famous for its views, but those sweeping vistas are part of what has made it strategically important throughout history. People have lived, fought, defended and explored this landscape for thousands of years, leaving traces that continue to reveal new insights into the past. Over the last three years, the Raiding the Bank project has brought together archaeological excavation, survey work, historical research and community involvement to uncover and share more of the area’s hidden heritage. Alongside this, the project has also included environmental and access improvements, including the creation of ponds providing valuable habitat for wildlife.”
Illustrated panels along the trail guide visitors through the stories, with online content accompanying the trail providing further films, articles and information for those wanting to delve a little deeper.
The Raiding the Bank project has been funded by National Grid’s Landscape Enhancement Initiative and supported by volunteers and the local community. Section 106 funding secured through the North York Moors National Park Authority’s agreement with Woodsmith Mine allowed for the creation of seasonal ponds to benefit the area’s wildlife.
For more information on Raiding the Bank, please visit the North York Moors National Park Authority website at northyorkmoors.org.uk
