Out & About …

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

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This week

  • 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…
  • Ghost sign, CastletonGhost sign, Castleton 11th December 2018 I am fascinated by the faint traces of advertising signage can occasionally be seen on old established buildings. This one was painted and is on a sandstone cottage on Church…
  • 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…
  • A newly-constructed, winding set of steps descends through a steep scrub hillside towards a rocky beach and the vast, grey North Sea beyond. The steps are constructed from gravel and wooden treads and lined with patches of grass and there is a gorse bush with yellow flowers. The beach is covered in rough, dark stones and it is high tide, with gentle waves lapping at the shore. A ramshackle collection of fishermen’s huts line the foreshore. No sky is visible but it is overcast giving muted colours, adding to the dramatic atmosphere of the scene.Port Mulgrave: A Harbour of Erosion and Memory 22nd January 2025 The last time I ventured down Rosedale Cliff to Port Mulgrave was sometime before the world discovered a new way to grind to a halt — the dreaded COVID. Shortly…
  • Hutton MoorHutton Moor 27th June 2016 This path across Hutton Moor provides a pleasant alternative from the hard gravel of the parallel forestry track on the other side of the fence. In spite of the heather…
  • Rake House Bridge – Paddy Wardell’s RailwayEnd of Paddy Waddell’s Railway 19th June 2018 I’ve written about Paddy Waddell’s Railway before, the railway that never was. A grand plan devised in the 1870s to link the ironstone mines at Glaisdale with the North East…
  • A panoramic view of the Bransdale landscape in autumn. In the foreground, a bright green field with a few sheep grazing is separated from the middle ground by a dry stone wall. In the middle ground, the farmstead of Breck House consists of a cluster of traditional stone buildings, including a prominent house with a warm, orange-yellow hue, nestled among mature trees showing the rich reds, oranges, and golds of autumn foliage. The background features rolling hills and the dale, with patches of green pasture and woodland, all partially shrouded in a low mist or cloud cover. The overall mood is serene and pastoral.Breck House and an Athletic John Brown 6th November 2025 A blocked road just north of Helmsley forced us into a long and meandering detour on our way to Bonfield Ghyll. Still, it offered the consolation of fresh glimpses of…
  • Pudding StoneThe Pudding Stone 1st September 2018 And so summer ends. Above the heavily scarred landscape of the Coppermines valley in Coniston is a small dry valley called the Boulder Valley on account of its numerous boulders,…
  • Hob HoleHob Hole 16th November 2018 A popular picnic spot since at least the Edwardian times. The very name ‘hob’, perhaps a shortening of hobgoblin, evokes an image of a remote place, an abode of mischievous…
  • Roseberry Topping, December 2005Roseberry Topping, December 2005 3rd April 2020 Lockdown Log Day 10 ….. I thought I would post this, my most favourite photo of Odin’s hill, as a reminder that it will still be there when this is…

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,…
  • 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…
  • 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…
  • 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…