All was well. We had steaming mugs of our favourite Ramblears tea in paw, and there were delicious cakes.
"The tiffin is scrumptious", said Tetley, taking another slice. "You are really ace at making it Little Eric."
"Always happy to please. I have said many times that like Grizzly, I enjoy baking. I find it very calming."
Allen was busy finishing another Chorley cake, that he had spread liberally with butter. "Delicious, Grizzly as always. Thanks for making them."
Shaun was about to refill Little Eric, mug, when he said, "where's Southey. He is as much a tea belly and cake stuffer as you Allen."
"Don't know" replied Allen. "But like me he can smell tea a mile off. He'll be here soon for sure."
And so it was, just a few minutes later, he came bounding in, calling out, "I have news."
"Well have your tea and some cake first", replied Tetley. "Before the rest of us scoff the lot."
We waited patiently. Then, Southey told us, "the holiday to Saltmoore is coming up the week after next. Dad has told me that we will be going. He has tasked us with coming up with and idea for a walk."
"Last time we did part of the Cleveland Way from Robin Hood's Bay to Ravenscar", reminded Tetley. "It would be nice to do one on the moors this time."
"We'll have to resort to the Internet", said Shaun, booting the laptop.
Putting a search in, Grizzly pointed, "there's walk suggestions associated with the North Yorkshire Moors National Park."
We browsed for a while, before Allen said, "how about this one that explores he valley of Rosedale. 7.5 miles starting from Rosedale Abbey. It's sure to be beautiful countryside."
"Sounds good to me", agreed Little Eric. "If we print it off, will you go and see what Dad thinks, Allen."
"Sure pal, but first I would like another mug of tea."
"Ha ha", laughed Tetley. "There is no doubt whatsoever that you are the arch tea belly."
Soon Allen trotted off with the instructions in paw. Returning, he had a smile on his face. "Dad is likes the idea. So, weather permitting it is on."
"Super", replied Shaun. "I can't wait to go to Saltmoore again. It is 2 years since the last time. The reason being that the extensive refurbishments took longer than expected, so the stay had to be put off a few times."
With a good forecast, it was the first day of our holiday that Dad chose for the walk. Sunny intervals with just a couple of short showers and quite windy at times.
Using the Satnav we drove to Rosedale Abbey parking by the Abbey Tearooms & Shop.
"That's where Dad will be going when we get back", said Tetley.
Soon ready, Shaun said, "we go through the churchyard."
Stopping us in our tracks, Grizzly, told us about the church. "It is the church of St Mary and St Laurence. Built in 1839 to replace the 14th century priory chapel and incorporating one 14th century window from the former Priory. It is a Grade II listed building."
Strolling on we came to this...
Reading the notice, Grizzly said, "this is all that remains of Rosedale Priory. It was a Cistercian Nunnery founded around 1158 and dissolved in 1535 on this site."
The path led is to a road. "Cross and follow the path opposite that is signed to Dunn Carr Bridge", advised Southey.
At the campsite we followed the waymarks to a footbridge...
...and down these steps...
...and then followed the stone trod across the field to the road.
"Turn right", called out Shaun. "Follow the road for quite a way, but leave it left at a signpost for Thorgill."
"Here", pointed Little Eric after 10 minutes.
Southey set out our route. "through the open gate and along to the right of the trees."
At a corner we passed through a gate and walked on by the wall on the left.
"What an impressive tree", pointed Allen. "Worth including in the story."
Hardly more than a minute later, Little Eric pointed, "aww, look at that lamb cuddling up to its mother. A must picture."
"Hey ho", sighed Allen. "There goes the sheep picture free story again. But I agree a must picture."
The clear way led on through more gates, finally to a short narrow path down to the road at...
That seat is a good place for us to sit for a picture", said Southey.
Settled in the rucksack again, Dad strolled on through the hamlet, the road soon ending, and onwards being a stony track.
During this, Little Eric called out, "look, post box, not in use any more. Peering closely he told us, "it dates from the reign of King Edward VII."
