The Grange at High Force facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Philip Turner |
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| Illustrator | William Papas |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Darnley Mills |
| Genre | Children's adventure novel |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
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Publication date
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1965 |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 220 pp (first edition) |
| OCLC | 214583 |
| LC Class | PZ7.T857 Gr |
| Preceded by | Colonel Sheperton's Clock |
| Followed by | Sea Peril |
The Grange at High Force is an exciting children's adventure novel written by Philip Turner. It was first published in 1965 by Oxford and features illustrations by William Papas. This book is the second in Turner's popular Darnley Mills series. It even won the famous Carnegie Medal, an award given to the best children's book by a British subject each year!
The story takes place at The Grange, which used to be a farm. It's located high above Darnley Mills, a made-up town in North East England or North Yorkshire. This town sits between the wild moors and the North Sea. The book is full of funny and exciting moments, mixing modern-day adventures with cool connections to the past. In the United States, the book was published in 1967 by World Publishing Company, with illustrations by W. T. Mars.
Contents
Starting the Adventure: What's the Story About?
The story of The Grange at High Force begins about a year after the first book in the series, Colonel Sheperton's Clock, ended. The three main characters – David, Peter, and Arthur – are still the best of friends. They are quite different, but that's what makes their friendship strong! David, who used to have a leg injury, is now completely better. He can join in all the active fun with his friends.
All three boys go to King Charles II Grammar School. David and Peter are choirboys, singing in the church choir. Arthur's voice has changed, so he's not in the choir right now. Much of the adventure happens on the moors above Darnley Mills. The story covers a whole year, from one spring to the next. It focuses on the exciting things the boys do together with the men living at the Grange. Just like in the first book, there's also an old mystery from history that they need to solve!
Exciting Events: What Happens in the Book?
The novel kicks off in All Saints' church in Darnley Mills. Earlier, Peter built a Roman ballista (a type of ancient crossbow). He accidentally broke a church window while testing it! Two pigeons then flew in and built a nest inside the church. Now, "Operation Bird's Nest" is happening. Arthur is climbing up to remove the nest. Everyone below is worried about him, except for Miss Cadell-Twitten. She's still upset about the birds being taken out of the church. Arthur then poses in an empty spot in the wall. Mr Pritchard explains that a statue of the Virgin Mary used to be there.
Later that day, the three friends head out to explore High Force on the moors. They want to see the waterfall and the tiny, old church called Little St. Mary's. Peter has an accident with his bicycle, which he calls the "Yellow Peril." While looking for help at the Grange, they meet the Admiral and Guns. The boys are amazed by an old ship's cannon on the Grange terrace. They also see a workshop in the cellar where a mill wheel is being built to make electricity. The Admiral is very interested in Peter's ballista. He suggests they fire both weapons at targets to see how accurate they are!
They all visit Little St. Mary's church together. They find it's full of birds! The church needs a new roof and a good cleaning. The boys and men work hard on these tasks. They also discover a mystery about the missing statue. Miss Cadell-Twitten hints that she knows where it is. But she won't tell them because they accidentally scared her pet bird, Augustus.
Plans to fire the cannon are stopped by the police sergeant. But an opportunity comes just before Christmas. They manage to sink a makeshift raft with the cannon! Right after this, a huge snowstorm begins. They help Mr Ramsgill gather his sheep that are scattered on the moor. A very heavy snowfall cuts off the moor. Even with a snow plough, it's hard to get back to the Grange through the deep snow. David is the only one who can use the snowshoes. He checks on Bird Cottage and finds Miss Cadell-Twitten suffering from being too cold. She is so thankful for being rescued. She finally tells them where to find the statue. It is found and returned to All Saints' church.
The book ends with a special two-gun salute. The Admiral and Guns leave in the spring in their new boat. They are off to explore the coastline of the British Isles!
Meet the Characters
Here are some of the interesting people and animals you'll meet in the book:
- The Boys
- Peter Beckford: He's the son of the Rector and loves anything mechanical. He's always inventing new things!
- Arthur Ramsgill: From Blackrock Farm on the moor, Arthur is an amazing climber and knows all about handling sheep.
- David Hughes: The son of a skilled carpenter, David is very imaginative and dreams of a life at sea.
- The Adults
- The Rector: Peter's father and the head of All Saints' church.
- Charlie Bastable: Also known as "Old Charlie," he's the verger (a church official).
- Mr Pritchard: The church organist and choirmaster. He's also the town chemist and knows a lot about local history.
- Father Ronald: A visiting Franciscan friar.
- Sergeant Macintosh: Nicknamed "Rainproof," he's a strict but friendly policeman.
- Miss Cadell-Twitten: Called "The Twitter," she's an elderly bird-lover who lives in Bird Cottage on the moors. She owns the nearby Folly Grange.
- Admiral Sir John Beauchamp-Troubridge: A retired RN Admiral, he's the temporary renter of Folly Grange.
- "Guns" Kelly: The Admiral's helper, he used to be a gunner in the navy.
- Bos'n Jake: A Swedish ex-whaler who runs a shop in Darnley Mills that sells ship supplies and old junk.
- Mr Ramsgill: Arthur's father, who is 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 horse, ridden by Arthur and David.
- Rob: Arthur's sheepdog.
- Augustus: Miss Cadell-Twitten's pet cock pheasant.
Why This Book Is Special
The Grange at High Force is praised for showing a strong sense of community and for having very real characters. It's also a really funny story! Marcus Crouch, who wrote about British children's novels, said in 1972: "The Grange at High Force is about bikes and boats, gunpowder, old buildings, history, birds, and how things fly. It sounds like a strange mix, but it works!" The book's unusual blend of topics, its mix of funny and serious parts, and how the characters bravely face work, play, and danger, all show what makes life so interesting.
The Pictures in the Book
The first edition of the book had illustrations by William Papas. He was an artist known for his newspaper cartoons. The pictures in the US edition were drawn by Wilton T. Mars in a more traditional style.
