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259:. It was restored by the Bedale District Heritage Trust in 1985 and sits in a quarter of an acre of gardens known as the 'Bedale Renaissance Park' with an information board that explains its history and significance. It was built by an apothecary on the estate of the Beresford-Peirse family of Bedale Hall in the late 18th or early 19th century and was used for storing leeches until the early 1900s.
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The leeches were kept in special containers of moist turf and moss and a flow of fresh water from the Bedale Beck was diverted through the building. A fireplace provided heat to ensure the containers and the leeches within did not freeze in winter. Specialized and often very ornate 'Leech Jars' with
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had particularly suitable sites. Women were particularly associated with collecting leeches and transporting them in small boxes or cages. It was not until 1835 that a method of breeding medicinal leeches was perfected in France; however, the
British showed little interest in this, even though the
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The use of leeches in medicine reached a peak between 1825 and 1850 to the point that supplies became scarce and a secure place to store them before use became desirable. By the 1900s the use of leeches in medicine had dramatically declined and the Bedale Leech House ceased to be used for their
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a secure lid and small pierced air holes were used for the storage of leeches in the apothecary's shop. Feeding was not usually necessary as leeches can survive for lengthy periods, up to a year, between meals.
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At Bedale, George
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The 'Leechery' is a small brick built and castellated structure, measuring 10.7 feet (3.25 m) by 10.1 feet (3.07 m), which stands on the bank of the
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storage, though it survived until its restoration in 1985. In the same year as its restoration, it was noted by
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Hirudo medicinalis: ancient origins of, and trends in the use of medicinal leeches throughout history
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The leeches were collected using either horses or, frequently, the legs of the
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as a medical procedure to cure or prevent a variety of illnesses and diseases.
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themselves. A leech was removed after it had taken a full meal of blood.
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Leech livestck house in Bedale, North
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native stocks were in decline or nearing extinction.
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577:Kirk, Robert & Pemberton, Neil (2013).
548:"The Leech House (Grade II) (1150909)"
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422:Medical Heritage - Yorkshire and Cleveland
321:Listed buildings in Aiskew and Leeming Bar
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959:List of civil parishes in North Yorkshire
622:"Bedale's Unique Medicinal Leech House"
341:"Bedale - The Heart of North Yorkshire"
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68:Location within North Yorkshire
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502:. Accessed 24 September 2016.
397:"Bloodsuckers' home for sale"
1042:Parliamentary constituencies
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1057:Grade II* listed buildings
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586:The Worst Jobs in History
271:A 19th century leech jar.
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1052:Grade I listed buildings
131:54.289178°N 1.5895870°W
494:4 October 2015 at the
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42:The Bedale Leech House
478:The Virtual Victorian
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158:Bedale Heritage Trust
136:54.289178; -1.5895870
909:Skelton-in-Cleveland
701:Redcar and Cleveland
427:3 March 2016 at the
380:Welcome to Yorkshire
889:Saltburn-by-the-Sea
725:(cities in italics)
684:Unitary authorities
521:Yorkshire Gazetteer
511:Robinson. pp.54–56.
225:This late Georgian
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77:General information
747:Catterick Garrison
403:. 26 November 2003
347:on 11 October 2016
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240:Hirudo medicinalis
227:Bedale Leech House
206:Reference no.
24:Bedale Leech House
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723:Major settlements
659:Ceremonial county
581:. Reaktion Books,
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451:Alamy Photographs
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201:25 September 1985
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351:24 September
349:. Retrieved
345:the original
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150:19th century
18:
1128:Wensleydale
894:Scarborough
782:Guisborough
777:Grassington
257:Bedale Beck
134: /
109:Coordinates
85:Leech House
1122:Categories
757:Easingwold
370:Kirk, p.92
327:References
311:building.
198:Designated
192:– Grade II
171:Dimensions
119:54°17′21″N
1062:Windmills
955:See also:
924:Tadcaster
919:Stokesley
867:Pickering
842:Middleham
787:Harrogate
762:Eastfield
559:22 August
407:22 August
263:Operation
147:Completed
122:1°35′23″W
877:Richmond
802:Helmsley
492:Archived
425:Archived
401:BBC News
315:See also
176:Diameter
90:Location
1087:Museums
1082:Schools
1072:History
981:Derwent
914:Skipton
822:Leyburn
752:Colburn
737:Bentham
588:. Pan.
572:Sources
289:marshes
210:1150909
102:England
1133:Bedale
1077:Rivers
1035:Topics
1026:Wharfe
1006:Ribble
969:Rivers
939:Whitby
929:Thirsk
904:Settle
872:Redcar
837:Masham
832:Malton
827:Loftus
732:Bedale
709:(part)
592:
231:Bedale
163:Height
94:Bedale
1102:SSSIs
1011:Swale
996:Leven
899:Selby
883:Ripon
797:Haxby
792:Hawes
772:Filey
767:Eston
579:Leech
179:3.07m
166:3.25m
155:Owner
1016:Tees
1001:Ouse
991:Foss
976:Aire
950:York
944:Yarm
714:York
590:ISBN
561:2019
409:2019
353:2016
295:and
287:and
285:Bogs
82:Type
1021:Ure
986:Esk
662:of
229:in
1124::
550:.
546:.
498:,
468:^
399:.
386:^
361:^
233:,
100:,
96:,
650:e
643:t
636:v
563:.
411:.
355:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
