Ah, what a scene of unparalleled magnificence. Majestic sandstone columns and rock outcrops, shaped over millennia by wind and rain, now somewhat overwhelmed by a verdant sea of bracken, rippling across the landscape like an oversized duvet. Deep wooded valleys, or “griffs,” carve into the moor, a National Trust property a few miles south of Whitby. In the photograph is Bridestone Griff.
Unlike many heather moors, Bridestones is not managed solely for grouse, making it much richer in wildlife. It is a haven for lichens, flowers, birds, and small mammals. Within the griffs are ancient woodlands, and the moorland plateau has a bedrock cap of ooidal limestone. This limestone was quarried in the past, leaving a distinctive swathe of lime-rich pasture, a rare habitat for lime-loving plants and ferns such as the Adder’s-tongue Fern.
These habitats require management. I joined a team of National Trust Rangers and Volunteers battling the incessant swarms of flies to cut back the encroaching bracken, with the hope of weakening the rhizomes. It does seem to be effective.
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