Category: North York Moors
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Osmotherley
Pevsner, writing in the 1960s, describes Osmotherley as a small town rather than a village. In the second decade of the twenty-first century, it is undoubtedly a village which probably says more about the decline of village life than of the growth of towns like Northallerton and Stokesley. This view is from Limekiln Lane on…
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Bridestones Moor
The National Trust’s rare area of heather moorland just north of Dalby Forest. Rare because it is not intensively managed unlike most of the rest of heather moorlands on the North York Moors which are managed for one purpose only, that is to maximise the breeding of grouse for shooting, in spite of having the…
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Hunter’s Moon rising over Roseberry
Another full moon, the second since the Autumn equinox, traditionally known on the Hunter’s Moon because at this time of the lunar year the moon rises just 30 minutes later than the day before. Normally the average is 50 minutes. In effect making the evenings lighter which makes the hunter’s (or poacher’s) job easier. It…
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A crepuscular stroll on Great Ayton Moor
Another glorious Autumn day. Soon to change by the end of the week though. A north wind is forecast, and when that doth blow… But for now, the evening closes. The sun has sunk below the western horizon. The sky darkens. Where is Hesperus? Plenty of folks still out on the moor, on their vespertine…
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Head House, Arnsgill
Once the third and highest farmstead in this long thin valley, over 2 miles from the Osmotherley to Hawnby road. Enclosed by the Scotgrave and Cow ridges the valley’s uncultivated fields somehow escaped Open Access designation so the only way to cross is by the Public Footpath along the track up to Head House. Public…
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Rotten Scar
Last Sunday I posted a little question where was I when I took the photo. I thought the hill would be a giveaway but for once no one came close. Further back and a little bit higher on the edge of Urra Moor and Hasty Bank becomes more obvious. The valley is the top end…
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Moor burning, Stanghow Moor
The Farming Today program on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday covered moorland management (it’s available here as a podcast for 28 days). On it was a representative from the Moorland Association who said that rotational burning of grouse moorland had been “voluntarily suspended”. If you are not aware, rotational burning is the practice when our…
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A moorjock on Barker’s Ridge
Grazing below Stony Wicks, a scrappy sandstone set of crags at the head of Scugdale, this moorland sheep is oblivious to the eerie sight of the morning fog creeping up the dale from the Vale of Cleveland. Colloquially known as Moorjocks, this sheep is probably a Swaledale, said to be one of the mountain breeds…
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When Roseberrye Toppinge weares a cappe …
Towards the weste there stands a highe hill called Roseberry Toppinge, which is a marke to the seamen, and an almanacke to the vale, for they have this ould ryme common, “When Roseberrye Toppinge weares a cappe Let Cleveland then beware a clappe.” For indeede yt seldome hath a cloude on yt that some yll…
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Great Fryup Head
A vague plan hatched. Mooch up to the head of the dale through Canon Atkinson’s undercliff. End up at Yew Grain, the waterfall on the left. But The Hills proved far too interesting so this is as far as we got. The waterfall on the right is Spa Dike. Arising out of George Gap Spa,…