Fields, Folds and Farming Life

Fields, Folds and Farming Life offers a powerful and immersive journey through the rhythms of rural life in Bransdale, on the North York Moors. Spanning the seasons, this exhibition captures the resilience, dedication, and deep-rooted connection of the local farming community through evocative photography, specially commissioned artwork, and film.

It sheds light on the challenges farmers face in a changing agricultural landscape—and how they continue to adapt, innovate, and care for the land they love. Their work is not only vital for food production but also for shaping a more sustainable future for people, nature, and the countryside.

Located on the second and third floors of Gibson Mill, this free exhibition is closely linked to our Ancient Grasslands Project—a conservation effort made possible by the traditional farming practices still alive in Calderdale. Here, farmers and landowners continue to use age-old methods like haymaking and grazing, helping to preserve these rare and precious habitats.

Over the past 80 years, up to 97% of ancient grasslands have been lost—many of them irreplaceable. This exhibition celebrates the people working to protect what remains.