TALKS

The Upper Wharfedale Field Society organise talks and lectures on a wide range of subjects by members and guest speakers.

Talks are normally held at the Octagon Theatre: Devonshire Institute (Town Hall) in Grassington. Please see our calendar for any forthcoming talks.

The Upper Wharfedale Field Society organise talks and lectures on a wide range of subjects by members and guest speakers.

Talks are normally held at the Octagon Theatre: Devonshire Institute (Town Hall) in Grassington. Please see our calendar for any forthcoming talks.

Ideas for talks

Do you know of a speaker who could contribute to our winter talks, or perhaps you have a topic you would like to share. If so, then please email your name, contact number, title and a brief description of the talk to us at President@uwfs.org.uk and we will get back to you.

Forthcoming Talks

Here’s what is coming up soon.

Snaizeholme, Nature Recovery Project – progress update, Jan 2026

January 12, 2026 @ 19:30 - 20:30

A talk to update on one of the most ambitious upland, nature recovery projects in England. Located in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, spanning 561ha across a mosaic of habitats. Nearly 3 years on from starting work on the ground, this talk will take us through the vision for the site, where the project is up to now and the journey that has been taken to get to where the project is at today. With tree planting now complete, the first round of peatland restoration wrapped up and a significant change in grazing regimes underway, to name just a few land management interventions that are leading to significant landscape change within the Snaizeholme valley

Farming Initiatives in the Yorkshire Dales

January 26, 2026 @ 19:30 - 20:30

A review of the work of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority carry out for and with farmers and land managers within the National Park. The work encourages farmers and land managers to farm with nature, be resilient to climate change and have a profitable business whilst keeping our air and water clean.

Archaeology in Grass Wood

February 9, 2026 @ 19:30 - 20:30

Grass Wood is the local Yorkshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (a SSSI) due the importance of its botany and of considerable natural history interest. Grass Wood also contains a rich range and large number of items of archaeological interest reflecting a probable 2000 years of human activity. These are of intrinsic interest, documenting a long period of social change and include two Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs). Collectively, these archaeological remains form a real management challenge. This talk will review archaeology within Grass Wood – who found it, what they found, and what they made of it. It will conclude by looking at the results of two recent professional surveys of the SAMs.

All Scheduled Talks