Out & About …

… on the North York Moors, or wherever I happen to be.

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This week

  • A scenic coastal town nestled against a cliffside. The sun shines through the clouds, casting a warm glow on the beach and the colourful houses. A few folks stroll along the beach, enjoying the beautiful scenery. It is low tide.Whitby’s Forgotten Monastery and Its Founder, Mother Thekla 1st December 2024 I stumbled upon a podcast months ago, half paying attention, about Mother Thekla (1918–2011). Teacher, nun, founder of an Orthodox monastery at Normanby near Whitby, and spiritual inspiration to Sir…
  • Loch ArkaigBonnie Prince Charlie’s gold 1st May 2023 Out and about on my own stamping grounds this morning, and the bank holiday meant that Roseberry was bustling with activity. So instead of sharing yet another snapshot of the…
  • SwonaSwona 16th May 2021 This must be my laziest post by far. I had read about the witch of Swona in Jennifer Westwood and Sophia Kingshill’s book “The Lore of Scotland: A guide to…
  • SE0478 On Dead Man’s HillOn Dead Man’s Hill 20th February 2019 Or the continuing story of Jenny Twigg and her daughter Tib. We parked up at Scar House Reservoir at the top of Nidderdale last night and from across the reservoir,…
  • The EskStorm Babet’s Legacy: The disappointing… 17th November 2023 One of my particular aversions is walking, or running, along a beach, a seemingly endless repetition, a far-off point on the horizon never drawing closer. Yet, it was deemed worthwhile…
  • RAF FylingdalesRAF Fylingdales and The Big Freeze of 1963 21st January 2024 As we batten down the hatches in preparation for Storm Isha, the more mature of you might remember the so-called ‘Big Freeze of 1963’, during the winter of that year.…
  • EasbyEasby Hall and the Rise and Fall of the Whitby Campions 6th February 2024 The tiny hamlet of Easby serves as a picturesque setting against the majestic backdrop of the Cleveland Hills. The large prominent house to the left of centre is Easby Hall.…
  • A view of Cliff Rogg Wood, showing a deep reentrant with deciduous trees in their winter dormancy, and vibrant green ivy covering the ground. Sunlight illuminates the scene.Cliff Rigg Scallywags Hideout 22nd February 2025 A year ago, I wrote about the Great Ayton Scallywags Patrol, a secretive Auxiliary Unit stationed in the area during the Second World War. Unlike the familiar, shambolic image of…
  • A snow-dusted woodland scene just after dawn. A narrow path winds through the centre of the frame, flanked by bare deciduous trees with spindly branches reaching toward a pale blue sky. To the left of centre stands a prominent monolith tree, a tall, thick trunk that has been heavily pruned or topped, leaving only two short, upward-pointing stubs. The ground is covered in a light layer of snow and fallen branches, and a body of water is visible through the trees in the distance.Newton Wood and the Afterlife of a Dying Ash 4th January 2026 Just after dawn, Newton Wood sits under a light dusting of snow. The sky is a hard, clear blue. Bare deciduous trees stretch their thin arms upward, as if hoping…
  • The old schoolroom, StrathanThe old schoolroom, Strathan 14th April 2020 A tin hut stands at the confluence of Glen Pean and Glen Dessary at the head of the 12 mile Loch Arkaig. This is Strathan, the end of the public…

All Time

  • Thimbleby and the Vale of MowbrayFrom Barbados to Morrisons—The history of Thimbleby… 11th August 2023 The agricultural landscape of the Vale of Mowbray stretches across to the Dales , a view made visible through the recent felling of what was called ‘The Big Wood’ on…
  • The Giant’s BootThe Giant’s Boot 8th April 2020 Northern Ireland’s most visited attraction is the iconic Giant’s Causeway, polygonal columns of basaltic rock formed sixty million years ago when molten lava spread across the land and created clouds…
  • RoseberryMiddlesbrough’s Dark Past: the 1961 Cannon… 21st August 2023 A reminder popped up on my phone today that back in 1961, things had hit a boiling point on Cannon Street in Middlesbrough. Three nights of rioting had built up…
  • Duncombe Park Army CampDuncombe Park Army Camp 5th April 2021 About 3km after crossing Rievaulx Bridge with its opportunity to gaze at the majestic abbey, the Cleveland Way crosses a concrete road at Griff Lodge. Here the National Trail bears…
  • SE0478 On Dead Man’s HillOn Dead Man’s Hill 20th February 2019 Or the continuing story of Jenny Twigg and her daughter Tib. We parked up at Scar House Reservoir at the top of Nidderdale last night and from across the reservoir,…
  • Boxing Day HuntA Boxing Day Tradition — The Hunt 26th December 2023 I chanced upon the Great Ayton Boxing Day Hunt today. A traditional affair, you know. Had completely slipped my mind. Christmas, a season steeped in tradition, yet this one leaves…
  • Roseberry Ironstone MineRoseberry Ironstone Mine 8th January 2020 The site of the Roseberry Ironstone Mine which operated from 1871 to 1926 although, in the early years, there is some doubt as to whether the mine actually produced any…
  • 2019-02-19 SE1274 Jenny Rig and her daughter Tib.jpgJenny Twigg and her daughter Tib 20th February 2019 Ee, I love maps me. I happened to notice the name “Jenny Twigg and her daughter Tib” marked on the map of Fountains Earth Moor overlooking Nidderdale, and so I…
  • Hackness HallThe Hackness Shame 27th August 2020 I had a look around the Forge Valley near Scarborough, a place I’ve always wanted to see but never had the opportunity. I must admit, I wasn’t that overwhelmed. A…
  • Frith HallThe ghost of Frith Hall 9th October 2023   A handful of days nestled within the charming embrace of the Duddon Valley in the Lakes, a forced separation from the digital world. I’ve passed through Ulpha on numerous…