Month: May 2023
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View west from Sgùrr Leac nan Each
It’s been another glorious day, although it took a few hours for the overnight cloud to dissipate. Just moments earlier, the range of hills in the far distance had appeared like an island amidst a sea of clouds. I’m not entirely certain what those hills are, but I believe it could be the massif of…
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Sgurr nan Conbhairean from Carn Ghluasaid
Another exceptionally sweltering day in the Western Highlands. Sgurr nan Conbhairean, known as the ‘peak of the keeper of the hounds,’ stands proudly and beckoning. In contrast, the Munro I climbed, the smaller Carn Ghluasaid, means the ‘hill of the movement.’ These enchanting names truly captivate the imagination.
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The College Valley
We have found that the College Valley is a convenient stopping off point on the journey north. It can be found in the northern part of Northumberland National Park, bordering the wild and beautiful Cheviot Hills. It covers an expansive area of approximately 12,000 acres but is privately owned.
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Scarth Nick — from drovers to abstainers
Scarth Nick, a natural pass in the Cleveland Hills, has likely served as a route throughout history, from prehistoric times to the present. It was probably used by ancient humans and the Romans, and continued to be used as a drove road for cattle during the Medieval era. This pass acted as a precursor to…
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A view along the Cleveland Dyke
A view looking down on Gribdale Terrace, a row of white cottages built to accommodate the quarrymen employed at the adjacent whinstone mine and quarry. The line of the Whinstone or Cleveland Dyke can clearly be seen in the photograph, stretching from Cliff Rigg in the distance to behind the cottages where it follows the…
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Shig-shags
While cutting back the bracken in Newton Wood today, I was taken by surprise when I stumbled upon what seemed to be miniature apples. Of course, these were not genuine apples, but rather galls created by insects as excrescences. And as it dawned on me that they were attached to a small oak sapling instead…
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Empire Day: a forgotten anniversary for an imperialist mindset
In the last century, for a period of more than 50 years, children were granted a half-day off from school on May 24th to commemorate ‘Empire Day.’ This celebration was aimed to highlight the grandeur of the empire and foster a sense of connection among its subjects. It was initiated in response to concerns raised…
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Au’d Nan o’ Sexhow
The wooded Whorl Hill, a glacial outlier. Behind and just to the left is Sexhow, a township in the former parish of Rudby-in-Cleveland. Nowadays, it is a Civil Parish in its own right. There is not much there, maybe just the trio of the Hall, the Park and the Grange. It was once though described…
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Sir Joseph Whitwell Pease’s Thoroughbred Hunters and Bousdale Farm
Bousdale Farm, perched on the plateau of Bousdale Hill, provides a splendid panoramic view of Guisborough and, in the distance, the North Sea. Although the farm was likely constructed in the early 1880s, it does not appear on the 1881 census. Apparently, the buildings were initially erected to accommodate Sir Joseph Whitwell Pease’s prized thoroughbred…
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St. Helen’s Day, the Rowan tree, and their connection to warding off witches
Wikipedia says St Helen’s Day — Helena, mother of Constantine I — is honoured in the Church of England on 21st May but in the Episcopal Church on 22nd May. The Rev. R.C. Atkinson, however, suggests it falls on the 2nd May. So who’s right? Yer pays yer money … It matters if you wish…