Chevin Forest Park GeoTrail #5: Stop the Cows!
For background info on the Chevin Forest Park and the series, including a map showing parking options, trails and cache locations, see GCB7RA1.
The 5th cache in the series, a camo-taped 35mm film canister, is hidden a short distance beyond a curious feature called the Vacca Wall which appears to be just a semi-tumbled long line of moss-covered local gritstone slabs snaking east-west alongside the track running through the woods. However, this enigmatic wall has a sense of mystery and ancient significance - possibly going back to Roman times – or beyond?
There are lots of theories about the origins of the structure. One is that it dates to Roman times, but whilst a Roman road used to follow the high ground behind the Royalty Pub near Surprise View, it is unlikely that the vertical stones were erected during this period and there is no clear archaeological evidence to support this.
Some believe that they are simply a boundary marker to communicate where land ownership changed. This again is doubtful as many straight boundary markers consist of single standing stones like those found up on the Moors.
Another theory proposes its origins being that of a medieval Vaccary* Wall (or Vacca Wall). This name came from the Latin for cow – Vacca/Vaccaria and so its purpose would have been to act as a wall or barrier for keeping cattle in.
*A vaccary refers to a small-scale, commercial cattle farm, typically found in medieval England, associated with monastic granges or lay lords. These farms were often located in or near woodlands and specialized in cattle rearing, particularly for draft animals or dairy production.
With the Chevin valley side turning from grassland/moorland to woodland near this pathway which is next to where the edge of the Chevin drops away steeply due to landslips on the valley sides, this would make sense. As cows are valuable, a farmer would want to avoid losing livestock falling down a steep hill.
There are many similar walls across the country in the Pennines, all though to be used to enclose cattle - the most famous being the Wycoller Wall near Colne. One of the functions of these Vacca enclosures was to protect cattle from attacks by wolves and other predators. They were also useful for keeping deer and other wild animals out of the pasture area kept for cattle grazing.
The slab stones for this wall most likely came from the nearby Yorkgate Quarry, where the carboniferous gritstone/sandstone, naturally splits (or can easily be split) and is therefore not difficult to quarry as flat slabs. Building a wall with these would have been much easier than building a dry-stone wall. By setting the slabs into the ground in prepared pits, it would also have also been a more substantial barrier to hold large animals such as the cows than a wooden fence or dry-stone wall.
Although many Vacca walls date to medieval times, it seems that this one is more recent. Local historians P Wood and C Dean seem to have solved the mystery with an article in the Otley Local History Bulletin. They believe the wall dates back to 1783 when Laurence & Thomas Flesher – a local firm of tanners were allocated the leasehold to the land as part of the Parliamentary Enclosures Act of that year. The plot edge followed the contour of the wall (see here).
Therefore, it seems that its dual purpose was as a boundary marker and an enclosure for cattle to aid stock-keeping. Whatever the case, it is still an intriguing monument to Yorkshire’s local heritage and the effort to construct something like this which has stood the test of time so well is still remarkable.
See short video here.
