Resources

Our events

An Annual Conference is held over a weekend in spring or early summer. On the first evening there is usually a lecture or training seminar, then the following day is spent in survey teams making plans and drawings of buildings, which are used on the following day to produce an interpretative report. A further lecture, a visit and social events complete the weekend.

An Annual Day School concentrating on a particular topic, with speakers from both Yorkshire and other areas, is held usually in March. Previous day schools have covered Features, Fixtures and Fittings; Recording Techniques; Traditional Buildings of Yorkshire; The Roof over Your Head; Yorkshire's Traditional Farm Buildings; Vernacular Houses and Buildings in Towns; Old Mills and Workshops; The House and Family History; Understanding the Buildings of Estate Villages; Vernacular Buildings in the Landscape; Brick and Tile in Yorkshire's Vernacular Buildings; Vernacular Buildings on Yorkshire's Borders; Timber-Framed Vernacular Buildings in Yorkshire; Crucks and Cruck-Framed Buildings; Vernacular Buildings of Market Towns; Markings and Dateable Features on Vernacular Buildings; How Yorkshire became Polite; and Owt Fresh? Advances in our understanding of Yorkshire's Vernacular Buildings. The group's AGM is held immediately after the day school.

Field Recording Days are organised to study buildings in a certain area. Survey teams draw and measure buildings, and the report-writing, drawing-up and interpretation take place at home afterwards.

Walkabout Tours of towns and villages, led by a local expert, introduce members to the architecture of an area.

Training Seminars take place occasionally, with topics ranging from identification and interpretation to measuring and drawing skills.

Please note that some of our events are open to YVBSG members and guests only.

Next committee meeting

The committee currently meets three or four times a year. The next meeting will be held on 24 January 2026. If you'd like to bring any matter to the attention of the Committee, or if you have any suggestions for future activities, please contact the Secretary, Mary Cook.

Events and Activities

Events for 2026 will include those listed below. Other events are being planned and details will be published here when finalised. Do visit our YVBSG YouTube channel where you will find recordings of talks and short videos of previous visits.

Vernacular Architecture of the Yorkshire Dales

Saturday 28 February 2026
Our annual day school this year will take place in Skipton Town Hall from 9.30am to 5pm, and the talks will explore the variety of research work that has been done on the traditional buildings of the Dales. From the personal and observational approach of Marie Hartley, Ella Pontefract and Joan Ingleby to detailed building recording and interpretation, there are many ways to 'see' the buildings and the people. We're pleased to be working in co-ordination with our co-hosts, the Upper Wharfedale Heritage Group, on a longer term project.
The talks are:
- Field Barns and Hogg Houses: Dales farm buildings and what they reveal - Adam Menuge (University of Cambridge)
- An introduction to the Skipton area and its buildings - Sue Wrathmell (Local historian)
- Features of buildings in the Yorkshire Dales - Kevin Illingworth (Artist and photographer)
- Vernacular buildings in the Yorkshire Dales: an archaeologist's perspective - David Johnson (Archaeologist and author)
- The development of the Dales buildings beyond 1700 as told by the evolution of Orms Gill Green at Airton - Mark Womersley (Plaster conservator)
- Cowside, Langstrothdale: Landmark Trust Repair and Conservation - Kate Holt (Landmark Trust)
To book a place, please complete the booking form (Word version or pdf version) and return it by Saturday 14 February 2026.
Annual General Meeting

April 2026 - date tbc
The 2026 AGM will be held by Zoom in the evening, accompanied by a short talk. Details to follow.
Annual Recording Conference

May 2026 - date tbc
This year's conference is likely to be held in Wharfedale - details to follow.

Third Thursday Talks

We are continuing to offer a series of occasional online talks which will normally take place by Zoom at 7.30pm on the third Thursday of the month. When possible, the talks will be recorded and published on the YVBSG YouTube channel. The talk below is open to YVBSG members only; if you'd like to join the Group please see our Membership page.

Reflections on Wibsey and Low Moor

Thursday 22 January 2026
An online talk by David Cant. Wibsey and Low Moor have become suburbs of the City of Bradford, which developed rapidly from the mid eighteenth century. As the textile manufacturing, ironmaking and allied industries expanded, small rural villages and dispersed communities grew with the building of housing, places of work, worship and recreation. In the recent YVBSG recording conference we looked at some of these buildings. This talk will examine them and their inhabitants in the wider context of this development. Attendance is restricted to YVBSG members only.

yvbsg

Yorkshire Vernacular Buildings Study Group

Resources

Our events

Next committee meeting

Events and Activities

Vernacular Architecture of the Yorkshire Dales

Annual General Meeting

Annual Recording Conference

Third Thursday Talks

Reflections on Wibsey and Low Moor