Consultation on “special” Swaledale village

Local people are being invited to have their say on an appraisal of the Marske Conservation Area in lower Swaledale.

The 83-page draft report contains maps, photographs and local history, including detailed descriptions of buildings in the village of special architectural or historic interest. 

The draft appraisal, which was requested by Marske Parish Council, includes a proposal to extend the Conservation Area to include the part of the village lying inside the Yorkshire Dales National Park boundary.  

Comments on the appraisal document can be made by filling out the Marske Conservation Area Feedback Form and returning it by post or email. 

Member Champion for Cultural Heritage at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, David Noland, said: “Marske Conservation Area was designated thirty years ago by Richmondshire District Council.  The appraisal has provided an opportunity to evaluate and record what makes the village special.   We hope the report will help bolster the efforts of the Parish Council and others to retain and enhance Marske’s character and appearance.

“We carried out visits to the village between September and November, and have gathered together lots of really interesting maps, images and photographs.   We hope local people will take the time to read the appraisal and let us know what they think of it.   Marske is an attractive Conservation Area in pretty good nick, and yet there is potential to bring about positive change, not least by expanding the area.”

Paper copies of the appraisal document and the feedback forms are available at the Church of St Edmund in Marske, as well at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority office in Bainbridge.   The public consultation period ends on 3 April 2025.

Completed feedback form can be posted to Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Yoredale, Bainbridge, Leyburn, North Yorkshire. DL8 3EL, or sent by email to peter.reynolds@yorkshiredales.org.uk