Whitby & District Astronomical Society

Exciting times lay ahead, if all goes according to plan (literally) as detailed plans for an observatory facility located at Danby Lodge Visitors Centre are currently seeking approval.  The plans have the backing of North Yorkshire Moors Parks Authorities (NYMNPA) but must progress through their own planning application department, yes even the Parks must adhere to their own criteria! 

The idea for an observatory at Danby Lodge has long been pondered by John McCue, founder member and honorary Vice-President of the Cleveland and Darlington A.S. and now member of WDAS too.  John, now retired, had a lengthy career as a teacher and lecturer in astronomy, and was instrumental in setting up the popular observatory and planetarium at Wynyard Woodland Park in the Northeast of England. 

In early 2020, John approached the NYMNPA with a proposal for an astronomical observatory at the Centre, having had an association with Danby Lodge dating back to 1983, when he co-hosted the first Star Party event held there!  WDAS involvement with the Centre initially started in the early 2000s, with the occasional Star Party.  From 2015 this association with Danby has grown, tied to the extremely popular Dark Sky Festival events held in Autumn and late Winter.

Circumstances have now aligned affording an opportunity to realise the ambition of building an observatory.  Following preliminary enquiries, John contacted WDAS (from which representatives had also broached ideas of some kind of observatory to Danby Lodge management) before approaching NYMNPA with proposals. Initial meetings with representatives from NYMPA and Richard Darn, who assisted NYNMP achieve Dark Sky status and helped launch the Kielder Observatory, were constructive.  With the award of Dark Sky Reserve status, NYNMPA were very receptive to the proposals, aware of the growing Astro-tourism' sector and the boost to the local economy that could bring.

After two years of negotiations, redrawing of plans and preliminary costings (and much investigating by John), the proposals are now making headway.  Here, WDAS society connections with Colin Simmons, landlord of the Fox and Hounds Hotel near Danby, venue for the popular Dark Skies-Warm Fires weekend and other star party events organised by Colin proved most valuable.  It transpired that Colin is also an architect, and on learning of the project kindly offered his services.   

The original plans sketched and amended by John and Mark several times eventually settled on a warm room with a run-off roof type observing room attached at 90 degrees to this.  The warm room, large enough to seat 20 people, will serve as a presentation room that may be used for other activities.  The observatory room itself will house a premium quality instrument, several alternatives of which have been identified, although no final decision has been made.  Soft standing for telescopes outside the observatory will also be provided. 

Colin was able to take our design and turn them into professional quality drawings suitable for planning application submission.  The plans (with a few modifications) backed by NYNMPA are now making their way through NYNMPA’s own planning stage department.  If approved, funding will then be sought, something already being explored by NYNMPA, with funding ‘pots’ available if the planning stage is passed.  Once funding is secured, contracts will be awarded for the building phase.

We are still a way-off yet, but once built, the WDAS (along with other parties) will host regular observing nights when skies, celestial objects, and personal allow, without need to access the Danby Lodge Centre or involve staff.  It is envisaged workshops on various aspects associated with astronomy could be run from the warm room, such as astrophotography for instance, but the room would lend itself to numerous uses.  We will keep you updated on developments. 

As John McCue says - Onwards and Upwards!