Nature’s Invitation, Authority’s Refusal
It may have been a cold walk around Cod Beck Reservoir today, but imagine it is hot. The height of the summer. You are with friends. A dull sign saying “No Swimming” stands between you and a better afternoon. Many people have stared down that sort of sign and decided it probably does not apply today. Usually nothing happens ...
http://www.fhithich.uk/2026/01/25/natures-invitation-authoritys-refusal/
Chalybeate Dreams and Murky Realities
The orange colouring of this stream is a clear sign of iron salts in abundance. This is known as chalybeate or ferruginous water, a substance once held in high esteem in the 17th century when mineral waters were treated as a cure for most known ailments and several imaginary ones besides. People drank it with conviction and ...
http://www.fhithich.uk/2025/12/15/chalybeate-dreams-and-murky-realities/
Snow on the Ruins of Cote Garth
The ruined farms hidden beneath the forestry east of Cod Beck Reservoir sit like half-forgotten whispers of a tougher age. Among them, Cote Garth stands out, its broken walls sharp against the last scraps of the recent snowfall, as though the land itself is determined to remind us that someone once fought wind, rain and isolation to m ...
http://www.fhithich.uk/2025/11/21/snow-on-the-ruins-of-cote-garth/
Where the Sheep Went Swimming
Sheepwash, ever the draw for Teesside’s day-trippers, earned its name in the most literal way. It was once a place where sheep were hauled into the cold beck and scrubbed clean before shearing. Until the early twentieth century, many farmers still followed the old habit. The idea was to coax new wool to rise from the skin, making the flee ...
http://www.fhithich.uk/2025/06/17/where-the-sheep-went-swimming/
Cod Beck Reservoir: The Calm Before the Chaos
Ah, the poetic serenity of dawn at Cod Beck Reservoir—a perfect place for nature’s calm to lull you into a false sense of security. Mist drapes over the water as greylag geese glide serenely, trees half-hidden in fog add a touch of mystery, and a skeletal Goat Willow, I’m guessing here, stands at the water’s edge. Truly idyllic, if only we weren’t on the brink of ...
The Rise and Fall of Cod Beck Reservoir
Given the recent weather, I was quite taken aback to find Cod Beck Reservoir so low, although this is by no means unprecedented. I have a sneaking suspicion that Yorkshire Water has intentionally carried out a water release, perhaps as part of a scour test or some other enigmatic plan. I’ll resist from drawing any parallels with the act of flushing a lavato ...
Cod Beck Reservoir — a view from Swinestye lane
Opened in 1953, the 115 million gallon reservoir has grown in popularity since it was first opened to the public in 1989 after Yorkshire Water was privatised.
The surrounding woodland, planted soon afterwards, is now being cleared, and it won't be too long before the ruins of the two old farms once again see the sunlight.
One of these has the unusual na ...
Opened in 1953, the 115 million gallon reservoir has grown in popularity since it was first opened to the public in 1989 after Yorkshire Water was privatised. The surrounding woodland, planted soon afterwards, is now being cleared, and it won't be too long before the ruins of the two old farms once again see the … <p class="link-more"><a href="http://www.fhithich.uk/?p=31203" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "Cod Beck Reservoir — a view from Swinestye lane"</span></a></p>
Mick Garratt
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