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.

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.

As the first Sunday in April this year is Easter Sunday, the next meeting of the Rosedale History Society will be in the Updale Reading Room on the following Sunday, 8th April 2018, from 1.30 to 4pm.

The annual general meeting of the Rosedale History Society will be held in the Updale Reading Room, Rosedale, at 4.45pm, immediately after the usual Tea and Chat meeting.

Work on the repairing the track way is well on course. The new project manager, Tom Mutton, is now in post and is about to recruit the two final members of the five strong project team, which should be fully established early in the new year.

We have just received the brilliant news that the Heritage Lottery Fund has granted £2.5 million towards the This Exploited Land (TEL) project to conserve, protect and interpret our unique industrial heritage.

The full NYMNP press release is at this link: http://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/about-us/press-office/press-releases/articles2/trailblazing-funding-for-the-north-york-moors

The Rosedale History Society has played a full role along with the other partners in the project to bring about this excellent result. There will, of course, be regular updates on the TEL project progress from now on, here and at the RHS regular Sunday meetings on the first Sunday of each month.

Well done all!

Both days of the Local Villages WW1 history exhibition were well attended at the Updale Reading Room, Rosedale. Between 50 to 60 people on Saturday and rather more on Sunday visited from all over the country, not just locally and viewed a fascinating and varied set of photographs, memorabilia and documentation on the roles played by by local people in the Great War both at home and at the front from Rosedale and Hartoft, Appleton le Moors, Sinnington, Lockton and Levisham and Thornton le Dale.

A tremendous amount of hard work was put in to stage the exhibition by volunteers from all the villages involved. The organisers would also like to thank all those who helped out on both days with running the reception desk, guiding and advising our visitors, those who provided and served all the delicious cakes, rolls and other refreshments that are such a feature of these events in the Updale Reading Room and, finally, the generous donors of excellent raffle prizes on both days – you know who you are so thanks again!

On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War on 4 August 1914, we should pause to remember those from Rosedale who gave their lives in that horrific conflict.

A number of local history societies, including Rosedale History Society, are staging a Great War exhibition at the NYM Railway station at Pickering for the next week, after which the Rosdale displays will be shown at Rosedale Show on 16 August.

Finally, there is a planned ‘Lights Out’ throughout the nation on Monday night, 4 August, between 10 and 11pm, when all public buildings will turn off all lights except one per building. Private householders are being encouraged to do the same, with perhaps just one candle or similar small light in a window during the dark hour.

The 2014 Walking Festival in Rosedale was blessed with reasonable weather this year so that around 40 hikers took part in the wide variety of walks over Saturday and Sunday 14 to 15 June.

The History Society would like to thank Howard and Daphne Hebron for their continued generosity in hosting the RHS Coffee Morning this Saturday 7 June in the Coach House Inn.

Thanks also to Margaret Truran and Carol Cockerill for organising the raffle and to all who helped out and contributed towards raising £111.21 during an successful and enjoyable morning.