Easingwold - Part III

This is my final post about our last weekend of freedom before life changed so drastically. We were attending the Long Distance Walkers' Association AGM. They are good at finding inexpensive and interesting accommodation, in my experience. This year we were at the Cabinet Office's Emergency Planning College, an odd arrangement of old and modern that one often finds here in Britain. I never did explore the area much given the short time we were there, but we pulled into an estate called The Hawkhills, checked in at a rather grand building and were housed across the car park in a somewhat modern building, using a card for entry at multiple points.

I'd heard of this Emergency Planning College from a former college who worked in ... emergency planning, a former ambulance driver. His job was to represent the health service at meetings of police, fire and ambulance types to plan what to do in the event of major catastrophes like bombs, chemical accidents and ... pandemics. I was rather gratified to see the place for myself even if it was 12 + years after my retirement.

The reception and meeting rooms are in this building

We were given a room for disabled people which while not very attractive probably did have the advantage of more space. Neither of us were excited about the wet room arrangement, but it turned out this was inflicted on everyone. The closet space was pretty generous, but the hangers were as usual scant. However, the kettle and the hair dryer worked fine, the bed was comfy and the view from the window quite pleasant and private.

The view from our room - and the window was quite large. 

As I said at the beginning I had my doubts about coming to this gathering and there was the odd hint of something different, mainly large pump bottles of hand sanitiser at the front desk and in the dining hall above where you picked up a tray at the buffet.

It took me many shots to get a sideways view of this bird, a pheasant, I believe.

On Saturday night there was a speaker, a mechanical engineer who had served on nuclear submarines for a couple of decades but, retired from that, now led groups on mountain walks and travelled the world. He began his talk saying it was be about motivation and change, which interested me, but it ended up being more about submarines and walking, which he felt would more interest his main audience - I had a brief chat with him on our way to our respective cars. The main thing I remember was that the LDWA president greeted him with an elbow knock, which made everyone laugh nervously, before introducing him. Of course there was no social distancing at that point as the concept was yet to be introduced.

Just past reception, notice board on right, heading to the dining hall.

Elbow bumping clearly wasn't going to take off very quickly, though. On Sunday morning I sat knitting in reception waiting for the official business meeting to end. I noticed a young couple arrive and be greeted by the staff with handshakes all around. I suppose old habits die hard. 

No idea what was upstairs. Likely too grand for the likes of us.

Before sitting down to knit, I looked over the bulletin board showing courses to be held in the next week (I rather doubt they were). I considered the coming pandemic and had the ridiculous thought that it was about time we had a real event instead of just a bunch of boys (because they are mostly men) running around 'practicing'. At least the training might be put to use, though judging from the government's performance to date, they didn't train the right people. 

Even Bill remarked on the oddity of a fireplace in a hallway.

Apparently there is an even grander building somewhere on the grounds which I never saw. There was the occasional reference to 'the Love family' who were in coal mining in County Durham, whereas The Hawkhills is located in North Yorkshire, which is just south of County Durham (which is just south of Northumberland, except that in 1974 they invented a new county called Tyne & Wear, but lots of people ignore it - North of the Tyne is Northumberland, south of it is Durham). People would mention this other building and 'the Love family', and Bill knew they were in coal mining in Durham.

I believe behind this grand window is the kitchen - which produces excellent food.

It took me a while to find anything about this Love family other than a Mrs. Katherine Love had a cottage hospital built on the grounds in 1893, but couldn't find anything else about her. I did find a mining history website that linked the name Joseph Horatio Love with Brancepeth Colliery in County Durham. I was astonished to read the the colliery opened in 1840 and didn't close until 1967. With a male name I eventually found this great website, which I gather is a collaboration between universities. It indicates that Durham University has 2 boxes containing 107 items to do with the Love, Pearson, Ferens and Marshall families. 

Another mysterious - and rather twirly - staircase.

Part of the description includes: 

"Joseph Love (1796-1875), son of William Love, a miner of New York, near South Shields, County Durham - they are wrong, New York is near North Shields, Northumberland - married in 1825 Sarah, daughter of Isaac Pearson, timber merchant, of North Shields, Northumberland. Joseph Love became a wealthy miller, shipowner, property developer and colliery owner, associated in particular with Chester-le-Strett, Shincliffe and Willington, County Durham and Durham City. He was a generous supporter of the Methodist New Connexion.
Joseph and Sarah Love had one son, Isaac Pearson Love, who died in 1854, leaving an only child Joseph Horatio Love, born in 1853, who subsequently lived at The Hawkhills near Easingwold, Yorkshire. Isaac Pearson Love's widow Sarah (nee Stephinson) in ca. 1857 married Robinson Ferens (died 1892), originally a draper of Durham City and Willington, County Durham. Robinson Ferens became a member of the Methodist New Connextion perhaps in ca. 1857. After his marriage he was appointed manager of Joseph Love's collieries. He later joined with Love as a partner in developing new collieries and after Love's death in 1875 had sole direction of the collieries, becoming wealthy."

Several such rooms extended from the one with the buffet.

Just goes to show how marrying well can change one's fortunes. Almost makes me want to go down one day and find out how the Marshall's tied into the story.  

A little porch where I had my breakfasts when Bill was off walking.

Better yet, I'd love to return to Easingwold and explore further.