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The Green Bag Rebellion: Guisborough’s 1820 Guy Fawkes Night
This morning’s images of politicians’ effigies being paraded and set ablaze in Lewes reminded me of a tale from 1820 in Guisborough. After Guy Fawkes’s infamous plot in 1605, the King and his government had started a public day of thanks by an Act of Parliament (which wasn’t repealed until 1859) and was taken up…
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An Overcast Day on Ainthorpe Rigg — A Dark Chapter in American History — Can Horrific Reprisals ever be Justified?
On a dreary day, I trudged over the wet moorland across Ainthorpe Rigg, under a dull and overcast sky. Reaching the edge, I found myself looking down at Little Fryup Dale, with Crossley Side sprawled below me. In the history of events that happened on this day, this morning, I had come across a chilling…
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Little Raisdale — A modest dale with a forgotten settlement and chapel
In the upper reaches of Raisdale, an eastern prong stretches out to the edge of the Cleveland Hills between Cold Moor and Cringle Moor. Right of centre in the photo stands Hall Garth Farm, a name which suggests a once grand manor-house, standing proudly on the land. To its left, there used to be a…
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Late afternoon on Cliff Rigg
A morning spent volunteering alongside the National Trust, cutting sycamore saplings in Cliff Rigg Wood. Not exactly a photogenic opportunity, but later the dog was insistent that we ascend the ridge to bask in the waning afternoon sun. There, the lighting nicely highlighted a strange remnant from a bygone industrial era, the rocky pinnacle once…
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A Pluviophile’s Paradise — Strolling by a Swollen River Leven
Earlier today, I was told, the renowned TV doctor, Dr Michael Mosley, graced the airwaves to sing praises about walking in the rain. In a routine I’ve adhered to my entire adult life, I can’t recall a day when I haven’t ventured out for my daily exercise, regardless of the weather. Evidently, rain confers a…
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Three Howes — Heritage in flames
I felt a deep sadness upon coming across this recent burning on a bowl barrow on Gisborough Moor. These bowl barrows are historical landmarks, and government regulations explicitly state that burning “must not … damage important monuments”. I suppose those responsible might argue that the burning was a “cool burn”, not reaching the peat underneath.…
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From fields to forts — Greaves Ash’s role in Roman Britain
I see some squiggly lines on the map, paired with fancy Gothic writing, and I just can’t resist taking a look. And more often than not, it turns up a gem. This is Greaves Ash, close to Linhope, high up in the Breamish Valley. Turns out, it is a big Romano-British settlement, with the obvious…
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Autumnal Reverie at Branton Lakes
Strolling around the Breamish valley in Northumberland after days of relentless rain, one simply cannot ignore the fact that autumn’s colours have hit their peak. Just a few days back, they seemed rather withered, but the rain has injected vibrant life into the dying leaves, rejuvenating them quite remarkably. About a week ago, prior to…
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The Ancient Town of Leith
Ancient town of Leith, most wonderful to be seen,With your many handsome buildings, and lovely links so green,And the first buildings I may mention are the Courthouse and Town Hall,Also Trinity House, and the Sailors’ Home of Call. Then as for Leith Fort, it was erected in 1779, which is really grand,And which is now…
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Blackness Castle
Blackness Castle stands proudly on the banks of the Forth, in the quaint village of Blackness. This sombre, charcoal-coloured edifice carries a rich history with it. Originally, it belonged to the Black Douglas, but King James II of Scotland wrested it from that family’s grasp. It remained under the dominion of the royal family for…
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