The Pale

I’m always on the look out for an out of the way viewpoint. I discovered this by a short walk across the heather from a bike ride up to Percy Rigg. It shows the full extent of Lonsdale, from its head at Gribdale gate to its confluence with Kildale and portrays a microcosm of history.

The ridge of Coate Moor across the dale is known as ‘The Pale’, possibly a reminder of one of the medieval deer parks which surrounded Kildale¹North York Moors National Park. (2012). HER Map: North York Moors National Park. HER No: 4880. [online] Available at: https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/discover/archaeology/her-map [Accessed 28 Jul. 2021]..

On the top of The Pale is a Bronze Age burial cairn²North York Moors National Park. (2012). HER Map: North York Moors National Park. HER No: 4006. [online] Available at: https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/discover/archaeology/her-map [Accessed 28 Jul. 2021]..

‘Pale End’ is obviously the nose of the ridge and it was here that Rowland Close in 1957 excavated an Iron Age or Romano British native settlement after a beehive quern-stone were uncovered during ploughing. Several more broken stones with found within a settlement of timber framed buildings which had with cobble stone floors on top of earlier clay³Archive.org. (2017). Full text of “Yorkshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 40.” [online] Available at: https://archive.org/stream/YAJ0401962/YAJ0401962_djvu.txt [Accessed 28 Jul. 2021].⁴Archive.org. (2021). Full text of “Yorkshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 78.” [online] Available at: https://archive.org/stream/YAJ0782006/YAJ0782006_djvu.txt [Accessed 28 Jul. 2021].⁵North York Moors National Park. (2012). HER Map: North York Moors National Park. HER No: 4007. [online] Available at: https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/discover/archaeology/her-map [Accessed 28 Jul. 2021]..

I might also have mentioned the Victorian ironstone mine and the whinstone quarry in Lonsdale, and the Viking burials discovered within Kildale churchyard.

• 1
  North York Moors National Park. (2012). HER Map: North York Moors National Park. HER No: 4880. [online] Available at: https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/discover/archaeology/her-map [Accessed 28 Jul. 2021].
• 2
  North York Moors National Park. (2012). HER Map: North York Moors National Park. HER No: 4006. [online] Available at: https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/discover/archaeology/her-map [Accessed 28 Jul. 2021].
• 3
  Archive.org. (2017). Full text of “Yorkshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 40.” [online] Available at: https://archive.org/stream/YAJ0401962/YAJ0401962_djvu.txt [Accessed 28 Jul. 2021].
• 4
  Archive.org. (2021). Full text of “Yorkshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 78.” [online] Available at: https://archive.org/stream/YAJ0782006/YAJ0782006_djvu.txt [Accessed 28 Jul. 2021].
• 5
  North York Moors National Park. (2012). HER Map: North York Moors National Park. HER No: 4007. [online] Available at: https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/discover/archaeology/her-map [Accessed 28 Jul. 2021].