Category: North York Moors
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My Tree-mendous adventures on a dendrometric survey in Bransdale
Sorry about the title, but it has been an enjoyable day conducting an ancient and veteran tree survey for the National Trust in Bransdale. Starting downstream from the mill along the Hodge Beck, it was a day exploring the little visited parts of the dale. But perhaps it would have been wiser to begin with…
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“The Three Sisters”
“The Three Sisters,” Ingleby-Greenhow by George Markham Tweddell Three tiny streamlets, on the barren moor, Were glittering ’neath the bright rays of the sun: Pleasant it was to mark, where’er they run Along the summit of the mountain hoar, How beautiful rich mosses mark’d their way! These steams united, and went trickling on To add…
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A trace of the Medieval past of Lonsdale through its field names
Lonsdale, also spelled as ‘Lounsdale‘ in some sources, is believed to have derived its name from an old Scandinavian personal name, possibly ‘Lothaen.’ In a founding charter of Guisborough Priory, Lonsdale was referred to as Golstandale, with the Priory’s lands ‘by Percy Crosse, extending toward the south as far as Golstandale.‘ In addition, the priors…
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The iconic Bilsdale Mast has reached its final heights
Located on the east side of Bilsdale, Ellermire is a working farm that also holds significant historical value as the site of a medieval grange. The name ‘Ellermire’ is derived from an earlier Anglian settlement and refers to a ‘swan pool’. However, the true point of interest in the accompanying photo lies on the skyline…
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A day with National Trust: replacing the fencing at Stork House
I recall reading that the path that runs through Stocking Crag wood and passes Stork House was the original route in and out of the valley, though I’m unsure of the source. Unfortunately, due to landslides within the wood, it’s nearly impossible to navigate through it without using your own two feet. Today being Thursday,…
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When is a motorbike not a motorbike?
Why, when it’s an ‘electronically assisted pedal cycle’ of course. Or EAPC. Or e-bike. Ah, what a glorious morning it was! Roseberry was draped in a luxurious blanket of cloud, obscuring any hint of beauty or interest. As I ascended Little Roseberry, I stumbled upon a lad indulging in a fag and soaking up the…
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The Falconer and the Whorlton Elves
Prepare to be delighted and delectated by another tale from that master wordsmith of the North Riding of Yorkshire: Richard Blakeborough (1850-1918), writer, poet, and dramatist. Now, I did have a notion to modernise this story for you, but I quickly found myself struggling by how to handle some of the terms, such as “dark-faced”…
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Ayton Bank — and a delve into the world of ‘Tumblers’
This morning, I was lucky enough to get dropped off in Guisborough, and decided to walk back home, a one-way trip; avoiding, of course, the more popular paths since it’s a Sunday. Ayton Bank is off the beaten track that offers a quiet location. In the distance is Easby Moor, topped with Capt. Cook’s Monument.…
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The Rose of Rosebery
In this delightful piece written back in 1900, Richard Blakeborough recounts the peculiar practice of ‘Standing the Church.’ Now, this particular punishment bears an uncanny resemblance to the tradition of ‘Charivari,’ ‘Rough Music,’ or, as Northerners called it, ‘Riding the Stang.’ Since the late 17th century, the terms have commonly been employed to describe a…
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Joseph Foord: The man who brought water to Fadmoor and Gillamoor
This is Sleighthome Dale, which is drained by Hodge Beck. Bransdale is upstream and Kirkdale is downstream, but it’s unclear where one dale ends and the other begins. Across the dale, there’s a limestone plateau called Boon Hill, with the twin villages of Fadmoor and Gillamoor. In the 18th century, both villages had no easy…