Category: Great Ayton Moor
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Not the best of landings
I haven’t whinged on about litter recently. The problem hasn’t gone away. There’s a couple of new websites that have been set up to geolocate litter. Firstly there’s the Marine Conservation Society in support of their campaign for the introduction of a plastic Deposit Return System. And then there’s the Open Litter Map (#OpenLitterMap), an…
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Boundary Stone, Great Ayton Moor
Sorry but I just couldn’t resist another photo of the purple swathe of a heather moor. The ling is now in full bloom and for just a few weeks the colour is glorious. Highcliff Nab is in the distance and in the foreground is a sandstone boundary marker dating from the 19th century. ‘R C’…
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Newton Moor
Back on my home hills after three days in the Lakes and a chance to catch up what’s been happening in the world. The news saddened me. In Langholm, in the Scottish Borders, a hen harrier has been found dead. An autopsy has been carried out on the young male, one of only three chicks raised…
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Rowan tree, Lonsdale Quarry
The striking red berries of the Rowan tree stand out against the drab Autumn colours of the moors. The Rowan or Mountain Ash has long been associated with superstition and folklore. In Greek myology the goddess of youth, Hebe, lost her cup of ambrosia, said to rejuvenate youth. It was stolen by demons and the gods sent…
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Birdsfoot Treeroot
A break with tradition. An arty closeup. Had an explore along Black Bank, an area of clear felling on the escarpment of Great Ayton Moor where some crags and boulders have been revealed. Interesting enough but I was fascinated by this tree stump where the bark has worn off to expose knobbly, wavy roots. Reminding me of a bird’s foot. Or…
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Great Ayton Moor
There’s an old adage that is said in all farming communities, from Scotland, to Wales and to Cumbria: Where there’s bracken there’s gold; where there’s gorse there’s silver; where there’s heather there’s poverty At first it’s hard to see the reasoning. Bracken is allelopathic, it produces toxins in the soil which prevents other plants from germinating. Hardly…
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Highcliff Nab
The heather is just about past its sell by date. A view east from Percy Rigg towards Highcliffe or Codhill Farm and Highcliff Nab.
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Pond on Great Ayton Moor
For all the whinging about the British weather there are not many days in the year when I actually end up running in the rain. I did so this morning. With poor visibility I headed up onto Great Ayton Moor intending to look at the heather and ended up by this pond. I’m not sure if it’s natural…
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Bell Heather
One of three types of heather found in the UK, the others being Cross Leaved Heather and the very common Ling. Bell Heather, or Erica cinerea to give it its Latin name, flowers much earlier than Ling and a much richer colour. It favours drier conditions like cling to this sandstone crag in and old quarry on Great…
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Ruin, Great Ayton Moor
A disused concrete water tank below the escarpment of Great Ayton Moor. Probably provided the water supply to the long demolished farm which about four hundred metres away. Aireyholme Farm and Cliff Rigg can be seen just left of centre. A good clear morning with a slight dusting of snow.