Tag: National Trust
-
Mists, Mellow Fruitfulness, and the March to Winter
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; John Keats’s “Ode to Autumn” may well be a charming little tribute to the season’s so-called beauty and bounty. His “mists and mellow fruitfulness” certainly make for lovely poetic fodder. Yet, the mist draping the North York Moors today and the heavily burdened…
-
Graffiti, Landslips, and Bonfires
Standing alone atop Roseberry Topping is a rare privilege. From this vantage point, Guisborough lies in the distance, with the North Sea stretching beyond. The crags of the summit are scarred by decades of graffiti, the soft sandstone inviting visitors from the towns of Teesside to carve their names into history. Many of these inscriptions…
-
Nature Reclaims Industry: Warsett Hill
A fishing smack chugging serenely towards his lobster pots off Huntcliff caught my attention. The morning is still and muggy, with overnight rain fizzling out and the sea as calm as a millpond. I have been working on the National Trust’s property at Warsett Hill, tidying up an old, decrepit post and rail fence. Acquired…
-
Framing the Landscape — A Nine-Year Retrospective
Nine years. Nine long years in which the world has undergone remarkable transformations: Brexit, Covid, Ukraine, the rise and—let us hope—fall of Trump, and the conclusion of Tory turmoil. Yet, some constants endure. For nine years, “Framing the Landscape,” that quintessential piece of modern art, that obtrusive metallic eyesore placed in a nature reserve, has…
-
Runswick Bay’s Ironworks Beneath the Cliff
Today I was at a National Trust property near Runswick Bay, a hidden gem previously unknown to me. Spanning a 5-hectare meadow, this land is a tapestry of ragwort, thistles, docks, and the occasional blackthorn and willow saplings, all requiring occasional management. The property also boasts 4.5 hectares of precipitous, overgrown cliff and approximately 225…
-
The National Trust’s Never-Ending Battle
The Lake District, known for its beautiful scenery, made the BBC news this morning, but not because of its peaceful views or poetic charm. Instead, the news was about the rubbish left by people pretending to be campers. The shores of Buttermere are now covered with abandoned camping gear like mattresses, clothing, and even an…
-
Bridestone Griff
Ah, what a scene of unparalleled magnificence. Majestic sandstone columns and rock outcrops, shaped over millennia by wind and rain, now somewhat overwhelmed by a verdant sea of bracken, rippling across the landscape like an oversized duvet. Deep wooded valleys, or “griffs,” carve into the moor, a National Trust property a few miles south of…
-
It were a bit barren on t’moors like, nowt much to see!
A view along the Cleveland Way as it traverses Newton Moor, with the elusive Highcliffe Nab shrouded in mist. The cartulary concerning the founding of Gisborough Priory records a significant route named Melegate, extending from a point on the Percy Cross track, known as Molecros, to Roseberry Common. The Cleveland Way here likely follows the…
-
A Chance Encounter with the Great Crested Newt
Shakespeare’s witches in Macbeth famously required “Eye of newt, and toe of frog” for their cauldron. Debate lingers over whether this references the amphibian’s body part or a herbalist’s term for mustard seeds. In our garden pond, we have plenty of common newts, but today at the National Trust’s Bridestones property, I encountered my first…
-
The Battle Against Erosion—Conservation Efforts at Roseberry Topping
With the ever-increasing influx of visitors, Roseberry Topping will inevitably suffer unless concerted efforts are made for its preservation. Before the National Trust assumed responsibility for the area, maintenance was minimal, as the land had been classified as agricultural. Under the Trust’s stewardship, conditions markedly improved. Paths on the lesser slopes were temporarily diverted to…