Walkers Are Welcome Rosedale Abbey is part of the “This Exploited Land of Iron” Project. Click for more info.

Rosedale Community News

Welcome to the Rosedale blog. This is where we share news and information about events in Rosedale and the wider community throughout the year. You’ll also find news about the village timetable, our micro enterprises, school events, clubs, and lively socials.

Archive for the ‘conservation’ Category

Rosedale Walking and Heritage Festival – 23 to 24 June 2018

The first of the combined Rosedale walking and heritage festival went well, with good weather on both days for the walkers and lots of visitors to the Rosedale History Society and Land of Iron heritage information stands. The combined format was a great success, with a lot of very positive feedback from walkers and visitors, such that the final number for this year’s event are around 121 walkers or 50% more than last year, a great tribute to the tireless efforts of Kate Jones and Ian Thompson in organising and promoting the event, to all those who volunteered their time and expertise as walk leaders and to the Rosedale History Society and the Land Of Iron project for their fascinating stands. Watch out for details of the 2019 festival!

Day 1 – Linda and Tom waiting for the onrush of visitors

Day 1 – The natural history ramblers being briefed .

Day 1 – The tea shop walkers about to set off, led by Ian Thompson on the right

Day 1 – Elspeth Ingleby and her botanists deep in the oat grass

Day 1 – Tom Mutton training up new civil engineers on the Land of Iron stand

Day 1 – Dave Oakey and his beerminders getting ready to meet their group.

Day 1 – the Ale House Walkers warming up at the White Horse Farm Inn. Photo by Dave Oakey

Day 1 – An hour or so later, the Ale House Walkers cooling down with a stash of river temperature beer! Photo by Dave Oakey

The artistic walkers at the start of the Goldsworthy Trail on Day 2 of the festival

Day 2 – Land of Iron Walk Dog Cooling Station – Dunn Carr Bridge

Day 2 – Land of Iron Walk approaching East Mines

Day 2 – Land of Iron Walkers at East Mines

Day 2 – Shirley Drew and Janet Dring send off more treasure hunters around the village

Day 2 -Happy Nordics up on the line – photo by Jane Schofield

Land of Iron Volunteers – 15 June 2018

A band of volunteers were at work in Rosedale Abbey on Friday 15 June, helping to clear one of the fields near the campsite of thistles in order to improve biodiversity in the area.

Dethistling – hard but rewarding work

If you are interested in joining in this important work, learning new skills and meeting other like minded volunteers, then see: http://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/looking-after/volunteering

 

Andy Goldsworthy Talk – 13 June 2018

The world renowned artist, Andy Goldsworthy, gave a talk last evening to an audience of over 50 locals and visitors in the Reading Room on his art installations in Northdale.

Andy Goldsworthy

Andy started with a fascinating resume of some of his works around the world and in Britain, before going into detail on the current installations in Northdale. Two have been completed, the Red Wall near West Northdale Farm and the Fireplace north of Northdale Farm, with two more under way at Job’s Well and in Hangingstone House. He hopes to gain permission to undertake a few more such works with all of them to be connected by a pathway. The whole projected is being funded by the David Ross Foundation, whose Artistic Director, Sophie Clark was present at the talk.

Thanks to the Barraclough family for the use of their field for parking and the the Rosedale History Society for sponsoring the event and providing refreshments

Land of Iron Consultancy Visit – 13 April 18

The ‘This Exploited Land Of Iron’ project has been re-named to just Land of Iron (see new logo at top right on our home page).

As part of the project, representatives from Historic England, the contracting consultants Align and the National Park Authority yesterday visited the two main roasting kilns sites to decided on detailed plans for the conservation work which is due to start now in 2019.

At the Stone Kilns, East Mines

The kilns at Bank Top

The work done to stabilise the old track bed at East Mines is maturing nicely, as is the revetting work done by volunteers further down the line. Also, the work to clear the entrance to the culvert at Reeking Gill has held up over winter. Once the weather improves, the surface of the trackbed from Reeking Gill back to the kilns will be restored and repaired.

Rosedale Mill Leat and Pond Coffee Morning – 7 April 2018

The coffee morning in the Coach House Inn on Saturday 7 April 2018 was in aid of the Rosedale mill leat and village pond restoration fund. Thanks to the generosity of all who came, the combined total from cake sales, raffle and coffee came to the wonderful total of £305.00, which will enable routine maintenance on the mill system and pond to continue.

Kate G summarising progress of the project so far.

Kate and members of the pond committee would like to thank all who donated prizes and cakes and who contributed to the pond fund in other ways, and to Dave Oakey and the team in the Coach House for sponsoring the event. Also to Margaret, Carol and Janet for organising the raffle with their customary energy and skill.

 

Finally, please keep an eye on social media and this site for information on calls for volunteers to help clear the pond of excess vegetation once the weather improves!

Rosedale Abbey Mill Pond and Leat

Did you know Rosedale Abbey had a Mill Race and a pond?

If the answer is no, you won’t be alone, as this historic feature of the village has been neglected, and allowed to become overgrown and silted up.

Happily, there are a group of folks in the village who are working together to remedy the situation and formulate a plan of action to change this eyesore into an asset.

We now have a Pond Committee, which has been successful in securing a grant from the National Park and grant of £200 from Rosedale Parish Council.

The committee plans to effect positive change for this feature, which sits in the village on one of the main walking routes in the Dale, not only in restoring the Mill Race and Pond, but ensuring the silt traps and Mill Race receive regular maintenance and jetting in the future.

 

The work so far completed on the Pond 2017 / 18 :-

The addition of an access points to silt traps in the field with the water source and the clearing of the ditch to allow the water to flow.The jetting and clearance of accumulated silt from underground sections of the Mill Race.

Summary of Initial Work

Jetting on 13 March 2018

How can you help?

Practical help

We needs Volunteers to help clear the pond of unwanted vegetation.

Fundraising for Planting & Maintenance

A coffee morning is planned for 7th April at the Coach House, any support you can offer is very welcome.

Any donations of monies or Cheques made out to Rosedale Pond Fund can be left in an envelope at Abbey Stores or Graze on the Green, Gillies Jones or handed to Paddy or Linda Chambers of Rosedale History Society or Maisie Storey.

 

The Next Steps?

The next stage is to clear the pond of unwanted vegetation, date and full details TBC. In due course, we will be asking for volunteers with welly boots & rakes who might spare an hour to help.

We will be monitoring the flow of water, and, if the cleared underground Mill Race functions as it has done in the past, maintaining flow, the plan with the support of the NYNP is to place a specialist concrete liner in the top half of the pond.

Thank you to everyone who has already generously supported this project. We look forward to ensuring the Pond & Mill Race is kept healthy with regular maintenance, looks good and once again becomes a heaven for wildlife from ducks & dragonflies to newts.

Warm regards

Kate, Paddy, Linda & Maisie

Land of Iron Update – Breakthrough!

A group of local volunteers, armed with buckets and spades on Saturday 28 October, dug down through the mud and discovered the original upstream entrance to the Reeking Gill culvert, with Shaun Doughty having used a digger to clear the site (see previous update on 4 October). Work will now continue to shift the rest of the debris from the entrance and expose more of the large stone archway. Muscle power and determination won the day and well done to all.

The entrance exposed at last!

Work has also been done to clear some of the smaller culverts along the old railway line so that water no longer builds up and threatens the integrity of the track bed.

A cleared culvert near Nab Scar

A fuller progress report will be given around the New Year, so that all can see how this marvellous project is progressing. Meanwhile please look at the NYMNPA call for volunteers poster and join in.