Out & About …

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

Category: Stokesley

  • Beyond the Mist — The Battle of Stokesley

    Beyond the Mist — The Battle of Stokesley

    This morning, the air on Great Ayton Moor was crystal clear, but away in the south-west, a low mist crept up the Vale of Cleveland, making the wind turbines at Seamer look like they’re levitating. That white house yonder caught my eye. Turns out, it’s Howe Hill. Now, I can therefore take a brief detour…

  • The Ghost of Stokesley Town End

    The Ghost of Stokesley Town End

    Yet another tale spun by the industrious quill of Cleveland’s venerable chronicler, Richard Blakeborough. This piece has lingered on my to-do list, biding its time for a fitting photograph. Regrettably, my patience has waned. Let this image of Aireyholme and Cliff Rigg suffice. Look closely, and the roof tops of Stokesley reveal themselves in the…

  • The Kildale Spectres

    The Kildale Spectres

    Another one of the old folk tales collected by Richard Blakeborough and published in the Northern Weekly Gazette in July 1901. THE KILDALE SPECTRES. By RICHARD BLAKEBOROUGH. The first part of this story, so far as the source from which it sprang is concerned, has not passed through many lips, seeing that the father of…

  • The mysterious coffin of Stokesley Church

    The mysterious coffin of Stokesley Church

    When the nave of Stokesley Church was restored in 1771, a coffin was unearthed and, as it was found broken, it was opened. It was completely empty; there was nothing inside except “sawdust and shavings“. The coffin was supposed to contain the mortal remains of “Elyzabeth Hornsby” as recorded in the parish register books: “Buryed…

  • River Leven at Stokesley

    River Leven at Stokesley

    Simple structures intended to slow the flow of the river by making it more wiggly. Centuries of canalisation of the river and an over-enthusiastic flood prevention scheme built in the 1970s have resulted in a poor aquatic environment. The barriers have been built in conjunction with major improvements to flood alleviation upstream which should allow…

  • Battle of Inkerman

    Battle of Inkerman

    Remember, remember the 5th of November … Not because of “the last man to enter Parliament with honest intentions”, but because it is also the anniversary of the Battle of Inkerman in 1854 when the allied armies of Britain and France defeated the Imperial Russian Army during the Crimean war. 635 British soldiers, 175 French…

  • “Murder by a Farmer in the North-Riding” (Part 1)

    “Murder by a Farmer in the North-Riding” (Part 1)

    So ran the headlines on the morning of Saturday, 24 October, 1863 in provincial newspapers throughout the country. From Guernsey to Stornaway. Reports were syndicated in those days, often repeating verbatim the same wording. It was a report that I had come across when researching the arsonist vicar post of two days ago. But the…

  • River Leven, Stokesley

    River Leven, Stokesley

    On my bike today, on the country lanes around the Rountons. I need to go onto the flatlands occasionally to help me appreciate the hills. Stokesley town centre was prone to periodic flooding until the flood diversion scheme was built in the late 70s. 1930 was a particularly bad year I understand. When the river…

  • The Red Poppy

    The Red Poppy

    Look, how the Poppies flaunt their red-red flags O’er all yon cornfield,—beauty out of place! So when the angel Peace would bless our race, The demon War, in horrid triumph, drags His gore-stain’d chariot; drums and trumpets sound To nerve the soldier’s arm to burn and slay, And showy banners are unfurl’d alway,— All fitter…

  • Plaque on the Levenside, Stokesley

    Plaque on the Levenside, Stokesley

    I remember feeling very uneasy when I first read this plaque. And I feel just as uneasy today posting a photo of it. Is it too controversial, or am I just being over wary of offence? I googled Henty and found a Wikipedia page for the town of Henty in Victoria which says “The Henty…