Spoiling the Scenery – Youths Dislodging Rocks

Seven Edlington schoolboys and pit hands were summoned at the Doncaster West Riding police Court on Tuesday for wilfully damaging trees at Conisbrough Cliff, the property of the Lord Yarborough

Mr. C. R. Marshall prosecuted and said that on June 30^th Mrs. Ambler, the wife of P. C. Ambler, was walking few Conisbrough Cliffs, just past the viaduct when she heard youths shouting and using bad language. They were throwing pebbles down the cliff face. They were engaged in deliberately dislodging huge pieces of rock, using some sort of tools, including an iron bar.

Mrs. Ambler reported the matter to her husband at 4.15 and at 7 o’clock they went to the same place and found the youths were still there. Rocks were hurtling down through a tree in a dangerous manner. The cliff face at the spot, Mr. Marshall continued, was about 50 feet deep. It was a highly dangerous proceeding, at the bottom there was a public footpath. At the top of the cliff there was also a footpath used by the public.

The path was being undermined by the boys levering away the rocks. Some of the rocks they had dislodged weighed 4 tonnes, 2 tonnes, and 1 ½ tonnes.

Walter R. Dunwell, assistant to his father, who is agent to Lord Yarborough for the Conisbrough property, said the Cliff face was 50 feet high and the upper footpath had been dangerously undermined by the boys to the extent of 2 feet. They had not brought the prosecution with the object of obtaining damages, but the public had the use of the cliffs and Lord Yarborough was anxious that they should be used in a proper manner. Lord Yarborough had no desire to close the path to the public.

They Chairman (Mr. Mark Nokes) pointed out that the boys were spoiling the scenery and their parents pockets. Their parents could not afford to pay fines for them.

The lads expressed their regret. It was pointed out that the costs amounted to 24s. Each, but the magistrates ordered the defendants to pay 7s. 6d. Costs each.