Dalby Forest and the Bride Stones
Not too far from Pickering is Dalby Forest and the Bride Stones. Today this was our destination, a walk in the forest. It is on the southern slopes of the North Yorkshire National Park. It was a glorious day - we have been so lucky at it is November! A memorial to the "lumberjills" - the women who worked in forestry during World War Two As we entered the forest we saw this sculpture, so we had to investigate! Later, a little investigation revealed its origins: The sculpture is a steel fabrication of a felled tree and two lumberjills. Some 9,000 British women were recruited to work in forestry during the war. The lumberjills carried out heavy work, felling trees by hand, working in sawmills, loading trucks and driving tractors. The timber was made into telegraph poles, road blocks, packaging boxes and gun butts for the war effort, and even crosses for war graves. Sculptor Ray Lonsdale won the Forestry Commission competition to create a lasting memorial t...