The Bridge at Baysdale: A Relic of a Lost Priory
This bridge in Baysdale is more than a quaint curiosity. Its single arch spans Black Beck with quiet dignity, yet the quirky little parapets give it certain character. These are later additions, added in the seventeenth or eighteenth century by someone with a flair for decoration but little se ...
http://www.fhithich.uk/2025/10/01/the-bridge-at-baysdale-a-relic-of-a-lost-priory/
When the Beck Runs Dry: Hob Hole’s Ancient Ford Revealed
The word was that Baysdale Beck at Hob Hole Wath had dropped so low the old ford surface was showing. Thank you, Stephen. I could not resist.
Hob Hole has drawn picnickers since the Edwardian age. The name alone — ‘hob’, likely from ‘hobgoblin’ — conjures something hidden and ...
http://www.fhithich.uk/2025/07/18/when-the-beck-runs-dry-hob-holes-ancient-ford-revealed/
Baysdale and a Digression into the Art of Grave Digging
Baysdale today, perhaps the remotest dale in the North York Moors, accessible by car only from its head. This is Shepherd’s House, the last in the dale—or perhaps the first, depending on one’s perspective. I have already posted about Baysdale ad nauseum, so instead, I shall give you a litt ...
http://www.fhithich.uk/2025/03/02/baysdale-and-a-digression-into-the-art-of-grave-digging/
Armouth Wath: “Here Coal was Expected”
In March of 1803, a notice in the York Courant trumpeted the forthcoming sale by auction of the “MANOR and DEMESNE of BASEDALE ABBEY,” an estate furnished with a “COALMINE supposed very considerable.” One imagines that the allure of a rich seam of coal lent the whole sale a dash of speculative glamour. The “considerable” seam, however, appears ...
http://www.fhithich.uk/?p=36621
#Basedale #Baysdale #NorthYorkMoors #19thcentury #CoalMining
The Baysdale Barn That Time Forgot
Ah, the approach to the decaying edifice—otherwise known as a barn—familiar to anyone who has spent time wandering this remote part of Baysdale. Here I am, hurrying along a bridleway on the northern side of the dale, with the tantalising memory of veering off and subjecting myself to the rigours of climbing over into the vale of Leven. Otherwise, this damp track m ...
A Glimpse of Baysdale
This morning's short walk along Battersby Moor offered this view towards the upper reaches of Baysdale, formerly known as Basedale. From here, you can see the two main tributaries—Black Beck and Gain Beck—separated by the ridge aptly named Middle Head, while the moorland edge is dominated by commercial plantations that create a stark contrast to the lush valley pastures.
The dry-stone ...
The Wayward Nuns of Baysdale Abbey
This rickety cairn seems to teeter precariously over Baysdale but it has stood for at least half a century. A former resident once informed me that it was constructed by Roland Close, an estate worker and renowned local archaeologist who grew up in Shepherd's House, the ‘last’ house in the dale. Close would pass by this way on his journey to school in Kildale.
Yet ...
Gin Garth — A Smugglers’ Retreat
In the 17th through the 19th centuries, Yorkshire's coast was notorious for smuggling, and today, places like Saltburn, Staithes, and Whitby all have their smuggling attractions and yarns.
They had this intricate operation going on, and it was no secret — everyone knew about the 'coopering' business in the North Sea. Dutch ships, sailing under the ...
Wildlife in Peril: The State of Nature Report/The Felling of the Sycamore
Two pressing matters have graced the headlines this week.
First, the State of Nature report has been published, casting a dire shadow upon the condition of the UK's wildlife. The findings are nothing short of catastrophic — one in six species teeters on the brink of potential extinction. The population of 753 land ...
On the lookout for fairies in Baysdale
An early morning saunter around Baysdale, that remote dale in an expanse of moorland, its lush fields gleaming in the sunlight. In the distance, Ingleby Moor draped in a shroud of clouds, though it would disperse within the hour, leaving with a bright and dry morning. But this tranquil scene is soon to be disrupted, for Storm Agnes is due from the west come after ...
Mick Garratt
