Category: Osmotherley
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Recent deforestation of Thimberby bank has unveiled stunning vistas of the Vale of Mowbray
To the north, the honeypot village of Osmotherley, lies snuggly between the Hambleton Hills and the Cleveland Hills. The name, Osmotherley, is derived from ‘ley‘, a clearing, belonging to ‘Asmund’ or ‘Osmund’. Its title was recorded in the Domesday Book as ‘Asmundrelac’, before being transformed to ‘Osmundeslay’ and ‘Osmonderlay’. Yet, there is also a legendary…
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Cod Beck Reservoir — a view from Swinestye lane
Opened in 1953, the 115 million gallon reservoir has grown in popularity since it was first opened to the public in 1989 after Yorkshire Water was privatised. The surrounding woodland, planted soon afterwards, is now being cleared, and it won’t be too long before the ruins of the two old farms once again see the…
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Neil’s Howe
It was pleasing to see the Nelson Stone restored to its correct postion. Or should I say the 19th-century boundary stone. One of the last times I was here, in 2017, it had vanished. I learnt later it had unceremoniously been dumped in a nearby pond. That act of vandalism must have taken some doing.…
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A bit of a wet morning. This was the best of the dozen or so photos I took.
It’s rare to find Osmotherley, or ‘Ossy’ as the village is commonly known, deserted and free of visitors and cars. The name derives from Asmundr, a Scandinavian who settled in a ‘leah‘ here, the Old English word for a clearing. Forget the old myth that Prince Oswy was buried here next to his grieving mother…
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Catoptrical wonderment
After the storm of the weekend, Cod Beck Reservoir looks very serene this Monday morning.
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Cod Beck Reservoir
The head of the reservoir in the Sheep Wash valley captures the low-lying November sun. Cod Beck Reservoir was opened in 1953 for the Northallerton and District Water Board, but one had actually been mooted in the 19th-century as part of a proposed scheme by the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees. In the Parliamentary session for 1869,…
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Scarth Wood Moor
Another one of those local tales. I was told by an Osmotherley resident a few months ago, that this gulley, about 3 metres long and a metre or so deep, was used for rifle practice by a “home guard” unit during WW1. Now I’m not sure if there was a home guard during that war.…
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Osmotherley Cross and Barter Table
The mornings have become more gloomier as October draws to a close, and an early start meant the honey pot that is Osmotherley was quiet. Sited next to the village cross is the unique Barter Table, a large flat sandstone on chunky legs. It is thought to date from the 16th-century and was used as…
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Osmotherley with Hambleton End in the distance
“Osmotherley is an endearing village on the fringe of the Hambletons and the Clevelands. It lies about a mile and a half to the east of the main Thirsk – Yarm road, but it is most accessible from Northallerton. The King’s Head hotel at Clack Lane End points the way to the village. It is…
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Site of High Dam reservoir
Cod Beck on a summer’s day. The threat of storms has kept the visitors away. Normally this would be heaving. It’s been a popular spot for thousands of years. During the construction of the car park, evidence of prehistoric occupation was found. During the mid-18th-century, there was a reservoir here supplying a head of water…