Category: Great Ayton
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What’s the problem with Stinking Willie?
Common ragwort, the bane of horsey people. Also known as St James’ Wort, Staggerwort, Stammerwort, Yellow tops, and, the best of all, Mare’s fart. Those who keep horses are religious about labouriously hand pulling every plant from their paddocks. Yet horses and other grazing animals find it bitter and will not normally eat the growing…
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Cliff Rigg Quarry
Feeling under the weather so haven’t ventured far. Two ascents of Cliff Rigg with its huge hole left by the whinstone industry. The tooth of rock is the remnant of a wall of whinstone left as shoring to stop the weaker shales from collapsing. In the distance, is Capt. Cook’s Monument of Easby Moor Open…
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What shall we do about Capt. Cook?
The recent events in Bristol when Edward Colston, deputy governor of the Royal African Company which oversaw the transportation into slavery of an estimated 84,000 Africans plus another 19,000 who did not survive the sea voyage, ended up at the bottom of the harbour, raises questions closer to home. Whilst not condoning the criminal aspects…
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Royal Oak Day,twenty nineth of May,if you deean’t give us holiday,We’ll all run away.
If you see someone out wearing a sprig of oak leaves today, May 29th, he, or she, is celebrating Royal Oak Day. The day traditionally commemorating King Charles II‘s return to London and his restoration as King on this day in 1660, which also happened to be his birthday. The oak leaves symbolise his escape…
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If only walls could talk
I’ve had my eye on this wall for years. Such a fascinating assortment of alterations over the years. Windows, doors, a platform, steps. Until this coronavirus, there are usually cars parked in front of it but this morning I was surprised to see it clear. Even those yellow poppies are taking advantage of the light.…
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Site of Summerhill Farm
In 1658 John Coulson, lord of the manor of Great Ayton, together with twenty other freeholders of the village made an agreement to enclose the ancient open fields and common pastures dividing them up amongst themselves. Sometime after this, the farm at Summerhill, nestling below Ayton Bank, would have been created. In spite of its…
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What, will these hands ne’er be clean?
The current concern with the Coronavirus disease has been much compared to the 1918 influenza pandemic. Although this is commonly known as the Spanish Flu, current thinking is that the first cases were in 1916 in the field hospitals of the Western Front. By the time it had run its course it is estimated that…
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Roseberry Mine Reservoir
Operations at the Roseberry Ironstone Mine would have been dependent on steam power. In the 1931 public auction when the mining equipment was sold off, the lots included 2 hauling engines, 1 compressor, 1 fan engine, 4 boilers, and 2 pumping engines. To supply all these steam engines with sufficient water a reservoir was built 25 feet on the slope…
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14th February 1779 – Death of Capt. Cook in Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii
I can not let St. Valentine’s Day pass without a mention of Captain James Cook R.N., Great Ayton’s most famous son, who was killed on this day in 1779 in Kealakekua Bay, Hawai’i. He is remembered as a hero, a great explorer, navigator, cartographer, “discoverer” of New Zealand. Ayton was his boyhood home, his father…
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The star attraction in Great Ayton’s Waterfall Park
A snatched photo before the lens fogged up. The Leven’s high, few hardy souls about, the paths awash with flowing streams. In Newton Wood, I disturb flocks of wooshats sheltering from the storm. Returning home so wet and battered, I feel I’ve been through the washing machine. Ah, kissed by Ciara. Except, of course, it’s…