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The Scars of Jet Mining on Roseberry Common
A casual remark recently brought my attention to this stretch of barren spoil heaps nestled just beneath the col between Roseberry Topping and Little Roseberry. This scarring owes its existence to the extraction of jet, a prized black rock revered for millennia, but especially gaining favour after Queen Victoria took to wearing it in mourning…
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Easby Hall and the Rise and Fall of the Whitby Campions
The tiny hamlet of Easby serves as a picturesque setting against the majestic backdrop of the Cleveland Hills. The large prominent house to the left of centre is Easby Hall. Easby Manor came into the possession of Robert Campion, a prominent figure in Whitby during the early 19th century. Campion, a banker and businessman of…
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Ormesby Hall—from family home to National Trust property
Perched proudly on the outskirts of a bustling housing estate, Ormesby Hall, a Palladian mansion, appears somewhat incongruous. Despite its seemingly out-of-place location, it maintains an air of refinement and is surrounded by parkland, a sharp contrast with its urban surroundings. In contrast to more opulent residences like Marton and Gunnergate Halls, erected with newfound…
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Roseberry Ironstone Mine — A Miner’s Day Begins
A significant anniversary in the history of Roseberry Ironstone Mine. It was on this day in 1921 that the men at the mine received notice to cease work with the mine due to be made idle at the end of the period of notice. In fact, output fell gradually until, in 1924, it stopped completely…
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Boulby — a hamlet on the edge
The tiny hamlet of Boulby bathes in what seems like a vernal sun, while Staithes, at a distance, remains shrouded under the cloud of winter. The photograph aptly illustrates the hamlet’s proximity to the cliff edge, lining a coastline in constant yet sporadic recession, often marked by landslides along the Cleveland Way. Presently, there’s a…
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Post-Brexit Changes in Hedgerow Protection
Wood Lane — the historical name of the track along which most folk climbing Roseberry Topping will approach the hill. Before the hard graft begins. It looks as though the hedgerows on either side of the track have recently been cut, most likely mechanically flailed. In order to be stockproof and to offer a diverse…
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High Bride Stone Dyke, Bridestones
On a pleasant morning at Bridestone Moor, near Dalby Forest, soaking in the apricity, and enjoying the azure sky. Regrettably, clouds gathered post-lunch. However, an opportunity presented itself to inspect an ancient dyke delineating the boundary between National Trust property and the Forestry Commission. Over several winters, we endured all weathers on this moor, dedicating…
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Source of the Leven
A rarely seen view of the upper reaches of the River Leven, that tributary of the Tees, before it begins its winding journey through the lowlands south of Middlesbrough. Beginning high on Warren Moor at the edge of Cleveland Hills, this river is unique as the only one north of the Humber that flows westward…
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The Execution of King Charles I and the Chaloner Connection
On this day, 30 January, 1649, at Whitehall, Oliver Cromwell oversaw the executioner Richard Brandon chopping off the head of the King of England, Charles I. Thomas and James Chaloner, sons of the courtier Sir Thomas Chaloner (1559-1615) from Guisborough, were among the 135 commissioners at the King’s trial. Thomas, (born 1595) bolder than his…
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The Friends’ School’s Plan for Invasion in 1914
Dominating Great Ayton’s soggy High Green, this soggy Monday morning is the stern façade of the erstwhile Friends’ School, now converted into residential dwellings. The village well, no longer in its original spot, was moved to make room for extra car-parking. I recently read an account detailing the school’s arrangements in case of a prospective…
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