Out & About …

… on the North York Moors, or wherever I happen to be.

Ancient weathered standing stones and fallen slabs in the foreground, with bright green sheep-grazed fields divided by dry-stone walls sweeping up a broad valley. Bare winter trees line the middle ground, and a ruined farmhouse — Dale Head — sits quietly on the hillside. Behind it, a vast dark moorland escarpment fills the horizon under a pale blue sky with a few clouds.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Dale Head—Fire, Rumour and a Long Silence

Ryedale demanded a break. The old Stephen Thwaite farmstead has an irresistible collection of “stoups” and “hemmells” worth ten minutes of any cyclist’s time.
Then the sun did what the sun does when it wants to make a point. It threw a spotlight clean across Wheat Beck and landed it squarely on Dale Head House. Rather rude, really, given the state of the place. Still a ruin. Still standing, just about, which is more than can be said for its reputation.

The story behind it is not a cheerful one. In 2010 the house caught fire and was largely destroyed1Architect offers reward over Ryedale house arson. 21 June 2010. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10371195. It had stood derelict for years, which in rural Yorkshire is practically an open invitation to trouble. But renovation was underway; a builder was on site. He woke at two in the morning to find the place well ablaze. Arson was the word on every tongue, though no one was ever charged. The investigation went quiet in the way that investigations sometimes do, drifting off like smoke on a cold morning.

After that, the whole business passed from the hands of the police into the considerably slower hands of the planning system. A 2015 application noted that “the original property was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 2010” and asked permission to rebuild2North York Moors National Park Authority. NYM/2015/0069/FL – Dale Head, Hawnby for the rebuilding of dwelling approved under NYM/2008/0560/FL. http://planning.northyorkmoors.org.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/Generic/StdDetails.aspx?PT=Planning%20Applications%20On-Line&TYPE=PL/PlanningPK.xml&PARAM0=811273&XSLT=/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/SiteFiles/Skins/NorthYorkMoors/xslt/PL/PLDetails.xslt&FT=Planning%20Application%20Details&PUBLIC=Y&XMLSIDE=/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/SiteFiles/Skins/NorthYorkMoors/Menus/PL.xml&DAURI=PLANNING. The applicant, rather interestingly, was now the Mexborough Estate rather than the original Mr Jonathon Reed3North York Moors National Park Authority. NYM/2008/0560/FL – Dale Head, Hawnby for the rebuilding of dwelling and construction of extensions together with bio fuel generator and fuel store http://planning.northyorkmoors.org.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/Generic/StdDetails.aspx?PT=Planning%20Applications%20On-Line&TYPE=PL/PlanningPK.xml&PARAM0=805511&XSLT=/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/SiteFiles/Skins/NorthYorkMoors/xslt/PL/PLDetails.xslt&FT=Planning%20Application%20Details&PUBLIC=Y&XMLSIDE=/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/SiteFiles/Skins/NorthYorkMoors/Menus/PL.xml&DAURI=PLANNING.

The planners, bless them, decided that nobody had deliberately abandoned the site and waved the rebuild through. House burns. Rumours swirl. Nobody is charged. Planners sign the forms. The dale carries on regardless.

As endings go, it is not exactly gripping. Like a damp firework, the whole affair simply fizzled out. The truth, if there is one, is buried somewhere in the grate.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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2 responses to “Dale Head—Fire, Rumour and a Long Silence”

  1. Reece avatar
    Reece

    Sad that the permission was granted but nothing seems to have happened with it. I assume the permission no longer stands as the approval states work has to start within 3 years?

    Reply
    1. Fhithich avatar
      Fhithich

      I hadn’t spotted that. Thanks.

      Reply

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