u/9arke1

Think Viking influence disappeared from Barnsley 1,000 years ago?

Tha

Old English þū (“thou”)

Thee

Old English þē

Old Norse

barn → bairn, leika → laik, gapa → gawp and myki → muck.

Six everyday words with surprisingly old roots.

I’ve put together a quick One Minute History exploring where they came from.

I'm sure theres many more Norse influences around Barnsley and Yorkshire, please feel free to share.

Anyone ever heard the story of the Cawthorne Dragon? Its an overlooked legend, a Dragon said to have lived near the ancient Serpent Well just on Darton road. Legend states that it would fly periodically from Cawthorne park to the serpent well.

You might've noticed the Dragon sculpture at Barnsley Interchange on the platform, It's an optical illusion. From one angle you see a dragon, and from another you see passengers waiting for a train. The dragon lives on today in public art as a reminder that the legend still has a place in the area's identity.

If anyone is interested I've uploaded a short documentary to my YouTube channel ORAVINE. I've used local history, primary sources, and on-location filming. this documentary explores where folklore and history meet.

I would greatly appreciate any feedback or if anyone as any thing to add to the story.

I recently visited Lady Hill in Elgin and put together a short cinematic video exploring its fascinating history. From medieval executions and witch burnings to the hill's role in protecting the town, it's a place with a remarkable past that many people seem to overlook.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, or if anyone has any additional historical details or local stories to share.

Hidden within the magical woodland above Loch nan Uamh near Arisaig are the forgotten remains of Holm House.

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Surrounded by towering conifers, dense rhododendrons and moss covered paths, the site feels almost dreamlike today. Yet these ruins are connected to a fascinating chapter of Highland history.

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The house was commissioned by the Glasgow businessman and horticulturalist John Augustus Holms (1866–1938), who acquired land on the Arisaig Estate in the late 1920s. Holms was renowned for creating the nearby Larachmhor woodland gardens, planting an extraordinary collection of rhododendrons and exotic species that still shape the landscape today.

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Holm House itself was intended to be a grand retreat overlooking Loch nan Uamh, possibly designed with input from the Scottish architect Sir Robert Lorimer. Construction began around 1929, but the project was never completed. When John Augustus Holms died in 1938, the building remained an unfinished shell, and the surrounding woodland gradually reclaimed it.

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The wider landscape carries even deeper historical connections. Just a short distance away lies Borrodale Bay, where Bonnie Prince Charlie landed in 1745 at the start of the Jacobite Rising and later departed Scotland after Culloden.

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Today, Holm House stands as an abandoned monument to an unrealised vision, hidden among one of the most atmospheric woodlands on Scotland's west coast.

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Has anyone come across old photographs, plans or local stories connected to Holm House or the Arisaig Estate?

Most people driving through the Stockbridge bypass probably never think twice about the bridge crossing overhead.

But standing beneath it at night feels strangely unsettling especially knowing how much history, industry, and forgotten movement this area once carried through Yorkshire.

I filmed a short cinematic piece trying to capture that atmosphere and the feeling of places people pass every day without really seeing.

What stories and myths have you heard/read about the bypass?

Also if anyone has any other suggestions/places around Yorkshire that have interesting folklore/myths I would be greatful for your insight.

Stocksbridge Bypass