We had hardly walked much further, when Allen pointed, "here the current one, pal. Dating from the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II. That's two more for your collection. "
Passing these houses....
...and then High Thorgill Farm. This was where the road ended and continued as a track. "It is Daleside Road", informed Shaun.
Here the view of Rosedale opened up stretching away into the distance, and where our adventure would take us.
Hedged and walled the track led us on and on.
"That field with buttercups makes a pretty sight. Will you take a picture Dad, please", asked Grizzly.
Minutes later Southey pointed, "aww just look at those lovely ponies." They were engaged in giving each other a clean, and then separated, Dad getting this shot.
Coming to some buildings, the track veered right past them. "It's raining", said Allen. Then looking at the sky, went on, "just a passing shower."
"These trees with provide shelter, and I can have a little rest", replied Dad.
Dry again we strode on with the superb open views up the dale.
"What are those ruins across the other side", pointed Allen.
Grizzly said, "our route back is along the track bed of the long closed Rosedale Railway. Those are the remains of the Stone Kilns. We will pass them, so I will be able to tell you all more about them later."
Eventually the path led through fields. "That's a magnificent tree", said Tetley.
"Must be really old, looking at the size of the trunk", went on Allen.
Little Eric pointed, "those lambs are just begging to have their picture taken. Sooo.. cute."
"Yet another sheep picture", sighed Allen.
Arriving at a minor road, Shaun instructed, "go left to Moorlands Farm, then take the track right to Hollin Bush Farm."
"Follow the signposted path through the gate and across the field", stated Southey.
"Aww that lamb is so cute", pointed Tetley. "Another picture please Dad."
"And yet another sheep picture", said Allen with an even deeper sigh. "No more please Dad, we have quite enough for one story."
"We are heading for a footbridge over a small stream", advised Shaun.
"This must be the route" said Tetley. "The path has been substantially repaired. I guess it must have been eroded away."
Then crossing two fields we arrived at a narrow road that ends at Dale Head Farm.
Southey stated, "go left then we want the path right signed to Great Fryup Dale."
"Ha ha", laughed Allen. "I bet they do superb breakfasts there."
Grizzly brought us down to earth however. "I can tell you about the likely origin of the name. Fryup may be a Yorkshire dialect reconstruction of an earlier 14th century name Frehope. The element Fre may be a reference to the Norse goddess Frigg. The element hope is from the Old English hōp or Middle English hope meaning valley.
"Thank you pal", said Little Eric. "Consider ourselves suitably educated. But I do like Allen's idea too", he added with a laugh.
"Hmm", said Shaun. "We are in the bottom of the dale, but the old track bed is high up the side. We have some climb now, up the track by the woodland."
At this point in the picture above it was quite level, but soon steepened. At the top, "phew", said Dad. "Glad that's done"
The old railway stretched away right...
...with superb views of Rosedale.
As we strolled on Grizzly filled us in about the railway. "The Rosedale Railway was a 19.5 mile goods-only line running from Battersby Junction via the 1 in 5 Ingleby incline, across the heights of the moors, to reach the iron ore deposits in the remote hills of Rosedale. It opened to traffic as a narrow gauge railway to Ingleby Incline top in 1858, then converted to standard gauge and opened to Rosedale West in 1861, and the branch to Rosedale East in 1865. It closed completely in 1929. There is lots more information on Wikipedia, which is worth a read when we get back."
"What were these remains?", asked Little Eric.
"Black Houses cottages" replied Grizzly.
Soon we came to the impressive remains of the Iron Kilns. "Wow", breathed Tetley.
 |
Reading from the information panel, Allen said, "these massive kilns were built in the 1860s to process ironstone that had been mined from beneath the moor to the east. After calcining (roasting), the ironstone was transported on the railway to the blast furnaces in Teeside and County Durham.
The remains we see are of three enormous kiln compartments, lined with firebricks and originally sporting massive iron fronts - a unique design it seems.
Calcining on site - here or in the more conventionally designed Stone Kilns, further along - was a relatively crude process, and eventually iron ore was roasted more efficiently at the blast furnace sites.
