Ah, the approach to the decaying edifice—otherwise known as a barn—familiar to anyone who has spent time wandering this remote part of Baysdale. Here I am, hurrying along a bridleway on the northern side of the dale, with the tantalising memory of veering off and subjecting myself to the rigours of climbing over into the vale of Leven. Otherwise, this damp track merely meanders down and follows the beck, offering the promise of walking up the dale. Today though, I have an exhilarating mission ahead of me: I am to be stationed at a checkpoint in a local race, overseeing the action at this barn. While many runners are focused on blindly following navigational instructions coming through their earbuds, I am here to ensure that they have passed through this crucial point in the race. If they are being told to turn left and follow a sheep trod, do I call them back? Oh, the dilemma, how I long for the days when navigating with a map and compass was the only way to go!
According to the ever-enlightening Tom Scott Burns, this bridleway is no mere track but “an old lime road”—how very quaint.1Burns, Tom Scott. “The Walker’s Guide to the Cleveland Hills”. Page 60 1993. ISBN 1-85825-009-9. It once bore the weight of quicklime, transported from Commondale quarry, destined for Middlesbrough Pottery. In a pre-railway world, no less! Ah, the romance of pannier ponies plodding along, carrying their hazardous burden past what might have been this very barn, as it was likely under construction. 2Historic England Research Records Hob Uid: 531927 https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=53c21e32-da97-40da-b2dd-99e7ac8d39be&resourceID=19191 One can almost hear the creak of the half-built timbers as yet another load of lime passed by, bound for whatever lofty purpose the 19th century deemed appropriate.
Of course, when observed through the discerning eyes of the 21st century, this route strikes one as deeply peculiar. Surely, a more direct route through Kildale would have spared a great deal of bother, not to mention a needless climb. But alas, that particular route had the grave misfortune of being part of the Stokesley to Whitby turnpike, where tolls were to be paid. How very tedious for the frugal Middlesbrough Pottery. And then, as if to add insult to injury, we learn that in 1817, the good people of Commondale were indicted for failing to repair their stretch of the road. 3Northyorks.gov.uk. (2021). Search Results. [online] Available at: https://archivesunlocked.northyorks.gov.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=Q%2FSB%2F1818-Q3%2F6%2F15[Accessed 20 Jul. 2021]. One imagines that the state of disrepair was most impressive, exactly what the turnpike tolls were for.
The barn stands decaying, a quiet witness to forgotten pannier trains and toll-dodging routes. Once bustling with activity, it now stands overlooked by walkers and runners, its rich history fading with time but still holding untold secrets.
- 1Burns, Tom Scott. “The Walker’s Guide to the Cleveland Hills”. Page 60 1993. ISBN 1-85825-009-9.
- 2Historic England Research Records Hob Uid: 531927 https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=53c21e32-da97-40da-b2dd-99e7ac8d39be&resourceID=19191
- 3Northyorks.gov.uk. (2021). Search Results. [online] Available at: https://archivesunlocked.northyorks.gov.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=Q%2FSB%2F1818-Q3%2F6%2F15[Accessed 20 Jul. 2021].
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