Category: North York Moors
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Beneath Billowing Clouds: A Farmer’s Tale of Timing and Toil
In the rolling pasture that stretches down to the sprawling Dalby Forest, a farmer toils under a billowy sky. In this photograph, from near Low Pasture Farm, he is seizing a precious respite from the recent rain to harvest the bounty of his fields. In this delicate dance with nature, timing is everything. A mere…
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The carved stone of the Park Pale
Someone asked me to show them a carved stone on Warren Moor. Many years have slipped by since I last saw it, so I figured it’d be wise to retrace my steps and locate it again – can’t have my memory playing tricks on me. The stone didn’t put up much of a fight to…
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From beacons to buried treasure—Tales of Drake Howe
At the highest point of Cringle Moor’s flat summit is a Bronze Age round barrow named Drake Howe. A cairn overlooks the hollow left by Victorian antiquarians in this ancient monument. “Howe,” a term with a Scandinavian etymology, means a mound. But “Drake,” is that a name that carries a folk memory recalling the age-old…
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S by W and beyond — the view from Roseberry
Sundays are not my preferred days to climb Roseberry, as they tend to draw throngs of visitors, making the summit less quiet than I prefer. Nonetheless, this morning, helping the National Trust with their ‘Tea on the Topping’ event, I found myself on the summit, and briefly took in the view towards Cliff Rigg and…
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Captive-bred pheasants—Count down to the shooting season
In the world of shooting and the forthcoming hunting season, the hour has arrived for captive-bred pheasants to be released, ready for the grand start on the 1st October. However, in England, new restrictions are in place this year which require licences for the release of game-birds, including Red-legged Partridges, within a 500m radius of…
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And so the Ling season begins
It’s that Ling season. Suddenly, in spite of the damp weather over the last week, the heather blooms have emerged, although they haven’t reached their fullest splendour just yet. Expect more photos of the purple haze to come in the month ahead. Heather, in a wholly natural habitat, gives off a modest display compared to…
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Ernaldsti, never a RUPP
Ernaldsti, that medieval track associated with the Percy family crossing Hutton Moor, down Percy Rigg and over to Ralph Cross, via Westerdale. I suspect that the true line of this historical route over the moor lies concealed within the hollow-way, just a stone’s throw to the right of the modern track, and to the left…
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Trampling hooves and composting dreams — Dealing with Bracken
In the midst of this stifling bracken season, I’ve yet to encounter anyone who harbours any affection for this plant. Sure, it may bring a touch of colour come autumn, but only when it’s dead and devoid of vitality. In the summer, perhaps a stroke of luck might grant you a glimpse of a stonechat…
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Sticky bobs
Burdock, an awkward and ungainly plant, possesses the virtue of strength, standing tall with its sizeable leaves, making it a favourite subject for landscape painters, often adding depth to shady corners. Yet, it is in our childhood memories that we recall this plant by various names: Bachelor’s buttons, Button sourees, Bcggar’s buttons, Love leaves, Sticklebacks,…
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Snilesworth’s Callanish
In a misty embrace of swirling mizzle, this place of intriguing standing stones has been dubbed as “Snilesworth’s Callanish,” though officially it is known as Stephen Thwaites, an old medieval farmstead. Its enigmatic air whispers tales of times long past. The name was coined by Bill Cowley (1916-1994), better known as the founder of the…