Out & About …

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

A picturesque scene of a small, historic village with a river flowing through it. The river, swollen from recent rain, rushes beneath a sturdy footbridge adorned with a metal railing. A quaint bench invites passersby to pause and enjoy the tranquil setting. The village's charming architecture, featuring stone buildings with traditional features, complements the natural beauty of the riverbank. Lush greenery lines the river's edge, adding a touch of vibrancy to the scene. The overall impression is one of peace and tranquility in a quaint, timeless setting.

Echoes of the Leven: A River’s Memory

A quick photo before raindrops splattered the camera lens. The River Leven is high, a few determined souls brave the weather, and the paths are mostly puddles. I have taken a photo from this spot before, though I only realised that after I got home. My computer, as ever, has a far better memory than I do. Still, with all the history here, a repeat photo hardly feels out of place.

In 1894, the Ordnance Survey 25” map marked stepping stones at this very point. By 1919, a bridge had been built, gifted by Mr. George Whitbread, Under-Manager of the Ayton Ironstone Mines. The miners themselves constructed it in memory of five of their colleagues who perished in the First World War. That old bridge served for over a century, but by 2021, the surface had deteriorated beyond repair. A new, wider bridge now stands, designed with better accessibility in mind.

In the photograph, the middle car parked to the right sits over the outflow of Skitter Beck, which runs culverted beneath Park Rise. When Ayton’s two mills were active downstream, water often barely trickled over the weir, leading to complaints about the foul smell from the beck. This problem worsened during the summer when water levels were low.

In the 19th century, the rapidly growing California area, built to house ironstone and whinstone workers, contributed to the pollution. Wastewater flowed freely into the drains, straight into Skitter Beck. At times, when the night soil collection was delayed, raw sewage would find its way into the water. Words fail to capture the stench along this stretch of river. By the close of the century, work had finally begun on a drainage system for the village.

This part of the village has always been prone to flooding and mud. The raised causeway in front of Suggits was built back in the 1770s, its construction noted by the diarist Ralph Jackson.

The river has a tragic history. In 1925, a boy and girl drowned here. The following decade, an 8-year-old boy fell in, and though he survived by clinging to the bank downstream, his father and the village postman drowned in their attempts to rescue him. As recently as December 2019, a local man lost his life just metres downstream from where I stood.

Further reading: o’Sullivan, Dan. “Great Ayton: A history of the village”. 1983.


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