Out & About …

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

Month: December 2020

  • Codhill Heights

    Codhill Heights

    A lovely day. The high point of the ridge between Sleddale Beck and Codhill Slack on the moors south of Highcliff Nab, Codhill Heights is 296 metres above sea level and has a prominence of just 12 metres. One contour on the 1:25,000 O.S. map. The view is north-west towards Black Nab and the col…

  • A review of the year with 20/20 vision (Cont’d)

    A review of the year with 20/20 vision (Cont’d)

    The story so far … The government delayed lockdown and then opened too early, then kids were forced back to school, resulting in the greatest number of deaths in Western Europe. And then there was the A-level fiasco. Dominic Cummings broke the rules, as did Boris’s dad, and several MPs. The government spent millions on dodgy PPE…

  • A review of the year with 20/20 vision

    A review of the year with 20/20 vision

    Without a doubt, it’s been an eventful year. Here is a selection of my photos that didn’t make the cut. Plus a few reminders of some of the news at the time. January “There is no threat to the Erasmus scheme, UK students will continue to be able to enjoy the benefits of exchanges with…

  • In search of a navvy camp in Rosedale

    In search of a navvy camp in Rosedale

    Headed high today. To Blakey Ridge. Through the freezing fog to blue skies and a boreal wonderland. We were in search of the remains of a temporary encampment for the navvies that built the mineral railway around Rosedale. The location was at Black Intake just west of Green Head Brow. The first loaded train along the 14-mile mineral railway…

  • A match and a hatch in a Yorkshire village

    A match and a hatch in a Yorkshire village

    Capt. Cook’s Monument was busy, busy this morning. The early sunshine brought out the crowds. But while everyone headed as far as the monument, a hundred metres or so south-east, Cook’s Crags above Kildale was deserted. A favourite viewpoint of mine. And now, still in the festive mood, a complete rambling diversion. A quiz question,…

  • Boxing Day

    Boxing Day

    Everyone knows that Boxing Day originated from the practice of distributing the contents of the Christmas Box that had been placed in churches in the days preceding Christmas for casual offerings. The box money would be opened on Christmas Day and the contents doled out the next day, St. Stephen’s Day, by priests to the poor.…

  • Now this is a white Christmas

    Now this is a white Christmas

    For the last 46 years, I have run on Christmas morning. Today was no exception. No new snow overnight but yesterday’s had acquired a frozen crust. This is looking down the Cleveland Way on Ingleby Moor. Quiz question: who described his Christmas day thus? “Lay pretty long in bed, and then rose, leaving my wife…

  • There’s something thrilling about being out in a snow flurry

    There’s something thrilling about being out in a snow flurry

    Although Kirby doesn’t look too happy; but I think she is really. An amble over Carlton and Live Moors. Low cloud, not much to see or photograph. I wish you all the best possible Christmas, under these difficult circumstances.

  • Face to face with the snake-haired Gorgon

    Face to face with the snake-haired Gorgon

    I popped along to see how Medusa’s fairing. Deciding to approach the old dear from above, I descended through a remaining swathe of coniferous trees, sheltered briefly from the incessant rain. For a moment I thought I had blown it as I sled on my derrière past the massive split boulder through which the ancient…

  • A new sign’s appeared

    A new sign’s appeared

    No Dogs No Bikes This is not a Footpath/Bridleway There is an increase in these signs across the moors. This one has been placed in the last fortnight or so right across a well-used path on Great Ayton Moor leading to Lonsdale Quarry. A blatant attempt by the landowners to intimidate the public to keep…