Author: Fhithich
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St. Mary’s Island
Family commitments in Whitley Bay. My son had an athletics meeting with races at half past one and five o’clock leaving three hours to kill. So I went for a wander along the coast. I love the coast. So exhilarating, especially when gales force winds are blowing and the sea is like a washing machine. This is St.Mary’s Island. A true island…
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Oak before ash in for a splash?
So goes the old saying: Oak before ash, in for a splash. Ash before oak, in for a soak. In Cliff Ridge Woods the oak leaves look out to me but the ash buds are only just bursting, so clearly we’re in for just a splash and a dryish summer. But as far as I know…
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Tour de Yorkshire
The first day of the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire cycle race. Caught the action at Rosedale Head. A 70 minute bike ride, 2 hours of waiting around for a couple of minutes of action and then the ride back. A grand day out. Wasn’t very impressed with the ITV4 coverage. No aerial views of the moors.
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Yellow is the color of my true love’s hair …
… so sang Donovan way back in 1965 when fields of yellow rapeseed was almost unheard of in the UK. In 2012 the UK produced 2.6m tonnes of the seeds; worldwide production has increased over 12 fold in the same period. Its seeds are used extensively in animal feed, vegetable oil and bio-diesel. I wonder…
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Lamers Hill
Looking back on the climb up to Capt. Cook’s Monument on Easby Moor. On the left is the village of Great Ayton and further away the wind turbines between Seamer and Hilton. The bush with the white flowers is Blackthorn which fruit is used in Sloe Gin. Blackthorn flowers appear before the leaves. The leaves of the Hawthorn on…
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Girsby Bridge
Out with the local running club. Usually full use is made of the moors but tonight headed for the Tees valley. The River Tees was crossed over this bridge at Girsby. The bridge is cast iron trestle construction with wrought iron girders. A simple stone is inscribed: “Bridle Bridge | Erected by Theophania Blackett 1870 |…
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Grimy Gutter Hags
Grimy Gutter Hags; what a fascinating name. On the slope of Little Shunner Fell, an outlier of its bigger brother Great Shunner Fell in the Yorkshire Dales. A hag is the northern name for an exposed, eroded face of peat, too steep for the heather to grow and which is further eroded by wind, sheltering sheep or water dripping…
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Waterfalls, Hoods Bottom Beck
Sunday: my Duke of Edinburgh group had planned to walk from Muker to Keld taking in some of the dales and moors north west of Keld. I was looking forward to it. It’s an area I don’t know. Perhaps because there are no Public Rights of Way through them, or perhaps because they are at…
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Gunnerside
A lovely village in Swaledale, locating at the foot of Gunnerside Ghyll, a site of extensive lead mining activities in the 19c century. The village developed during this period to house the mining families. Low cloud, showers with a touch of sleet. Otherwise a good day out following a Duke of Edinburgh group.
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Apedale Beck
In Swaledale for a few days. Vodaphone has not managed to get here yet so postings may be delayed a bit. This is Apedale on the wide open moors between Reeth and Leyburn.