Foxdale, Hedgerows, and Gisborough Hall

A view of the east of Guisborough! Taking centre stage is Foxdale, a farmhouse of the 19th century, built from finely dressed sandstone and roofed with charming Welsh slates. Both the house and the outbuildings are listed as Grade II by Historic England¹.

But beyond the farm itself, are remnants of a medieval landscape. Under the right conditions, sweeping ridges and furrows can be seen in the fields, evidence of the cultivation practices of the medieval open field system. Yet it is the hedgerows, with their many mature trees, that are more obvious in this view. Though their formation likely only dates back to the 18th century, their curves faithfully adhere to property boundaries of much older lineage².

But what appears to be a resplendent thick hedge, cutting across the photo from left to right, was once the Cleveland Railway linking Guisborough to Skelton—now transformed into a walkway and cycle track³.

On the far right of the photo, amidst the trees, there is Gisborough Hall, built in 1856, by Admiral Thomas Chaloner, with its landscaped grounds and vestiges of open parkland⁴.

1
FOXDALE FARMHOUSE, Guisborough – 1329592 | Historic England https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1329592?section=official-list-entry[Accessed 1st July 2023]
2
Guisborough Conservation Area Appraisal 2011. Regeneration Directorate. Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. page 26.
3
Cleveland Railway (England). Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Railway_(England)[Accessed 1st July 2023]
4
History – Gisborough Hall https://gisborough-hall.com/about-us/history/[Accessed 1st July 2023]

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

Foxdale, Hedgerows, and Gisborough Hall

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