Dale Head—Fire, Rumour and a Long Silence
Ryedale demanded a break. The old Stephen Thwaite farmstead has an irresistible collection of “stoups” and “hemmells” worth ten minutes of any cyclist’s time.
Then the sun did what the sun does when it wants to make a point. It threw a spotlight clean across Wheat Beck and landed it squarely on Dale ...
http://www.fhithich.uk/2026/03/08/dale-head-fire-rumour-and-a-long-silence/
High Hazel Heads
Hidden deep in a dark conifer plantation, where Goldcrests tweet high among the needles — or so I was told, an old man’s hearing failing to pick up the high frequencies — lies the forgotten farmstead of High Hazel Heads. Few come here now, and fewer still would guess that beneath these trees once lay a thriving patch of North Yorkshire rural life.
Long before t ...
Easterside: Where a German Bomber Crashed
Easterside Hill stands guard over Bilsdale, yet is all too often passed by without a second thought. Perhaps it is too familiar, or perhaps the eye is stolen by the graceful turns of the B1257.
Its striking form is no accident. A crown of Oolitic Limestone sits upon Calcareous Grit, itself resti ...
http://www.fhithich.uk/2025/09/19/easterside-where-a-german-bomber-crashed/
#Bilsdale #EastersideHill #NorthYorkMoors #Ryedale #history #WW2
Rievaulx Bridge: Monks, Floods, and Tanks
In 1826, William Turner stood on this bridge to paint his famous view of Rievaulx Abbey. Anyone hoping to recreate his masterpiece today would be sorely disappointed, thanks to the abundance of trees along the river and the endless stream of traffic rattling across the bridge. This three-arched, hump-backed structure, built from limestone ...
http://www.fhithich.uk/?p=37465
#NorthYorkMoors #Rievaulx #Ryedale #18thcentury #history #military
Harker Gates
A picturesque Grade II listed cottage in Ardenside, meticulously maintained yet somehow exuding the melancholy air of a neglected relic. One suspects it is a holiday let rather than a cherished family home.
Sir Ralph Tancred acquired the old Arden Priory estate in 1574, and it remained in the family’s grasp until the early 20th century. Shortly thereafter, all the Tancred family papers were uncere ...
The Nuns’ Well: The Last Remains of St Andrews Priory
The so-called Nuns’ Well in Ryedale is a peculiar sight, sitting incongruously among the trees. A perfect circle, 2.4 metres across, with a stepped stone base and sides, it is thought to be medieval. Its water, fed by springs, is clear enough to impress those easily impressed by such things. It lies due north of the site of the Benedictine ...
Mick Garratt
Ian Mayer DL