Craze Naze

What a lovely assonant name, although many Cleveland Way walkers will no doubt pass it without giving it a second thought, eager to get to Whitby or Robin Hood’s Bay, in whichever direction they are heading.

On the Six-inch Ordnance Survey map of 1853, it is named as Dobson’s Nab¹Maps.nls.uk. (2021). View map: OS six-inch – Ordnance Survey Six-inch England and Wales, 1842-1952. [online] Available at: https://maps.nls.uk/view/102344257#zoom=7&lat=1012&lon=3450&layers=BT [Accessed 30 Sep. 2021].. I wonder who Dobson was. Maybe he was crazy.

The Twenty-five-inch map of 1894 however, clearly names it as Craze Naze²Maps.nls.uk. (2021). View map: Yorkshire XXXIII.13 (Fylingdales; Hawsker With Stainsacre) – Ordnance Survey 25 inch England and Wales, 1841-1952. [online] Available at: https://maps.nls.uk/view/125625337#zoom=5&lat=2206&lon=12202&layers=BT [Accessed 30 Sep. 2021].‌. This map also shows a complex area of ridges and depressions associated with ‘Old Jet Workings’ and also gives an indication of the amount of cliff that has been lost over the last 125 years through coastal erosion³“NATIONAL TRUST HOLDINGS ON THE NORTH YORKSHIRE COAST –  Historic Landscape survey”. Issue Number: 2006-07/635. OA Job Number: L9776. Peter Schofield, Project Supervisor. August 2007. Pp. 135/6. OAN_Site 187..

I am at one of the lesser known National Trust properties on the Yorkshire coast. Unless they spy one of Trust’s omega signs, walkers on the coastal path or cyclists on the old Scarborough to Whitby railway may not even realise it’s a Trust property.

Bay Ness Farm, was acquired in 1981/2 using Enterprise Neptune funds, a Countryside Commission grant, and donations from the Kensington & Chelsea NT Association. It comprises all of the headland north of Robin Hood’s Bay, the cliff top fields east of the old railway and several large areas to the west of it⁴Arcgis.com. (2021). ArcGIS Web Application. [online] Available at: https://nationaltrust.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=a7a56518c10845daab1950239e041447 [Accessed 30 Sep. 2021]..

The fields are all let for pasture but there are several pockets of ‘unproductive’ habitats which can be managed for wildlife. Eight years ago, six ponds were created throughout the property. These should require an annual clear out to prevent excessive growth of plants which cause silting and a reduction of the surface water area. For various reasons, one of which being the dreaded ‘C’ word, maintenance has lapsed on these ponds.

So that was the task for today. A mucky one, but so they say, good for the complexion.

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• 1
  Maps.nls.uk. (2021). View map: OS six-inch – Ordnance Survey Six-inch England and Wales, 1842-1952. [online] Available at: https://maps.nls.uk/view/102344257#zoom=7&lat=1012&lon=3450&layers=BT [Accessed 30 Sep. 2021].
• 2
  Maps.nls.uk. (2021). View map: Yorkshire XXXIII.13 (Fylingdales; Hawsker With Stainsacre) – Ordnance Survey 25 inch England and Wales, 1841-1952. [online] Available at: https://maps.nls.uk/view/125625337#zoom=5&lat=2206&lon=12202&layers=BT [Accessed 30 Sep. 2021].
• 3
  “NATIONAL TRUST HOLDINGS ON THE NORTH YORKSHIRE COAST –  Historic Landscape survey”. Issue Number: 2006-07/635. OA Job Number: L9776. Peter Schofield, Project Supervisor. August 2007. Pp. 135/6. OAN_Site 187.
• 4
  Arcgis.com. (2021). ArcGIS Web Application. [online] Available at: https://nationaltrust.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=a7a56518c10845daab1950239e041447 [Accessed 30 Sep. 2021].