Out & About …

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

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This week

  • A footpath is submerged in floodwater, with a stock wire fence, and a newly planted hedge in plastic guards. A snow-covered hill is visible in the background. The water level is high, and the adjacent field is flooded.Wellies, Floods, and the Debate over Captain Cook 6th January 2025 Billy Connolly once sang about the virtues of wellies: “Cause they keep out the water, and they keep in the smell.” This morning, I was rather pleased to have followed…
  • The Giant’s BootThe Giant’s Boot 8th April 2020 Northern Ireland’s most visited attraction is the iconic Giant’s Causeway, polygonal columns of basaltic rock formed sixty million years ago when molten lava spread across the land and created clouds…
  • The old schoolroom, StrathanThe old schoolroom, Strathan 14th April 2020 A tin hut stands at the confluence of Glen Pean and Glen Dessary at the head of the 12 mile Loch Arkaig. This is Strathan, the end of the public…
  • A long, straight dry-stone wall stretches across a moorland landscape, with a Birch wood and a few Scots Pines in the background. The wall is constructed with large, dressed stones, but abruptly changes to smaller, coarser stones for a section in the foreground. The larger stones are covered in lichen, while the smaller stones are bare. The sky is blue with high cirrus clouds.William Mudd: Lichens, Legacy, and a Whiff of Whisky 4th January 2025 There I was, trudging along the escarpment of Great Ayton Moor this morning, mulling over what I might post about today, when a patched-up bit of dry-stone wall caught my…
  • A black and white photo of a dense forest of icicles hanging from branches. The icicles vary in size and shape, creating a mesmerizing, almost otherworldly scene.Winter’s Teeth 8th January 2025 Sometimes, one stumbles across a so-called fascinating photograph in the most banal of places. I happened upon this forest of icicles whilst driving into Middlesbrough. On the return journey, I…
  • Cable Stone CragCable Stone Crag 9th July 2022 I can’t believe it’s getting on for 4 years since I last visited Low Cable Stone, or Cable Stone Crag as I’ve titled this post, a name I picked up…
  • Upleatham Old ChurchThe Hobman of Upleatham 28th November 2022 Upleatham Old Church, once referred to as “the smallest church in England”, a superlative that is usually disputed — but which has, as far as I know, never been refuted.…
  • A flooded meadow with reflections of the cloudy sky and nearby trees. In the distance, a large building with a stone facade is visible through the trees.Great Ayton’s Flood Defences Save the Day 8th December 2024 Last night’s Storm Darragh was excuse enough for a stroll along the River Leven. Something vaguely dramatic might have happened. The flood defence scheme had indeed sprung into action, with…
  • A weather-beaten fishing boat, likely abandoned, sits beached on the shingly shore of a harbour at low tide. The boat's hull is painted a faded blue and white, and its bow is partially submerged in the mud. In the distance, buildings of varying ages with red-tiled roofs line the shore with a stone bridge over a beck. The sky is overcast.From Leprosy to Ropewalks: The Forgotten History of… 15th December 2024 A tired old fishing boat, its hull a faded patchwork of blue and white, sits abandoned on the shingles at Whitby harbour, marooned by the tide and neglect. It has…
  • Westworth ReservoirWestworth Reservoir 11th July 2020 Originally built to supply water for Guisborough town, Westworth Reservoir was constructed in 1875 and continued until the early 1970s when the water supply system was replaced. It was retained…

All Time

  • Thimbleby and the Vale of MowbrayFrom Barbados to Morrisons—The history of Thimbleby… 11th August 2023 The agricultural landscape of the Vale of Mowbray stretches across to the Dales , a view made visible through the recent felling of what was called ‘The Big Wood’ on…
  • RoseberryMiddlesbrough’s Dark Past: the 1961 Cannon… 21st August 2023 A reminder popped up on my phone today that back in 1961, things had hit a boiling point on Cannon Street in Middlesbrough. Three nights of rioting had built up…
  • Duncombe Park Army CampDuncombe Park Army Camp 5th April 2021 About 3km after crossing Rievaulx Bridge with its opportunity to gaze at the majestic abbey, the Cleveland Way crosses a concrete road at Griff Lodge. Here the National Trail bears…
  • The Giant’s BootThe Giant’s Boot 8th April 2020 Northern Ireland’s most visited attraction is the iconic Giant’s Causeway, polygonal columns of basaltic rock formed sixty million years ago when molten lava spread across the land and created clouds…
  • Boxing Day HuntA Boxing Day Tradition — The Hunt 26th December 2023 I chanced upon the Great Ayton Boxing Day Hunt today. A traditional affair, you know. Had completely slipped my mind. Christmas, a season steeped in tradition, yet this one leaves…
  • SE0478 On Dead Man’s HillOn Dead Man’s Hill 20th February 2019 Or the continuing story of Jenny Twigg and her daughter Tib. We parked up at Scar House Reservoir at the top of Nidderdale last night and from across the reservoir,…
  • 2019-02-19 SE1274 Jenny Rig and her daughter Tib.jpgJenny Twigg and her daughter Tib 20th February 2019 Ee, I love maps me. I happened to notice the name “Jenny Twigg and her daughter Tib” marked on the map of Fountains Earth Moor overlooking Nidderdale, and so I…
  • Hackness HallThe Hackness Shame 27th August 2020 I had a look around the Forge Valley near Scarborough, a place I’ve always wanted to see but never had the opportunity. I must admit, I wasn’t that overwhelmed. A…
  • Stokesley“Murder by a Farmer in the North-Riding”… 3rd March 2021 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…
  • Bronze Age Burial Mound, Live MoorRound Barrow, Live Moor 2nd January 2018 A new plaque has been fixed to a stone by the National Park asking visitors not to disturb the Bronze Age burial mound on Live Moor near Whorlton. Not to…