Eston Nab

Another dreich day so cheating again and posting a photo from yesterday’s jaunt over Eston Nab.

The Nab is both loved and abused by the folk of Teesside.

In a booklet entitled ‘Green Ways around Teesside‘, the ‘Rambler’ lamented on the state of the hill:

“The remains of old bottles were scattered all along our route, and other rubbish was offensively obvious everywhere. There were broken fences and damaged trees. Saddest sight of all was the old watch tower which is rapidly losing all recognisable shape under the rough hands of time, the weather and mischievous sightseers.”

This was written in 1948. Perhaps some of those who chucked those bottles, and damaged those trees are now prolific keyboard warriors on FaceBook bemoaning the wildfires, burnt out cars and graffitied sandstone crags.

The most obvious feature of the summit is the monument, erected when the Napoleonic beacon and cottage were demolished in the 1950s¹‘Heritage Gateway – Results’. 2012. Heritagegateway.org.uk <https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=bfb7985b-b9d4-49c7-94e7-40871a3ffaf7&resourceID=19191> [accessed 23 October 2022].  It sits in the middle of a Bronze Age hillfort which defensive bank and ditch are easily discerned²‘Heritage Gateway – Results’. 2012. Heritagegateway.org.uk <https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=043b309a-e30b-4ec3-ac5e-4f421d27b237&resourceID=19191> [accessed 23 October 2022].

In 1808, John Graves, writing in his “History of Cleveland,” however, thought the hillfort was Saxon and dated it to the 5th-century. He says it was partly destroyed when the Saxons were routed by the Britons at the battle of Badon Hill which, he claims was fought in this neighbourhood. Prince (King) Arthur thoroughly razed the camp in the battle which lasted throughout the day when many thousands were slain³COOK, HUGH W. Cleveland Re-Visited ESTON AND NORMANBY | Cleveland Standard | Saturday 17 June 1933 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2022. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003490/19330617/148/0008> [accessed 26 July 2022]⁴Cook, Hugh W. Cleveland Re-visited | Cleveland Standard | Saturday 10 June 1933 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2022. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003490/19330610/075/0003> [accessed 26 July 2022]⁵Cook, Hugh W. Cleveland Re-visited | Cleveland Standard | Saturday 10 June 1933 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2022. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003490/19330610/075/0003> [accessed 26 July 2022].

“Ye slaughterr was soe greate that ye earthe vponn everye syde flowed wythe bloode.”

Although the site of the Battle of Badon is uncertain, contemporary opinion is that it is in Wiltshire⁶Wikipedia Contributors. 2022. ‘Battle of Badon’, Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Badon> [accessed 23 October 2022].

• 1
  ‘Heritage Gateway – Results’. 2012. Heritagegateway.org.uk <https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=bfb7985b-b9d4-49c7-94e7-40871a3ffaf7&resourceID=19191> [accessed 23 October 2022]
• 2
  ‘Heritage Gateway – Results’. 2012. Heritagegateway.org.uk <https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=043b309a-e30b-4ec3-ac5e-4f421d27b237&resourceID=19191> [accessed 23 October 2022]
• 3
  COOK, HUGH W. Cleveland Re-Visited ESTON AND NORMANBY | Cleveland Standard | Saturday 17 June 1933 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2022. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003490/19330617/148/0008> [accessed 26 July 2022]
• 4
  Cook, Hugh W. Cleveland Re-visited | Cleveland Standard | Saturday 10 June 1933 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2022. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003490/19330610/075/0003> [accessed 26 July 2022]
• 5
  Cook, Hugh W. Cleveland Re-visited | Cleveland Standard | Saturday 10 June 1933 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2022. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003490/19330610/075/0003> [accessed 26 July 2022]
• 6
  Wikipedia Contributors. 2022. ‘Battle of Badon’, Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Badon> [accessed 23 October 2022]