Goats on guard to protect North York Moors Roman trail
"They're doing exactly what goats do best and eating their way through the vegetation that was beginning to encroach on the archaeology and is quite dense in places," Mr Lawson said."This is a 10-week trial and something we've never done before, but it's sustainable and a low-impact way to protect one of Britain's most valuable Roman sites, and so far it's been extremely positive."The goats come from Mossy Oaks at Castle Howard and specialise in bespoke habitat management tasks.
According to the North York Moors National Park Authority, Roman legions left their fortress in York to conquer the North by defeating and controlling tribes in the region.They constructed a network of camps and forts connected by military roads, occupying new territory and carving their mark into the land.The Edge of Empire trail will show what life was like for Roman soldiers stationed at Cawthorn and their tense encounters with the Parisi and Brigantes tribes who lived and farmed in the surrounding landscape."Cawthorn is an extraordinary example of Roman military strategy, preserved in the peaceful heart of the North York Moors," said Miles Johnson, head of historic environment."The site consists of a complex of earthworks, including two forts and a temporary camp with an unusual layout. "At one point it was thought the camps were only used for training troops, but now we believe they had a strategic role in exercising control over local tribes and perhaps for short-term occupation during the construction of military roads across the region."
Mr Johnson said the new trail made it possible to envisage the area's Roman past in a "meaningful and accessible" way.It has no steps or stiles, and there are sections suitable for wheelchair users and all-terrain buggies.Signs will be in place throughout the trial asking dog walkers to keep their pets on a lead and reminding owners that livestock worrying is an offence.
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Telegraph
18 hours ago
- Telegraph
As Med temperatures soar, prepare for underground hotels and air-conditioned beaches
With fans whirring and paddling pools filled across Britain, it seems strange to contemplate going somewhere even more sweltering to sightsee, or even just lie on a beach. But summer holiday tourism remains big business, despite unbearable temperatures becoming a regular occurrence across mainland Europe (in June 2025, it reached 46C in parts of Spain). According to figures from the European Commission, more than a third of all overnight stays on the Continent booked via online platforms in 2024 were during July and August. Faced with an influx of tourists and increasingly high temperatures, some countries have already been forced to take drastic action. At the beginning of July, with temperatures set to reach 38C in Athens, Greece's Ministry of Culture shut the Acropolis for the safety of staff and tourists, something they'd already been forced to do during 2024. In a sweltering France, the summit of the Eiffel Tower closed too. In years to come, operators, authorities and resorts will need to do more to keep holidaymakers cool, happy and safe. But what might that involve? New horizons Some operators are turning their back on the hottest destinations altogether. In February 2025, Accor announced that it was shelving plans to build new Fairmont and Raffles resorts on Mykonos, citing concerns over fires and water shortages. As areas such as northern France and Spain begin to seem more appealing, expect further development away from the Med's hottest points: a Raffles hotel is set to open on Lake Como in 2027. Tourists are already swapping Spain's southernmost reaches for the slightly cooler, lusher Costa Blanca. It means destinations such as Alicante are experiencing a surge in interest and could see a renaissance among British tourists. Cold comforts For hotels, just whacking up the air conditioning isn't the perfect solution to keeping guests cool. It will drive up their electricity bills, put a strain on local power grids and increase greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, some are exploring innovative ways to keep out the heat. At Crete's Tella Thera, a chic boutique hotel set to open in summer 2025, suites are semi-subterranean so they remain naturally cooler. Rooftop gardens act as natural insulators, reducing the heat absorbed by the buildings, and corridors are partly open to the elements for natural light and breezes. Developers could also look to the east – where innovative solutions to stifling temperatures have already taken root – for inspiration. At Singapore's Park Royal Collection Pickering, 3D-modelling of wind flows and sun paths influenced the building's design while 50 types of plant flourish on the jungle-like facade, helping to keep interior temperatures down while improving air quality and encouraging wildlife. Other cooling devices are fast becoming de rigeur, from lobby misting systems to shady outdoor areas. For Iberostar, which has 120 hotels including several in the Balearics, 'strategically incorporating plants and shading elements in outdoor areas serves as a passive measure to combat the 'heat island' effect,' says Álvaro Sánchez, the brand's Director of Product Sustainability. ' This creates noticeably cooler environments. The benefits extend beyond just outdoor comfort; by cooling the immediate surroundings of the building, we reduce the amount of heat transferred indoors. When this strategy is combined with façade designs featuring shading on the most exposed orientations, the result is a substantial reduction in the amount of energy required for air conditioning.' The brand also maintains cool common areas, provides fresh, infused water and schedules activities for less stifling parts of the day – or for air-conditioned rooms. Inside track Realistically, holidaymakers may spend more time indoors in the future. In Dubai, a tourist city built for the heat, many of the must-sees were designed with the desert climate in mind – from the icy indoor slopes of Ski Dubai to the imagined sunken city of Deep Dive Dubai, housed in the world's deepest (indoor) pool. Though it would require significant investment, it's easy to see how Europe's balmiest regions – where water parks and other outdoor attractions have traditionally thrived – may choose to go undercover. Indoor versions of mini-golf and go-karting have already hit Europe's major cities, so it's safe to assume they're coming to coastal resorts soon. The reopening of the Costa del Sol's Tivoli World theme park (which closed in 2020 and is scheduled to return in 2028) will bring a new mall with air-conditioned attractions alongside