Category: Bilsdale

  • The Witch-Mare of Orraā€”A Forgotten Nightmare Myth

    The Witch-Mare of Orraā€”A Forgotten Nightmare Myth

    Ah, Urraā€”barely discernible through the oppressive cloud that choked my aimless trudge around the moor it so generously lends its name to. It is also the setting for the utterly enthralling tale of the Witch-Mare of Orra. A legend I have alluded to with tiresome frequency, though clearly without bothering to grasp its finer points.…

  • Brume, Roke, and Other Vapourous Delights

    Brume, Roke, and Other Vapourous Delights

    There is something magical about mist creeping up the dales of the North York Moors, at least if youā€™re being sentimental. Behind me, the mistā€”sorry, ā€˜brumeā€™ā€”was crawling up the Vale of Mowbray, but that was less of a spectacle than this show over Raisdale and Bilsdale. Speaking of brume, it is the ideal word for…

  • Bilsdale and the Curious Journey of Road Salt

    Bilsdale and the Curious Journey of Road Salt

    Another thrilling morning on the North York Moors. Freezing temperatures, frost blanketing the valley, and snow still stubbornly clinging to the high ground. How enchanting. This is a view of Bilsdale from Hasty Bank. For days now, the gritters have been tirelessly scattering salt as if the very fate of civilisation depends on it. It…

  • Raisdaleā€™s Constablewick and the Bones of Bert

    Raisdaleā€™s Constablewick and the Bones of Bert

    This morning was cold, but not that cold. No puddles bore that brittle layer of ā€œcat ice,ā€ and the dead Bracken fronds remained frost-free. Compare that to last Saturday, when midnight brought a sultry 15Ā°C, according to the car thermometerā€”a temperature fit for short sleeves. Earlier that day, as Storm Bert howled and hurled snow,…

  • Hasty Bank and an Old Gatepost

    Hasty Bank and an Old Gatepost

    Whenever Iā€˜m Out & About, I rarely start out with any sort of plan. There might be a vague idea of a route, but more often than not, I just make it up as I go along. Some might call that reckless, others might deem it inconsiderate or just plain annoying, but I like to…

  • From Drainage to Divination: The Cheshire Stoneā€™s Secrets

    From Drainage to Divination: The Cheshire Stoneā€™s Secrets

    I recently stumbled upon the theory that a stone ā€“ the Cheshire, or perhaps the Cheddar Stone as some insist on calling it ā€“ perched on on the edge of Urra Moor, has a natural basin which has been carefully modified in prehistoric times by the addition of a notch to channel the water outflow…

  • From Widheris to Wether House: A Farmsteadā€™s History

    From Widheris to Wether House: A Farmsteadā€™s History

    On Wetherhouse Moor, nature is quietly concealing the remains of a post-medieval farmstead beneath the watchful eye of a solitary sycamore. Of the original three ranges, little can be discerned now, save for a crumbling gable end of a barn. It has, for more than a century, since the last tenants left, been steadily yielding…

  • A Stone in the Heather

    A Stone in the Heather

    While the heather is in full bloom, it seems absurd not to be up on the moors. This boundary stone, standing proud over the heather, is marked on its Bilsdale side with the inscription “FEVERSHAM 1848,” a name requiring little introduction. It refers, of course, to William Duncombe, the 2nd Baron Feversham, whose seat was…

  • Boundaries in Stone

    Boundaries in Stone

    Dry stone walls stand as testament to the enduring craftsmanship of generations past. They are a quintessential feature of the North York Moors and other rocky regions of the British Isles. From Cornwall and the Cotswolds, to Scotland and Ireland, these walls served as swift and sturdy field boundaries, surpassing the time it would take…

  • Low Mill, Bilsdale

    Low Mill, Bilsdale

    Low Mill, a small corn mill presently under private ownership, stands beside the swift waters of the River Seph amidst the charming valley of Bilsdale. Historical records date its inception to the 16th century, though subtle signs suggest its presence may extend as early as the 12th century, coinciding with the establishment of Rievaulx Abbey.…