Author: Fhithich
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Mermaid’s Pool
Local legend says that a mermaid lives in this pond on the otherwise steep boulder strewn hillside below Kinder Downfall and tries to entice visitors into the water. Apparently several people have succumbed to her charms over the years. And if any refuse she’ll drag them into the depths. Of course all this is supposed…
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Booth Sheepwash
In Booth, the tiniest of Derbyshire hamlets, near Hayfield. This sheepwash was constructed in the early 20th century to replace one lost during the construction of the Kinder Reservoir. The biannual sheep wash was a community affair with local farmers sharing the workload. Wives would provide sustenance with children joining the fun. In May the…
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Kinder Valley
In the foothills of the Dark Peak looking up the Kinder valley towards the Downfall. The water is an arm of the Kinder Reservoir, built in the first decade of the 20th century to supply Stockport with a reliable supply of clean water. Open Space Web-Map builder Code
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Cod Beck
Construction work by the National Trust at Cod Beck. The aim is to create a circular wheelchair accessible path around the reservoir. Yorkshire Water has upgraded the existing paths and gates and plan to install a new bridge just beyond the far side of the tree left of centre. Rangers and volunteers of the National…
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The Stray
Almost 100 years ago this peaceful scene along The Stray between Redcar and Marske was full of military activity. Out at sea ships carried vital supplies up and down the coast in a channel constantly swept clear by minesweepers and protected by cruisers. Above them, airships kept a watch for the wake left by German…
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Armouth Wath
When Baysdale Abbey was sold in 1803, the sale included a “supposed very considerable” coalmine. This would have been at Armouth Wath at the head of Baysdale, one of the furthest tributaries of the River Esk, although mining activity by this time would have been on the decline having reached its peak in the 18th…
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60’s Rubbish Take 2
A revisit to the 60’s rubbish tip exposed at Rye Hill in Great Ayton. This old Bird’s Eye bag for Corn on the Cob was floating about on the surface. ¾lb for 3/6. That’s 17½ pence in new money. Decimalisation took place in February 1971 so it’s at least that old. But what really hits…
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The Summerhouse
An early morning view of the Summerhouse, presided over by Roseberry since it was built over 250 years ago. It once had a white finish and plastered inside with a suspended ceiling although these had probably disappeared when it was used as a billet for local militia manning the beacon on Roseberry summit during the…
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Lichtung
Shafts of light falling on a carpet of wood sorrel, a clearing in Slack’s Quarry Wood, a former whinstone quarry. Long gone are the smells and noises of quarrymen. A place now of peace and quiet, a place for contemplation. Heidegger, the German philosopher, likened a clearing such as this to a state of the…
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West Gill in North Dale
Reading the depressing news that a bird of prey had been shot in Rosedale earlier this week reminded me to head down that way. No precise location was given in the report so a toss of the dice saw me in West Gill, North Dale, a deep unfrequented gash in Rosedale Moor. A cracking day…