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A day spent with the National Trust in Barker Plantation in Bransdale
The 36 acre plantation is largely coniferous, planted as a commercial crop more than likely before the property was given to the Trust by Charles Ingram Courtney, Earl of Halifax and others, in 1975. With contractors due to come in in a year or two to fell the larch and spruce only, mature oaks, Scots…
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A familiar scene to many …
… least not Cleveland Way walkers heading south to Helmsley. Walkers going clockwise will be trudging up this bank to Coate moor and Capt. Cook’s Monument. Bankside Farm itself probably dates from the 18th-century, while the distant building to the right is the former manager’s house and workshop for the Coate Moor Iron Company. The…
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I walked past the entrance to Sleddale Farm today
There have been several noticeable changes since, in the late 1970s, just before Christmas, I would take a bottle of malt to the Sleddale farmers — two brothers by the name of Proud if I recall — in recognition of them allowing the Guisborough Moors Race to run through their farmyard. Neither of the two…
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Nanny Newgill, the Broughton Witch — Part II
Back on the Cleveland Hills after a few days break. I was reminded crossing Urra Moor that I need to post the second part of Richard Blakeborough’s 1902 tale of Nanny Newgill, the Broughton Witch. For Part I see here. NANNY NEWGILL, THE BROUGHTON WITCH. SYNOPSIS OF PART I. Dinah Curry, a Broughton girl, marries…
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Stepping stone crossing of the River Doe at Beezleys
I wasn’t tempted to risk a crossing but was content to watch a dipper hopping across the stones. The River Doe is quite short, rising near Chapel-le-Dale and becoming the Greta after its confluence with the Twiss at Ingleton. Soon after these stepping stones the river plunges down a narrow gorge with several waterfalls —…
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Kingsdale
In spite of the dire forecast a pleasant morning with just the odd squall. This is Kingsdale in Yorkshire Dales. Just about the most westerly bit of Yorkshire, wedged between Gragareth and Whernside. That’s Whernside in the distance. The name is not as obviously explained as it seems, meaning “the valley where the cows were…
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The natural temptation, when standing on Highcliffe Nab is to look north over Guisborough town …
… this view is south — towards Highcliffe Farm, Codhill Slack and Percy Cross Rigg. Highcliffe Farm is an exposed location, gaining no shelter from both northerly and southerly winds. In 1908, it was being farmed by Thomas Wedgewood. One day Wedgwood and a farm labourer were snaring rabbits on the hillside when he noticed…
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The bleak moor under a sprinkling of snow
Overnight rain fell as snow on the high moor transforming the drab winter colours of the heather. The question is did the snow fall after midnight or before — in which case we will have had a white Christmas. The stone is the 19th-century boundary stone atop the round cairn on Newton Moor. It marks…
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“Lay pretty long in bed, and then rose, leaving my wife desirous to sleep, …
“… having sat up till four this morning seeing her mayds make mince-pies.” 356 years ago, the Pepyses may have had a lie-in, but we were up and about on Little Roseberry taking in the fresh air and blue skies. Samuel Pepys went on to complete his diary entry:— “I to church, where our parson…
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Ward Nab (aka Cook’s Crags)
Ward Nab on the edge of Coate Moor is much beloved by local climbers who know it simply as Cook’s Crags. It overlooks the sleepy village of Kildale — the dale of Chil — and used to host a medieval market. Even in more recent times it had a pub, a post office, and a…
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