The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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Clarion Ramblers
When ramblers had to fight for the right to walk on the land, used public transport, held mass rallies, helped dig sheep out of the snow and women rambled wearing skirts.
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Overview
This is an extremely rare film of Sheffield Clarion Ramblers and their famous founders, G.H.B (Bert) Ward and John Jordan, starting in 1946 and ending in 1954. Sheep are rescued from under deep snow in the infamous winter of 1947, walkers set off from Sheffield to ramble around Derbyshire, from Win Hill and Lose Hill to Dovedale, and the World Gliding Championships take place at Hucklow. There is even the Labour Chancellor Hugh Dalton speaking at Cave Dale Rally in 1946.
This film was taken by an unaccredited member of the Sheffield Clarion Ramblers. The Ramblers, recognised as the first working class rambling club, were formed in 1900 by Jack Ward and 13 other men and women when walking around Kinder Scout. They were named after the Clarion socialist newspaper, as were many other clubs and societies. At the time Ward was a 24 year old engineering fitter from Sheffield. He remained a tireless campaigner for the rights of ramblers, along with other Sheffield ramblers Tom Stephenson, Stephen Morton and Phil Barnes. The rally of 1954 may be connected to the decision by the 11th Duke of Devonshire in Easter of that year to allow the public to roam over his part of Kinder Scout.
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