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Gateposts to Nowhere, Retired Urinal
I took this photo because of the rather grandiose gateposts that stand in lonely splendour by the footpath near Suggitt’s bridge. These have always intrigued me for they seem far too well-dressed for their rural setting, yet the Ordnance Survey 25” map from 1894 offers no hint for such ostentation. They remain a mystery, guarding…
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Zen and the Art of Being Out & About
Another gloriously miserable day on the North York Moors, the sort of day where fog clings like a wet blanket over everything, damping one’s bones. I heard later the Great North Air Ambulance had been grounded due to poor visibility. It is, as ever, a perfect day for a bit of being out and about.…
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The night lengthens and the day wanes
Ah, Roseberry on the autumnal equinox – or, perhaps I should say: “a day with not much to see.” At precisely 1:44pm BST, the Earth performed its annual act of balancing on a metaphorical tightrope. It’s axis, normally so busy tilting this way and that, was for once perfectly upright, neither tipping its cap to…
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From Widheris to Wether House: A Farmstead’s History
On Wetherhouse Moor, nature is quietly concealing the remains of a post-medieval farmstead beneath the watchful eye of a solitary sycamore. Of the original three ranges, little can be discerned now, save for a crumbling gable end of a barn. It has, for more than a century, since the last tenants left, been steadily yielding…
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Mauley Cross: Linking Ancient Ritual with Regency Enterprise
Mauley Cross, that modest monument to the caprices of the de Mauley family, likely served as a marker of their grazing rights or, if we are to believe the National Park’s heritage record, a humble wayside guide for those wandering the moors. It could, of course, have been both, though neither role saved it from…
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Turtle Doves and the Dew Pond of Newton-on-Rawcliffe
As we pedalled merrily through the village of Newton-on-Rawcliffe, we stumbled upon this delightful little dew pond. It was instantly recognisable from the photographs we’d seen in the Birds on the Edge exhibition at the Danby Lodge National Park Centre. This pond, restored by the North York Moors Trust, is now a haven for wildlife,…
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A Glimpse of Baysdale
This morning’s short walk along Battersby Moor offered this view towards the upper reaches of Baysdale, formerly known as Basedale. From here, you can see the two main tributaries—Black Beck and Gain Beck—separated by the ridge aptly named Middle Head, while the moorland edge is dominated by commercial plantations that create a stark contrast to…
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The Golden Gown of Gribdale Gate
Ah, another splendid day graced with the magic of Autumn! In this view from Gribdale Gate looking down Lonsdale, the summer’s lush bracken has begun to don its golden-brown gown, though the purple heather still manages to tinge the valley side. Beneath the vast, cerulean sky, the air sparkles with the seed fluff of Rosebay…
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Bagged for Your Convenience
After a return from just a few days away in the Lakes, I was delighted to find that the National Trust, in their usual brilliance, had thoughtfully helicoptered in around 40 large bags up the main path of Roseberry. Each one, of course, containing roughly a ton of aggregate to ensure they did not have…
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A Day at Lingy Hut
One of my favourite races during my dalliance with fellrunning was the Lake District Mountain Trial, an event of some tradition that is held annually on the second Sunday in September each year. My engagement has dwindled over time to the modest role of manning a checkpoint, a role that usually entails little more than…
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