-
Fryup Heads
An “isolated eminence”, according to the Rev. Canon Atkinson, seems an elegant way of describing the hill known as Heads, which separates the dales of Little and Great Fryup. Although designated ‘Open Access Land‘ there are few ways up onto the hill, consequently, it seems quiet and little walked. But historically it has been well…
-
18th-Century Valentines
I noticed new trees have been planted on Busby Moor, that stretch of Cleveland Hills below Cringle Moor and Green Bank. And so to St. Valentine’s day, isn’t this year flying by? Francis Grose’s ‘A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue‘, written in 1785, defines a ‘valentine‘ as ‘the first woman seen by a man,…
-
An early run taking in the top of the quarry at Cliff Rigg
A super morning, dry and sunny with some noticeable southerly winds. To the west, a large bank of cloud looks ominous but kept its distance. The quarry, now under the custodianship of the National Trust, is the result of the extensive extraction of Whinstone or dolerite, an extremely hard igneous rock that was ideal for…
-
Spot the seal
Dropped down the cliffs to Old Peak — or South Cheek as it used to be called — below Ravenscar, hoping to see a seal or two. And a few seals we did see. The very knowledgeable warden from the Yorkshire Seals Group estimated there were about 500 — he has known up to a…
-
Skelton Tower
Corn Hill Point, a headland of a grassy plateau overlooking Newton Dale down which runs the North York Moors Railway. During the times of the Napoleonic wars, the plateau was ploughed up and used for growing crops, Hence the origin of the name. Perched on the tip are the ruins of Skelton Tower, a two-storey…
-
“T’ biggest hill in all Yorkshur”
It is generally accepted that the now populous district of the North Riding which we call Cleveland is bounded on its southern extremity by the Cleveland Hills. This is not so. Historically, the district of Cleveland comprises the archdeaconry of that name, which extends considerably farther south, as far as Pickering, retaining in part the…
-
A boundary stone on Hutton Moor
A boundary stone on Hutton Moor inscribed on the north-east face with “RC TC 1856” which stand for Robert and Thomas Chaloner who inherited the manor of Guisborough in turn on the death of their father, also named Robert, in 1842. On this day in 1649, the funeral of King Charles I took place. His…
-
Birchdale
I had a faint recollection of crossing Newton Mulgrave Moor before and indeed I had. It’s still a bit of a haze though. Lying north of the A174, it’s an unfrequented area. Very flat, and exposed to winds from all directions. But a relatively deep valley provides a welcome incision — Birchdale or Birk Dale…
-
On this day in 2000, the Labour Government’s first attempt to repeal Section 28 was defeated in the House of Lords
Section 28 had been introduced by the Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher and prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities. Later that year the Prime Minister Tony Blair would claim that opposition to reform was “a piece of prejudice, pure and simple“. The Shadow education secretary Theresa May called the defeat “a victory for…
-
Spring has begun its journey
A sneak peek over the wall into the grounds of Kildale Hall. This is always a welcome sight at this time of the year. A reminder that spring is just around the corner. From the photo it looks like it’s the snowdrops that dominate, but actually the yellow aconites were more pronounced. Winter aconites, Evanthis…
Care to comment?