The kiln remains and railway line are dramatic, but they only hint at the scale and breadth of the industry that once went on here.
Above the kilns, drift mines were
driven up to three miles into the dale side, and by 1873 over 1,600 tonnes a day of calcined ironstone was being transported by rail.
Even when mining and calcining came to an end, work still continued. The massive calcine waste heaps had a commercial value and another 230,000 tonnes of material was removed by rail from 1920 onwards. When the Rosedale Railway itself closed in 1929, the tracks and equipment were also salvaged and sold."
"Thank you pal", said Tetley. "There is a depiction of a train leaving Rosedale at the top of the panel. Worth including in the story."
Walking on we then came to the Stone Kilns.
 |
Little Eric obliged by reading from the information panel. "The weathered stone giant was once the heart of the a sprawling industrial complex.
Rosedale's east mines began operation around 1863-64. The following year the branch railway to Blakey Junction was completed. But before ironstone was sent to the blast furnaces it was roasted in these huge kilns.
This process removed impurities, enriched the iron content and reduced large lumps of ironstone to a suitable size for smelting. Discarding the waste also helped to reduce transportation costs, which could
account for as much as a third of the price of ore delivered to the blast furnaces.
Ironstone from the mines was tipped into the kilns from above. After the roasting process workers shifted the hot stone from the kilns, using long, heavy metal rakes.
They raked the ore into iron wagons - wooden wagons could not be used for obvious reasons. It was gruelling work - the calcine men had one of the dirtiest and most unpleasant jobs on site. The haunting ruins belie the almost unimaginable environment that persisted for sixty years.
Thick smoke, noise from the kilns and nearby mines, the shouts of workers, and the clatter and rattle of trains and carts day in day out."
With all this in our minds, we continued on eventually coming to some buildings, where we followed the path that took us left of them to a gate, and beyond the track to the road at Hill Cottages.
Here there is a large stone seat dedicated to John 'Henry' Dent. "Let's sit there for a picture", suggested Southey.
"Cross the road and follow the path opposite", advised Shaun.
This led round the back of houses to a gate, and there as signed went right on a rutted track to another gate.
"Right here and follow the waymarked route", instructed Southey. This took us across three fields to a waymarked footbridge.
Shaun advised, "do not cross the bridge, rather walk left beside the stream."
"Look at that tree with what looks like a felled tree piled up around it", pointed Tetley. "Seems rather odd."
The path was somewhat indistinct path, perhaps because most walkers continued across the footbridge. It led us to an old metal gate that was tied up. "Are you sure this is the right way?", queried Little Eric.
"The path by the stream is shown in the map, and we are no strangers to finding gates tied up", agreed Shaun, but pointing, then said, "it is clear once through our way is then through that gate to the left that is waymarked."
Beyond this brought us to a metal gate on the right, where we followed the waymarkers across fields. After yet another gate we crossed the boardwalk...
... and continued on and on, eventually coming once again to the campsite, where we picked up the outwards route to Rosedale Abbey, with its lovely stone houses.
"Wow", cried Allen, "what a super walk."
"Oh yes", agreed Shaun. "Superb views and stunning scenery."
"Thank you Dad", said Tetley. "You deserve tea and cake", pointing to the Abbey Tearoom he had referred to before we set off.
"Yes lad, and you can come in too."
"Ooh look at the sign on the door", pointed Grizzly. "Very amusing."
"Well we are in God's county", reminded Shaun.
Dad had pot of Yorkshire tea, of course, and delicious blueberry and strawberry slice.
Reading the menu, Southey said, "I see there is a charge of £1 for a pot of hot water."
"Well we are in Yorkshire", replied Dad with a laugh.
Time then to head home, but we stopped at this Celtic style cross high on the moor just out of the village, to get a picture.
A small plaque on the base informed us that is was erected by villagers of Rosedale Abbey to celebrate the millennium.
As Dad returned to the car he said, "heck the wind is howling up here. Glad we're not be on the footpaths that cross the moors."
So back to Saltmoore, where we settled in the room to tell our pals about the adventure.
Thank you Dad, You are the best.
