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From Warren House to Toft Hill Scout Camp
From the vantage point up Kirby Bank, one’s eyes are drawn across the Vale of Cleveland to the iconic silhouette of Roseberry Topping. Closer though, in this picturesque view, stands the Pybus Scout Camp, its white facade gleaming under the cloudy sky. Adjacent to it lies Ricey Hill, adorned with the mellow yellow flowers of…
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<— To Highcliffe Nab <—
It struck me as a bit peculiar that explicit directions to Highcliffe Nab were considered necessary. One might conclude that folks have frequently found themselves inadvertently ending up at the nearby farm. However, upon closer observation, the reason became apparent: the gate stands firmly padlocked. Despite its designation as a Public Footpath, no stile offers…
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A speeat o’ rain
In this month of showers, a spate — a heavy downpour in the Cleveland vernacular — situated somewhere in the vicinity of Great Broughton. I don’t suppose that ‘spate‘ found its place amidst the 40,000 entries of Dr Samuel Johnson’s seminal dictionary, published on this very day in 1755. The laborious compilation consumed nearly a…
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Cuckoos on the Move as Cyclists Battle Up Saltburn Bank
In the women’s race of the Cleveland Classic, competitors ascend the formidable Saltburn Bank at the first of the event’s four laps. Cycling here, my ears were tuned keenly for that distinctive call of the first cuckoo of the year. Today marks Cuckoo Day, also known as St. Tiburtius’ Day, traditionally the day when the…
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Stinking Nanny’s Surprise: The Pungent Power of Ramsons
Ramsons, those delicate flowers of the forest floor, hold a secret. Typically, they signal the presence of an ancient woodland, flourishing in the quietude of undisturbed soil. But here lies a peculiar sight: these ramsons are thriving amidst the confines of a railway cutting. An anomaly, indeed. As I ventured deeper into Newton Woods, a…
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Glaisdale
The village of Glaisdale perches high on a hill, where Glaisdale Beck meets the River Esk in a dramatic confluence. Its terrain is spectacularly steep, with descents plunging more than 500 feet within a mere half-mile stretch. At its heart lies the church, commanding a view towards Glaisdale Head. Settlement in this dale adheres to…
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An Ancient Route into Bransdale
In days of yore, should you find yourself journeying from Stokesley to Bransdale on foot, or perchance on horseback, this very track would have been your chosen descent into the dale. It held sway as a vital route for many a year. This ancient road, depicted on a 1782 estate map under the title ‘from…
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A Byland Abbey ghost story
When Byland Abbey yielded to Henry VIII’s Suppression Commissioners in 1538, it housed 25 choir monks alongside Abbot John Ledes. A hundred years prior, a monk had settled in the scriptorium to write twelve ghost stories on a blank page appended to a commonplace manuscript of rhetorical and theological works. These tales, in Latin, predominantly…
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A Duck’s Day Out — Low Barns Nature Reserve
A day for ducks, as they say, thus what could be more fitting than a leisurely stroll around a wetlands nature reserve. The Durham Wildlife Trust’s Low Barns reserve is a worthwhile place to visit. Even in the rain. Nestled alongside the River Wear, it boasts woodlands, grasslands, marshes, and ponds. This assortment of habitats renders…
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Blackthorn’s Starry Flowers Precede the Bluebell Spectacle
The bluebell meadows in Newton Wood are on the verge of bursting forth in a hue of cerulean blue. However, it is not their time quite yet. The initial shoots can be seen, but presently it is the blackthorn that commands the spotlight of spring. Masses of blossom, soft and disordered, the twisted thorny shrubs…
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