Category: North York Moors
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An encounter with the gamekeeper
The North York Moors Historic Enviroment Record describes this ruin as a “post medieval sheep fold identified from historic mapping with slight structural remains,” but the dressed stones to me point to a more substantial building. I am on Warren Moor looking down on the secluded Leven Vale. Now, the “field” beyond that fence isn’t…
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Staithes’ transformation into an artists’ mecca
In the distant past, back in 1415, when the world was a taciturn place, the medieval village of Staithes was first recorded under the name ‘Setonstathes‘. This coastal community thrived as a fishing haven during the 16th century, only to prosper further in the 19th century as local ironstone, alum, and jet mining took hold.…
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St Nicholas’s church, Bransdale
Volunteering today with the National Trust in Bransdale. Delightfully, I took the opportunity to have a look around the quaint St Nicholas’s church, perched at the head of the dale. St Nicholas’s church may be squat but it stands proud, casting a discerning gaze down the valley below. Its Grade II listing records that it…
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Bell Heather—The purple beauty of the North York Moors
Bell heather is my most favourite of the heathers. I love thee richness of its purple hue, and unlike the more prevalent and lilac-coloured ling, which The North York Moors is renowned for, bell heather boasts an extended display. It blooms earlier in June and lingers longer, often extending into September. The National Park proudly…
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Little Raisdale, Hall Garth Farm and the ‘Farming Parson’
More often than not, my decision regarding which photo to share is primarily based on the likelihood of returning to the same spot. Such was the case this morning. Today’s image captures the western side of Cold Moor, offering a view down onto Cold Moor Cote in Raisdale. On the left, you’ll see this farm,…
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Shadow of suspicion: gamekeepers and the Red kite’s plight
As I cycled my way through picturesque Westerdale, I held out a glimmer of hope, albeit a rather optimistic one, for a sighting of magnificent Red kites. More specifically, I yearned to catch a glimpse of that one resilient Red Kite who may had managed to survive the cruel onslaught of illegal, heartless, and downright…
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From Asmund’s Clearing to Osmotherley
One imagines Osmotherley nestled snugly beneath the western fringes of the North York Moors. However, when seen from Green Lane, situated high to the east of the village, it becomes apparent that it occupies a rather exposed position, vulnerable to the gusts of southwesterly winds that sweep across the Vale of Mowbray. The dry fields…
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Wade’s Mighty Hand in the Formation of the Bride Stones
Some say that these sturdy sandstone tors, protruding from a sea of bracken, were deposited in the ancient seas of an era when dinosaurs reigned supreme, some 150 million years ago. The ebb and flow of the Jurassic tides as they advanced and receded, left behind stratified rocks of various densities. A layer of resilient…
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The Local Legacy of Capt. James Cook
Well, it’s been a quite a while since I last posted a photo of that obelisk known as Capt. Cook’s Monument, perched ever so ostentatiously upon Easby Moor. A tribute it is to that infamous chap, Captain James Cook, the problematic “discoverer” of Australia, who hailed from the local village of Great Ayton during his…
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Chop Gate—a quintessential collection of cottages
In the heart of idyllic Bilsdale, nestled among the high moors, lies Chop Gate with this collection of charming sandstone cottages. Their roofs are adorned with typical pantiles, exhibiting the distinctive S-shaped cross-section—a design that crossed the North Sea from Holland to Britain in the 17th century. Since the start of the 18th century, these…