Hingabank Sheepfold

Sheepfolds are a vital component of stock management within the Dales. These structure remain highly visible within the Dales landscape. They are commonly found near roads or on the moorland boundaries. Some sheepfolds functioned as a way to manage and separate different flocks into the correct ownerships when they were brought down from the commons.

While it is common for a visitor to consider sheepfolds as unchanging structures, it appears that they were frequently built, demolished changed and seasonally blocked as was necessary. This is almost certainly the case with the Sheepfold at Hingabank.

Currently the fold has three separate sections with a small structure that is likely a shepherds hut, a small route into the fold is fossilised by a curving set of walls.

In most cases due to a lack of written records it is very difficult to identify the exact dates when a sheepfold was constructed or modified, however, we can make use of historic maps to gain some understanding of changes.

The first edition 6 inch map indicates that the layout of the fold was different to what is seen today a roofed structure and a small section of walling are visible here with what may be a small fold but it is hard to see any of the elements that comprise the current fold form. This may be that due to the scale of the mapping the proper form of the fold was impossible to represent.

The 1893 25 inch map is the first to show the fold properly. Here it appears similar to its current form, with a small wall extending to the south am a small structure constructed to the southern arm, it is unclear if this square feature would have been roofed but thatr seems to be likely. The access route is clearly visible to the east leading up to the higher moor.

By 1907 the small section of walling and the small square structure were demolished and a new smaller roofed structure, likely a shepherd hut had been built into the southern side of the fold were constructed. A small section of walling seems to have been built across the access path from the moor. This appears to be the final phase of edits to the fold.

When looking at the fields surrounding the fold a number of former field boundaries are visible as small low rubble banks which indicate former land divisions. LiDAR shows some of the banks clearly as well as some possible footings around the sheepfold itself. It is likely that prior to 1856 there was another field system that covered the area around the fold