Out & About …

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

Popular Posts

This week

  • Coleson BankColeson Bank 11th December 2021 This is not a route I use that often. A deep sunken track from Battersby up and over the moor to Baysdale. It gives an impression of some age, but…
  • 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 vibrant outdoor scene captures a dry stone wall, adorned with purple foxglove flowers, stretching across the foreground. Behind the wall, a verdant green field slopes upwards, dotted with scattered trees and enclosed by fencing. In the distant background, the distinctive conical hill of Roseberry Topping rises against a partly cloudy sky.Foxgloves and Stone 13th June 2025 The bright purple foxgloves inject a sharp burst of summer colour into this view of Roseberry Topping, the conical shape of which remains instantly recognisable even from its backside. The…
  • Photobombed by a pigeonSaved by a pigeon 14th August 2023 With Roseberry wrapped in a misty shawl, and rain pouring its way down, I kitted up for a run up the Topping – a dash, more than my usual stroll.…
  • A picturesque landscape showcasing a tranquil river meandering through a rugged gorge. The crystal-clear water reflects the surrounding lush green hills, creating a serene atmosphere. A small group of people can be seen enjoying the peaceful surroundings by the water's edge. In the distance, a stone wall winds through the rolling hills, adding a touch of human history to the natural beauty of the scene. The overall impression is one of tranquillity and harmony with nature.Avoiding the Plunge at Buckstones Jum 13th September 2024 I seem to have become a regular visitor of open-water swimming spots, though I’ve yet to sully my person with an actual dip. I am sure that one need not…
  • A landscape, outdoor shot on a sunny day shows the weathered stone ruins of an archway, part of the former Gisborough Priory, framing the view of a quaint town street. The archway stands in the foreground on a grassy patch, its arches mostly intact but with crumbling stone and vegetation growing from its top. The far arch is semi-circular and the nearer side is divided into a round-headed pedestrian archway and an elliptical one for horse-drawn carts. Through the arches, a traditional English town scene is visible: a red-roofed white building with a red vehicle parked outside and what appears to be a red mailbox. To the left, a portion of another white house with a dark roof can be seen. The sky above is clear and blue.The Priory Gatehouse: Overshadowed but Not Forgotten 20th June 2025 I had reason to visit Guisborough today and took the chance to walk around the old priory. I have posted before of its great east wall—impressive as it is, it…
  • Sleddale FarmI walked past the entrance to Sleddale Farm today 3rd January 2023 There have been several noticeable changes since, in the late 1970s, just before Christmas, I would take a bottle of malt to the Sleddale farmers — two brothers by the…
  • A wide shot of a rugged, windswept coastline under a cloudy sky. In the foreground, a vibrant green grassy bank slopes down to a shingle beach, where the land meets the choppy grey ocean. To the right, a low, circular stone retaining wall is built into the landscape, with a concrete base extending towards the water. In the centre is a ruined broch, its stone obscured by patches of the small pink flowers of Thrift, which are also dotted across the green grass. In the middle ground, there's a small body of inland loch, beyond which the land appears to be a mix of green machair. In the far background, a range of dark, hazy mountains rises under the cloudy sky.Dùn Vùlan 11th June 2025 This was an unexpected discovery on South Uist, though the Gothic lettering on the map did hint at something worth noting. Rubha Àird Mhuile is a low, sandy peninsula that…
  • SE7294 Hollins MineHollins Ironstone Mine 29th June 2024 An exploration of the east side of Rosedale—Northdale Rigg and Heygate Bank—yields splendid views across the dale, the hillside punctuated by two notable scars from the ironstone mining era. This…
  • A panoramic view of the rolling hills and mountains of the Lake District in England. Small hamlets are nestled below the mountains, and a flock of sheep graze on a grassy hillside in the foreground. The sky is cloudy and overcast. The mountains are covered in a mix of green and brown vegetation with clouds covering the summits.The Skiddaw Hermit : Eccentricity on a Mountaintop 1st January 2025 Many of you have likely heard of Millican Dalton, the so-called hermit and adventurer of Castle Crag in Borrowdale. In the 1920s and 30s, he managed to carve out a…

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…
  • 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…
  • 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…
  • 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…
  • 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…
  • 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…
  • Hannah Coling MemorialHannah Coling Memorial 22nd July 2020 Over on the moors south of Scaling Dam Reservoir and I happened across this memorial to a woman who had died on the moor in 1848. H. COLING Perished here…