The Grange at High Force
Encyclopedia
The Grange at High Force is a children's novel by Philip Turner
, published in 1965. It won the Carnegie Medal
for that year. It is the second in the author's Darnley Mills series, set in a mill town in the north of England, between the moors and the sea. It features both comic and dramatic episodes in a contemporary setting with strong links to the past.
The novel has also been published in the US as The Adventure at High Force.
and accidentally broke a window in the church while testing it. Two pigeons, taking advantage of the broken window, built a nest in the nave. "Operation Bird's Nest" is now underway, with Arthur climbing up to remove the nest. The gathered crowd below are (quite unnecessarily) concerned for his safety, except for Miss Cadell-Twitten, who is still seething about the ejection of the birds from the church. Arthur poses in an empty niche, which Mr Pritchard explains once held a statue of the Virgin Mary.
The same day, the three friends set off to explore High Force on the moors, to see the waterfall and the tiny abandoned church of Little St. Mary's. Peter has an accident with his bicycle, aptly named the Yellow Peril. Seeking help at the Grange, they meet the Admiral and Guns, and are fascinated by the ancient ship's cannon
on the Grange terrace and the workshop in the cellar where a mill wheel
is being constructed to provide reliable electricity. The Admiral is in turn interested to hear about the ballista, and proposes that both weapons should be fired at targets to test their accuracy.
They all go together to look at the church, and find it has been invaded by dozens of birds. It needs re-roofing, and thorough cleaning. They set about the various tasks with energy and enthusiasm, also stumbling on a mystery concerning the statue. Miss Cadell-Twitten hints that she knows the answer, but refuses to tell them because they accidentally frightened her bird Augustus.
Plans to fire the cannon are scotched by the police sergeant, until an opportunity arrives just before Christmas, when they succeed in sinking a makeshift raft. Immediately afterwards, a blizzard starts and they help Mr Ramsgill gather in his scattered flock. A exceptionally heavy snowfall cuts off the moor, and even with a snow plough it is a struggle to return to the Grange through the deep drifts. David, the only one who can manage the snowshoes, checks on Bird Cottage and finds Miss Cadell-Twitten suffering from exposure
. Grateful for her rescue, she tells them where to find the statue, which is recovered and returned to All Saints.
The novel ends with a two-gun salute, as the Admiral and Guns set off in the spring in their new boat to explore the coastline of the British Isles.
, an artist known for his newspaper cartoons, illustrated the book throughout with pen-and-ink sketches. The lively caricatures are deprecated by Marcus Crouch, who says that the characters, although amusing, are not the figures of fun Papas depicts. The US edition was illustrated by W. T. Mars in a more conventional style.
Philip Turner
Philip William Turner is an English author best known for his children's books about the fictional town of Darnley Mills and about the Reverend Septimus Treloar.-Life:...
, published in 1965. It won the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
for that year. It is the second in the author's Darnley Mills series, set in a mill town in the north of England, between the moors and the sea. It features both comic and dramatic episodes in a contemporary setting with strong links to the past.
The novel has also been published in the US as The Adventure at High Force.
Plot introduction
The story begins about a year after the end of Colonel Sheperton's Clock, the first in the series. The three boys who are the main characters are firm friends, despite their different characters and interests. David, the former lame dreamer, is now entirely recovered from the operation on his leg, and participates fully in the physically active pursuits of his friends. They all attend King Charles II Grammar School. David and Peter are choirboys, but Arthur is temporarily out of the choir as his voice has broken. Much of the story takes place on the moors above the fictional town of Darnley Mills, over the course of a year, from one spring to the next, covering the period of the Admiral's tenancy at Folly Grange. The focus is particularly on the joint activities of the three boys and the men at the Grange. As in the first book, there is also an historically-based mystery to be solved.Plot summary
The novel opens in All Saints' church in Darnley Mills. Some time ago, Peter constructed a Roman ballistaBallista
The ballista , plural ballistae, was an ancient missile weapon which launched a large projectile at a distant target....
and accidentally broke a window in the church while testing it. Two pigeons, taking advantage of the broken window, built a nest in the nave. "Operation Bird's Nest" is now underway, with Arthur climbing up to remove the nest. The gathered crowd below are (quite unnecessarily) concerned for his safety, except for Miss Cadell-Twitten, who is still seething about the ejection of the birds from the church. Arthur poses in an empty niche, which Mr Pritchard explains once held a statue of the Virgin Mary.
