Careful study of old buildings creates a picture of how people live. In the Dales buildings use local stone and timber for walls or heather and lead for roofs. Most historic buildings have been changed, revealing changing fashions and technologies.
Internal features such as roof timbers, staircases, fireplaces, bread ovens and spice cupboards offer more clues about how people lived.
Other evidence can be found in former kitchen gardens, outside toilets and wells and pumps for water supply.