Interesting History about Laykin

David Sinker - a local historian has been researching house histories locally.
At last we know where the name Laykin comes from... we had assumed it was from the dialect meaning 'playful'.  It seems not!

Here is the extract- not yet complete about the ownership of Laykin

LAYKIN 

The house is 200 yards southwest of Nell Tom perched above Belle Isle Cottage. The 1832 & surveys  record a house with 3 fields of 4.8 acres in total, 1843 nos 609,612 &615 ( 1912 nos 232,233 & 235a) . The land is in the Low Row section of HMR. There is no mention in HMR of a house, the record being “Bracken Intack, Calf Close, West Intack in Low Row”. The first  record of ownership is James Fryer in 1744 who sold to the Parke family in 1756. They sold to Benjamin Sunter in1768 to son Joseph in 1770. He sold to Richard Laykin in 1784 to his son Richard in1794 then to his son John in1832. John’s daughters sold it on to James Harker in 1757. In 1832 Richard Laykin was recorded as owner and also in 1843. James Harker was owner in 1877. He sold to Elizabeth Calvert in 1895 who was owner in 1910. She died in 1939 and her executors sold to Dr Stabler & family.

House values in 1832 10/-; in 1877 70/-; in 1910 60/-.

The name Laykin does not appear in pre census church registers. So pre 1840 occupiers cannot be identified. First known occupier is George & Elizabeth (nee Blenkiron) Clarkson 1825  1832?? 1843 & 1851; John & Mary Cherry 1861; Metcalfe & Elizabeth Calvert 1871; John & Mary (nee Sunter) Pratt; empty in 1891.  Elizabeth Calvert had returned by 1901 and was there in 1910.After her the Petty family, and their children Harry, Mary (Calvert) & Alf, lived there from 1928 to 1938.

New Inca Trail in Swaledale!

Imagine our surprise when we saw alpacas coming up the track this morning!

They were being taken for a walk to Gunnerside and came from Hazel Brow Farm.

April Snow Showers!

This late snow was rather a surprise!

We were delighted to find poetry in the visitor's book following a happy stay at Laykin.

There were three young families from York,
Who enjoyed a jolly good walk,
They drank and they ate,
until it got late,
And by eck they couldn't half talk.
A splendid weekend was had,
By children, mum and dad,The views and blue sky
And cottage up high,
To leave such a place leaves us sad :(

Snow at the weekend, but not enough to prevent access to the cottage thank goodness.  Our guests intimated that they had adventures in the snow but have not heard exactly what happened!

Northern Lights

The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, featured prominently across the skies of Northern Britain last week.  Just sorry we weren't there to see them!  

Interesting Clouds and damaged stone walls (after the flooding)