The Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group was established in 2015 along with many other regional groups across England and Scotland. The group consists of the gamekeepers from a collection of rural estates within the Yorkshire Dales. In this talk, members of the Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group will take us through the ups and downs of life as a gamekeeper. The talk will cover topics such as habitat management and creation, predator control and explain some of the fantastic conservation projects the group are involved in. These include Curlew head starting, Merlin and Osprey monitoring and many other activities.

The talk will cover the history of The Folly, Settle’s only Grade I listed building, and its owners from the late 17th century to the present, explaining its many uses from farm house to fish and chip shop. Now the flagship building of the North Craven Building Preservation Trust and home to the Museum of North Craven Life, a major programme of restoration will begin in 2026, enabling the Trust to unravel some of the mysteries of its construction.