Hoylandswaine

Hoylandswaine - a Yorkshire village west of Barnsley. It clings to the Pennine chain - England's backbone. It's a strange name isn't it? "Hoyland" is not an uncommon placename in South Yorkshire. It probably means "high farm" and is derived from an ancient Norse language - testament to our invasive forefathers. The suffix "swaine" or earlier "sveinn" may refer to "Sveinn" the son of Ailric who died in 1129. So Hoylandswaine - a high farm belonging to Sveinn.

On such a gorgeous blue-sky autumn day, I couldn't spend more hours scrabbling around decorating bathrooms. Besides I needed exercise, so I slung my boots in the car and tootled northwards through Grenoside, Wortley and Thurgoland till I came to Hoylandswaine. With camera and banana in rucksack, I headed out of the village towards Guyder Bottom then on to Banks Wood, Roger Royd and Bull Haw Farm over Whin Moor to Kine Moor, the hamlet of High Royd and then back to Hoylandswaine. These are not pretty southern English names like Chipping Norton or Little Gidding, they are blunt and earthy like the area's former inhabitants and the unpromising land they farmed.

So here are four pictures I snapped today. I can never understand why Blogger allows some photos to be clickable so that you can quickly see much enlarged versions while at other times this is disallowed. If anyone knows the answer - please advise.

Village sign - in stone

Pinfold Farm entrance

Lonesome tree near Roger Royd

Sheep at High Royd