Category: North York Moors
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Dovedale
In the south of the Moors. It’s been over eighteen months since I was last here. The rich grassland of Dovedale is part of the National Trust’s Bridestones property. Prior to 2015, the dale was heavily infested with bracken, but since then the Trust has carried out annual cutting, by hand usually in two sessions.…
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Kildale
There is a cracking photo of Kildale taken by Michael Heavisides in 1903, taken from almost this same spot, perhaps closer to the middle of the road. Much safer in those days. A group of four men stand casually chatting outside the “Blacksmith’s Arms”, the first building in the range. There is bunting hanging between…
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Scugdale – home of the Yorkshire Giant
Today is the birthday of one-time newspaper editor, politician, purveyor of celebrated hoaxes, promotor of a blend of fake and real, who is widely credited with coining the adage “There’s a sucker born every minute”. His dubious business practices crossed the border into the unscrupulous, and his name lives on in film and legend. He…
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Raisdale
Looking down Raisdale from the back of Cringle Moor. The plan was to descend to the farm, High Clay (left of centre in the photo) and pick up the Public Footpath but the bracken proved uninviting. One thing that I hadn’t realised before and evident in this photo by the spoil heap (right of centre)…
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“Riviera Britain? Sorry, it’s just hot air.”
So headlined an article in the Daily Mail written by Piers Corbyn, hailed as “Britain’s top weather expert”, 25 years ago tomorrow. Way back in 1996. The report was in response to a prediction by the Climate Change Impacts Review Group which warned that global warming would have the effect of moving Britain 100 miles…
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Farndale
I haven’t really had much to do with upper Farndale. I’ve used the old mineral railway track many times, Rudland Rigg on the far side less so, but actually being in the upper dale, I can only think of a couple of occasions, crossing it directly. There are no footpaths along the dale. Of course,…
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Heath bedstraw, Roseberry Common
Two summers ago (1 B.C. – Before Covid) Roseberry Common was sprayed with Asulox, an herbicide that specifically targets bracken. The intention was that a breed of hardy cattle would then be introduced which would over time control the bracken by trampling any remaining rhizomes and fronds. In addition it was expected that an annual…
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WW2 Aircraft Crash Site, Urra Moor
A return to Urra Moor. Second day in a row. I have been minded to try to find this site for some time. Armed with an eight digit grid reference, it was surprisingly easy to find, the pieces of bleached aluminium had been piled up and acted as a beacon. The wreckage is of an…
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Botton Head
An obscure sandstone outcrop on Carr Ridge of Urra Moor, and overlooking to narrow north-facing valley of Ingleby Botton. The word Botton comes from an Old Scandinavian word ‘Botn’ for a hollow or head of a valley of just this shape, rounded and flat-bottomed. The early surveyors of the Ordnance Survey must have misinterpreted the local…
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Foxgloves – the beginning of high summer
Despite the dreich morning, the foxgloves are a timely reminder that Spring is behind us and we are now at the beginning of high summer. This crop have taken over a cleared plantation on Round Hill near Gribdale, felled a couple of years ago. Along with ox-eye daisies, foxgloves have the largest number of different…