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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

Land of Iron Update – 19 September 2019

The work on the line and kilns has continued apace since the last update. Work to stabilise and add some weather resistance to the Bank Top kilns is now completed.

**Bank Top ironstone kilns in their new, stabilised state**

**A closer view of some of the pointing and new props on the back wall of the kilns**

Sean Doughty and his team have also completed the restoration of the line through what was a swamp by Indian Steps by dumping heather bales and re-laying the track on top – an excellent job as you can see:

**The restored track beside Indian Steps**

The William Birch contractor team are busy on stabilising the southern buttresses of the Iron Kilns by removing vegetation growing in the stone and brick work and then repointing to weather proof the structures:

**The remains of Black Houses have been re-pointed**

**The site manager and foreman (on the left) briefing members of the project team**

There is now considerable concern over parts of the Stone Kilns where there has been a major stone fall at bay no 10. Engineers and members of the project team have recently inspected the damage and plans are being made for remedial action to be taken soon.

**A recent collapse of part of the inner wall of kiln no 10 at Stone Kilns**

Keep watching this space for further updates!

Land of Iron Update – 31 August 2019

Work continues to stabilise and conserve the Bank Top ironstone kilns and it should be finished by mid September. Sean Doughty and his team are busy working their way around the line from Blakey to Reeking Gill, restoring culverts and cutting new ones where necessary as well as diverting the path around the worst of the swampy areas.

**Dumping heather bales at the Indian Steps cutting**

**Erecting scaffolding at the watering station at Blakey prior to restoration work**

**The Iron Kilns work site as at 1 September 2019**

**Some testing of lime mortar pointing on the southern buttress of the Iron Kilns**

The line remains closed while all this work goes on – just a reminder!

Land of Iron Update – 4 August 2019

As reported earlier, work is well under way on the Bank Top kilns. Now work has started on the northerly of the two sets of kilns at East Mines to stabilise and preserve what is possible with these extensive remains.

**Protective fencing has been put up prior to conservation work beginning.**

Work to restore the trackway around Dale Head continues and the line remains closed until it is completed.

Line Closure – 8 July to 30 September 2019

Natural England have announced the temporary removal of open access to the old railway line from Reeking Gill around Dale Head to Blakey Junction from 8 July to 30 September to allow essential work to be done restore the path as part of the Land of Iron project- see the flyer for details:

Signage has been put by NYMNP at 16 access points to the line around the dale.

**The Stone Kilns banking as at 7 July 2019**

Rosedale Wildlife Week 23 to 29 June 2019

As part of the Land of Iron Project, The National Park is running a series of wildlife events in and around Rosedale. The programme dates, times and locations are shown in an earlier post and there is time to book in to more of these fascinating events which reveal the rich diversity of nature within the dale – and by attending any of them there is the opportunity to win a 4kg/9lb chocolate egg! (see below).

**9 lbs of delicious chocolate to be won!**

**Photographing Wildlife by Steve Race, 23 June**

**Meadows and Pastures of Rosedale, 24 June**

From Goshawks to Whales – Richard Baines talking about the wildlife to be found in the National Park **– 26 June**

**Hidden Hartoft Nature Walkers – 27 June 2019**

**Bat Walkers about to set off – 28 June**

**Nature and History Walkers – 29 June**

**All over and celebrating at Graze on The Green!**

In summary, the week was a great success with most of the varied events being well attended. A huge range of animal and plant species were spotted and studied, of which some of the many highlights were spotting the rare Arctic Starflower in Hartoft, the rarer Tachina Grossa, a fly with attitude, along with bird wing moths as well as hearing (with the aid of bat detectors) and then watching Daubenton’s bats hunting by night along the River Seven at Dunn Car bridge.

Huge thanks to Elspeth ingleby and Sam Newton from the National Park for organising a truly fascinating, entertaining and instructive week – more please next year!

Rosedale Wildlife Week – 23 to 29 June 2019

A reminder that the Rosedale Wildlife Week runs with a varied and fascinating programme from Sunday 23 June to Saturday 29 June. All the events are free and to attend and take part, please book through www.northyorkmoors.eventbrite.com or call 01493 772738.

In summary the programme is:

Sunday 23 June: 0900: Moth Morning ,Village Green. 1000 – Fabulous Flora, Churchyard, 1900 – Photographing Wildlife, Updale Reading Room

Monday 24 June: 1000 – Meadows and Pastures of Rosedale, 1900 – Gardening with Nature for Nature, Reading Room.

Tuesday 25 June: 1000 – Wildlife Walk, Reading Room.

Wednesday 26 June: 1000 – Wild Woods of Rosedale, Reading Room, 1900 – Wildlife of The North York Moors, Reading Room.

Thursday 27 June: 1000 – Hidden Hartoft Wildlife Walk, Reading Room, 1900 – The Wildlife of Rosedale, Reading Room

Friday 28 June: 1000 – Aquatic Rosedale, Reading Room, 2100 – Bats In The Abbey, Village Green

Saturday 29 June: 0900 – Moth Morning, Reading Room, 1030 – Village Nature Walk, Village Green

Land of Iron – Bank Top Kilns Update as at 10 June 2019

As reported previously, work continues to stabilise the ironstone roasting kilns at Bank Top. The contractors are currently strengthening and re-inforcing the back wall to prevent further stone falls and are also re-pointing the interior of the arches top and bottom to stop water ingress.

**A photographer from the Heritage Lottery Fund visiting as well as Linda Chambers from the project Steering Committee**

The work is progressing well, although no completion date is yet known for the work as more problems become evident in the structure. Further updates will be posted here soon.

Land of Iron Update – Bank Top Kilns

Work has started today, Monday 13 May, on conserving and stabilising the ironstone roasting kilns at Bank Top, Rosedale. Initially, the area around the kilns will be fenced off and scaffolding erected to allow William Birch Ltd to carry out much needed conservation work on these impressive monuments to Rosedale’s ironstone ‘Klondike’ which started here at West Mines in 1856.

A lot of work has been done under the project on the ironstone workings and railway line at East Mines (see previous LoI updates) so it is good to see that West Mines, also known as Low Works, are now getting the same treatment.

Access to the lower car park at Bank Top will be restricted during the period of works so visitors are encouraged to use the upper car park.

Rosedale Wildlife Week 23 – 29 June 2019

Land of Iron Update – 22 October 2018

If you have been up on the line recently you will have seen some major work completed to stabilise the old track bed by clearing old culverts and making new ones to ensure that water drains away without eroding the track and path.