MARY MANN STOOD UP. NOW WE WALK WITH BOTHAM.

Her courage helped defend Barningham Moor. On Sunday 11 October, we carry that spirit forward.

By Shane Oxer · Hope to Save Our Countryside

I walk in memory of a courageous lady — Mary Elizabeth Mann.

On Sunday 11 October, Sir Ian Botham will join campaigners for a walk across Barningham Moor. It is another chapter in a fight whose history deserves to be remembered.

I have written before about Mary Elizabeth Mann and her courage in challenging the wind industry and the establishment. Her stand for Barningham Moor belongs at the heart of this story.

The courage to stand against the establishment

In the late 1990s, Mary was part of the struggle to protect Barningham High Moor from wind development. In her Force 10 Companion Guide, she recorded that fight and questioned the policies and institutions promoting wind schemes.

Her courage was practical: examine the claims, gather the evidence and keep challenging those with greater money and influence.

Writing about the Barningham campaign, she put it plainly: “Truth was our strength.”

That is the lesson I draw from her example. An ordinary citizen has every right to question powerful interests. A developer’s confidence, or a Government target, should never place a proposal beyond scrutiny.

Sunday’s walk carries that same spirit. Lord Botham brings national attention. Residents, walkers and campaigners bring their knowledge of the place and their determination to protect it.

Before decisions reshape another skyline, the people making them should come and look at what is already here.

23 turbines. Up to 200 metres high.

Fred. Olsen Renewables’ current layout proposes 23 turbines.

Their maximum proposed height is 200 metres to the blade tip.

The site is outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park, close to its north-eastern boundary. The Park Authority is seeking more detailed assessments of effects on views, tranquillity, dark skies, wildlife, heritage and tourism.

Standing on the moor makes those questions immediate. The paths, walls and open ground belong together. People who live and work here deserve to be heard while the proposals can still change.

Before the turbines arrive, show us the roads

A development of this scale also needs construction areas, access tracks and electrical equipment. Its effect on the countryside extends beyond the towers.

The developer says highway works may be needed along Barningham Road. Two haul-route options are being considered.

Residents should be shown the road works, the largest deliveries, the number of vehicle movements and what it would mean for walls, verges and everyday journeys.

The grid connection is still to be shown

On its own website, the developer says the grid connection point will be confirmed later. The connection route and method are to be pursued through a separate application.

That leaves a clear demand: show the complete development.

Show where the electricity would go, what must be built to carry it, what land would be affected and who would pay. Communities should be able to assess the turbines and their supporting infrastructure together.

The developer’s current timetable puts operation in 2032 at the earliest, subject to consent. That is an indicative estimate. It does not establish a confirmed grid connection date.

Put the environmental evidence on the table

Fred. Olsen says it will minimise peat disturbance, avoid deeper or better-quality peat where possible and pursue restoration. Those commitments need testing against the surveys, final layout and construction methods.

The Park Authority has also requested a fuller assessment of the combined effects of nearby wind developments. The public deserves evidence it can inspect before a decision is made.

A local walk. A national demand.

Hope Moor brings a wider question into view: what will Britain’s energy programme require from our countryside, our networks and our wallets?

Our petition asks the Government to suspend the Climate Change Act’s carbon-budget and 2050 Net Zero duties until Parliament has considered an independent assessment of the full costs and impacts.

We want reliable, affordable power and a proper account of the land and infrastructure required. What is included? What is missing? Who pays?

Whether you can join the walk or support from home, please sign and share.

Mary Mann’s example asks something of us: read the evidence, question the promises and stand up while the countryside can still be defended.

Sources and photograph note

• Our earlier Mary Elizabeth Mann tribute
• The Battle for Hope Moor — Part I
• Elizabeth Mann: Force 10 Companion Guide, printed page 49, including “Truth was our strength”
• Event listing and booking
• Teesdale Mercury: registration, start time and ticket details
• Developer: current turbine layout
• Developer: construction access and separate grid connection application
• Developer: peatland approach and indicative timetable
• Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority: proposal and assessment concerns
• Petition 780321

Sources checked 10 October 2026. The current project is at the pre-application stage. Its layout and timetable may change. The developer’s mitigation commitments are proposals. The Park Authority has requested further assessment and has not yet adopted a final support or objection position.

The Mary Mann passage draws on our earlier articles and her own Force 10 Companion Guide. Her words “Truth was our strength” appear on printed page 49. Her criticism of institutions is her account; this article’s connection between her example and the forthcoming walk is the author’s interpretation. The organisers have advertised the event as a Walk for Hope Moor, rather than a formal memorial event.

Mary’s photograph is reused from our earlier tribute. The four moorland photographs are by Shane Oxer from an earlier visit. They do not show the Botham walk, establish turbine positions, measure peat depth or identify an approved construction route. Eventbrite’s indexed listing confirms the event; direct access was rate-limited during checking, so current ticket availability has not been verified.