its outdoor rollercoasters. Spain already does malls like nowhere else on the Med. Just outside Granada, Nevada Shopping rivals its Middle Eastern cousins with 120,000m2 of outlets, restaurants and palm-fringed atriums. There's bowling and a pirate-themed amusement park too. Night walks and air-conditioned beaches Long lunches and indoor activities are the norm for Greeks and Spaniards during the summer months, with early mornings for beach walks and swims and evenings spent embracing the night breeze. For those determined to visit in summer, a shift in routines may be required to avoid the hottest parts of the day. Aware that being inside would benefit tourists too, Madrid has launched Refúgiate en la cultura, an annual summer programme which began in 2024 and includes free flamenco shows in the air-conditioned splendour of its most popular museums between 3pm and 5pm. In Cyprus, an outpost of the kid-friendly Paradox Museum (which has branches in London, Paris and Barcelona) opened in a shady cultural centre in Limassol in 2023. More far-sighted museums and cultural centres may be setting up seaside branches soon. As for sports lovers, at Mark Warner Resorts, tuition sessions are already scheduled outside the hottest parts of the day and kids' clubs are air-conditioned. The increasing popularity of padel and climbing coincide neatly with a need to keep active types inside at those times too. But there may be some hot-weather solutions deemed too extreme for European tastes. Time will tell whether air-conditioned beach cabanas (offered at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai and The Venetian Las Vegas) or fake drizzle-filled roads (such as Dubai's Raining Street, which is kept at a constant 27C, will catch on. It's not just holidaymakers who need respite from extreme temperatures. Hospitality staff in kitchens, restaurants and outdoor jobs are at risk of illness when the gauge rises. Following the death of a street cleaner in Barcelona in July 2025, trade unions are again calling for EU-wide legislation to protect workers from extreme heat. It means more attractions may be shut down when temperatures rise in the future, as employers protect both their staff and visitors from its effects. A plan for all seasons With unsustainable summer visitor numbers firmly on their minds, tourist boards have been working on lengthening the season in some of Europe's most popular destinations for a few years. In Ibiza, where the season used to begin at the end of June and shut in September, October half-term is becoming a sleeper hit with families. Skyscanner has already noticed a lengthening of the summer season to include June and September. And, for those with school-age children, it's reasonable to expect that summer holidays might become Easter or October half-term ones in the future. After all, mooches around the Las Dalias hippy market and lunches at the island's beach clubs are more enjoyable later in the season, once temperatures have dropped and the crowds have gone home.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Death of the British summer holiday job: Hospitality job postings fall by more than 20,000 in a year as industry blames Rachel Reeves' Budget
Rachel Reeves ' budget has been blamed for killing the British summer holiday job with hospitality postings falling by more than 20,000 in a year. The drastic reduction comes despite a booming tourism industry which saw visitors in England spending £48.4 billion on day visits in 2024, a six per cent rise from the previous year. Job postings for temporary hospitality work is down 25% year-on-year, with 22,369 fewer unique postings for jobs this year compared to last, according to data from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). In 2024 there were 88,414 hospitality jobs on offer, but that fell markedly to 66,045 in a single year. Meanwhile, the number of tourism jobs have also been largely reduced. This year there have been just 15,650 unique unique job postings, a 14 per cent drop from the 18,118 last year. The fall in employment opportunities will largely impact students and teenagers looking for their first jobs and will threaten the temporary job market as schools and universities break up for the summer, according to UKHospitality, a trade body for the industry. It will put at the risk the skills provided by having hospitality as a first job, they claim. Allen Simpson, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: 'This is the time when hospitality businesses would be frantically hiring staff for the busy summer months, when the sector expects to welcome families to their hotels, and serve millions of people with ice cream on the beach, fish and chips on the pier, and cold pints in the pub garden. 'I know from personal experience how important hospitality summer jobs are for getting young people experience of work, however hiring this year has fallen off dramatically, with 22,000 fewer jobs available compared to last year. 'It is sadly reflective of the impact we have seen from increased costs over the past nine months – less employment, less opportunity and less growth in the economy. The reduction in hiring comes after Labour chancellor Rachel Reeves hiked the National Insurance rates for employers. The October budget also lowered the threshold for when employers must start paying the tax, as she looked to raise around £20 billion. It has resulted in £3.4bn in additional annual cost for hospitality businesses, with 84,000 job losses, UKHospitality estimates. Mr Simpson added: 'Unless the Government acts, we could well be seeing the death of the great British summer job. That's not good for the economy, for businesses, or for the people that need this flexible work during the summer. 'We need to see action at the Budget to reverse this damage. That starts with fixing NICs, lowering business rates and cutting VAT for hospitality businesses.' Neil Carberry, REC Chief Executive, said: 'Hospitality is one of the UK's biggest entry points into work, but right now, we are shutting people out before they even get a foot in the door. 'A drop of over 22,000 job postings as we reach the height of the summer season is not just a staffing gap, it is a red flag for the wider economy. It puts recruiters, hospitality businesses and customers under massive pressure to make the most of the short-lived English summer. 'We cannot keep loading new costs onto employers if we want vibrant high streets, thriving pubs and strong local economies.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Drivers stuck in huge queues as ‘Saturday scramble' begins with 3million drivers to hit the roads today
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