The same day, the three friends set off to explore High Force on the moors, to see the waterfall and the tiny abandoned church of Little St. Mary's. Peter has an accident with his bicycle, aptly named the Yellow Peril. Seeking help at the Grange, they meet the Admiral and Guns, and are fascinated by the ancient ship's cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
on the Grange terrace and the workshop in the cellar where a mill wheel
Water wheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of free-flowing or falling water into useful forms of power. A water wheel consists of a large wooden or metal wheel, with a number of blades or buckets arranged on the outside rim forming the driving surface...
is being constructed to provide reliable electricity. The Admiral is in turn interested to hear about the ballista, and proposes that both weapons should be fired at targets to test their accuracy.
They all go together to look at the church, and find it has been invaded by dozens of birds. It needs re-roofing, and thorough cleaning. They set about the various tasks with energy and enthusiasm, also stumbling on a mystery concerning the statue. Miss Cadell-Twitten hints that she knows the answer, but refuses to tell them because they accidentally frightened her bird Augustus.
Plans to fire the cannon are scotched by the police sergeant, until an opportunity arrives just before Christmas, when they succeed in sinking a makeshift raft. Immediately afterwards, a blizzard starts and they help Mr Ramsgill gather in his scattered flock. A exceptionally heavy snowfall cuts off the moor, and even with a snow plough it is a struggle to return to the Grange through the deep drifts. David, the only one who can manage the snowshoes, checks on Bird Cottage and finds Miss Cadell-Twitten suffering from exposure
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
. Grateful for her rescue, she tells them where to find the statue, which is recovered and returned to All Saints.
The novel ends with a two-gun salute, as the Admiral and Guns set off in the spring in their new boat to explore the coastline of the British Isles.
The boys
- Peter Beckford, the mechanically-minded schoolboy son of the Rector, always inventing things
- Arthur Ramsgill of Blackrock Farm on the edge of the moor, an expert climber and sheep-handler
- David Hughes, son of a craftsman carpenter, imaginative and attracted to a life at sea
The adults
- The Rector of All Saints church, Peter's father
- Charlie Bastable, "Old Charlie", the vergerVergerA verger is a person, usually a layman, who assists in the ordering of religious services, particularly in Anglican churches.-History:...
- Mr Pritchard, the organist and choirmaster, town chemist and local historian
- Father Ronald, a visiting FranciscanFranciscanMost Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friar - Sergeant Macintosh, "Rainproof", a stern but amiable policeman
- Miss Cadell-Twitten, "The Twitter", elderly bird-lover who lives in Bird Cottage on the moors, the eccentric owner of neighbouring Folly Grange
- Admiral Sir John Beauchamp-Troubridge, V.C., D.S.O and bar, R.N., retired, the temporary tenant of Folly Grange
- "Guns" Kelly, the admiral's man, a former gunner
- Bos'n Jake, a Swedish ex-whaler who runs a ship chandlerShip chandlerA ship chandler is a retail dealer in special supplies or equipment for ships.For traditional sailing ships items that could be found in a chandler might include: rosin, turpentine, tar, pitch , linseed oil, whale oil, tallow, lard, varnish, twine, rope and cordage, hemp, oakum, tools A ship...
's-cum-junk shop in Darnley Mills near the river - Mr Ramsgill, Arthur's father, a moorland sheep farmer
- Mrs Ramsgill, Arthur's mother
- Annie Ramsgill, Arthur's sister
The animals
- Fo'c'sle, the admiral's dog, an Alsatian
- Captain, Mr Ramsgill's hunter, ridden by Arthur and David
- Rob, Arthur's sheepdog
- Augustus, Miss Cadell-Twitten's cock pheasant
Themes and literary significance
The novel has been commended for its sense for community and realistic character portrayal, as well as for being a very funny story. "The Grange at High Force is about bikes and boats, gunpowder, Norman architecture, eighteenth-century social history, birds, ballistics. It is an unpromising hotchpotch but it works". Its unlikely mix of subject-matter, its juxtaposition of the comic and the serious, the characters' forthright approach to work, play and peril, are all "part of the absorbing business of living".Illustrations
William PapasWilliam Papas
William "Bill" Papas was a political cartoonist and caricaturist, book illustrator and watercolourist. In the 1960s and 1970s he worked for The Guardian, The Sunday Times and Punch...
, an artist known for his newspaper cartoons, illustrated the book throughout with pen-and-ink sketches. The lively caricatures are deprecated by Marcus Crouch, who says that the characters, although amusing, are not the figures of fun Papas depicts. The US edition was illustrated by W. T. Mars in a more conventional style.