Month: June 2025
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The Slow Decay of Belmont Mine
It is disheartening to see the old mine buildings at Belmont Ironstone Mine partially collapsed. Built around 1909, they may not be the grandest examples of industrial architecture, but they are likely the most intact surface remains of any ironstone mine in the Cleveland area. Remarkably, some sections are still used as stables. In the…
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From Helmsley to the Moors: Where Exactly Is Blackamoor?
Blackamoor is the old name for both the wider moors and the northern end of the Hambleton Hills—though modern maps prefer this as the more polite “Black Hambleton.” For most of the year, the name “black” suits the moors. Barring a brief burst of ling bloom or a winter’s snow, the moors always have a…
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Highcliff Watches, Barley Shines
This morning’s walk over Bousdale Hill had the familiar silhouette of Highcliff Nab looming in the distance, but it was the barley that stole the scene. Almost fully ripe, it glowed in the light. I remembered a daft tale from childhood—barley heads tucked into your sleeve would supposedly “walk” their way up. Never did for…
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Operation Starfish: A Decoy on the Moor
It is widely known around here that this brick structure on Percy Rigg was once a World War Two control bunker, part of a secret Air Ministry plan to protect British towns from German bombing raids. The scheme relied on decoys—an unusual mix of science and theatre designed to mislead the Luftwaffe. Wikipedia devotes a…
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Of Dogs, Grouse and Bureaucratic Logic
My trusted weather source, yr.no, claimed with confidence that rain would begin at noon. The climb from Guisborough had been hot and close under a humid sun. At 11:50, standing on Potter’s Ridge, the sky had turned grim. A few minutes later, the rain came — sudden, heavy, and, in truth, rather welcome. I had…
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Before the Ling: Bell Heather in Bloom
The moors will soon flush lilac with the bloom of Ling, but for now it is the Bell heather that holds court. Its deeper purple has lit the hills for weeks. This sweep across Ingleby Moor is the broadest I have seen. Bell heather usually prefers modest clumps, favouring dry ridges, crag tops, and path…
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Route Choice Down Roseberry
Today’s photo looks down the steep, green slope of Roseberry Topping’s northwestern flank. Below, Newton-under-Roseberry sits quietly among ripening fields. To the right, thick woodland hugs Bousdale Hill in dark contrast. What caught my eye was the wide grass path on the right. It appears to follow the Right-of-Way, though anyone trusting this blindly would…
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Obelisks and Obfuscation: Rethinking Cook’s Monument
Three heavily-laden walkers trudge away from Captain Cook’s Monument towards Gribdale. One of them had, moments earlier, stood on the railings and appeared to kiss the obelisk. Quite what prompted this act of reverence is unclear, but it brought to mind an article I once read claiming the monument is less about Cook and more…
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Ogy Ogy Ogy: Elegy for a Dog Named Skip
From the Great Pyramid to Trump’s sad obsession with giant flagpoles, mankind has always clawed at meaning. Mere survival is never enough. They must carve something, build something, paint something—anything—to shout, “I was here!” Whether it is a monument propping up social hierarchies, a prize history will laugh at, or for those with less talent,…
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Summer Solstice on Roseberry
I had not expected the summit to be empty, but the quiet that met me was unexpected. A small crowd sat scattered on the rocks, all facing east, waiting for the sun. They were silent, respectful, marking the midpoint of the year with stillness. Even the stonechats seemed to join in, their song fitting the…