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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 ‘Land of Iron’ Category

North Pennines AONB Group Visit – 16 August 2022

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Five members of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty group visited Rosedale on Tuesday 16 August to see the conservation and interpretation aspects of the recent Land of Iron project. Linda Chambers, a member of the project’s steering committee, took them around to examine the information and interpretation boards in various sites in the village and at the ironstone kilns at Bank Top.

Linda Chambers (second from left) and NP AONB visitors at the Rosedale Abbey Land of Iron interpretation boards

NEW ROSEDALE MINES AND RAILWAYS BOOK OUT!

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Copies of the new, updated and much expanded edition of the Mines & Railway booklet by Hayes & Rutter, first published in 1971, were handed over to Linda Chambers of the Rosedale History Society by Chris Hall of Scarborough Historical & Archaeological Society, the publishers.

This edition is the result of months of work by the editor, Tom Mutton, Manager for the Land of Iron project, together with significant contributions of new material from the history society, local industrial heritage expert Malcolm Bisby, local museums and many others.

Copies of the new book can be obtained in Rosedale from either Abbey Stores at £8 per copy or from the history society at rosedalehistory@hotmail.co.uk and online direct from the publishers

https://www.sahs.org.uk/Publications-of-the-Scarborough-Archaeological-and-Historical-Society.html

The price is also £8.00 but post and packing extra.

Linda Chambers and Chris Wall, with the new book

Coffee Morning – 5 October 2019

The coffee morning held in the Coach House Inn on Saturday 5 October between 10.00 to 12.00 am was aid of the Rosedale History Society. There were photographic displays, including Land of Iron work-in-progress updates along with the customary raffle and cake sales, all of which raised £215 for the Society – thanks to all who contributed.

Much coffee, cakes and chatting!

Many thanks also the Beth from the Coach House and to Margaret, Carol and Janet for running the raffle.

The next coffee morning on Saturday 2 November will be the popular craft fair sponsored by the Rosedale WI. Also there will be another chance to buy the new and colourful Rosedale 2020 calendar at £10 per copy, so come along then, enjoy the coffee, cakes and craft displays and get some early Christmas presents in the bag.

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
Cherry picking at Iron Kilns

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:

Closure Notice

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!
Moth Morning 23 June
Fabulous Foliage 23 June
Photographing Wildlife by Steve Race, 23 June
Meadows and Pastures of Rosedale, 24 June
Some locals joining in!
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
Dippers, Nuthatches and Ring Ouzels
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!

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.

Work ongoing as at 17 May 2019