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.

A new embankment at Blackhouses, filling in the major landslip there.
A restored culvert near Sturdy Bank
A cleared  entrance to the double culvert at the Sturdy Bank embankment

If you are interested in helping out, check the NYMNP website at www.northyorkmoors.org.uk to see what volunteer tasks are planned for next year.

The upstream entrance to the large culvert at Reeking Gill. More work is planned to stabilise the immediate area.

Rosedale War Memorial

The War Memorial in Rosedale Abbey’s churchyard has been cleaned for the first time in decades and work is underway to re-paint the names of all those commemorated on the plinth who died in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War.

Shirley Drew and Linda Chambers at work on the lettering

Short biographies of all those who fell in the Great War are on display in the church, especially poignant this year as Remembrance Sunday coincides with the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day. Details of local commemorations will be published shortly.

A splendid ageing oak tree

Well in to October now and the oak tree is steadily moving in to autumn. Leaves turning now but the tree is hanging on to them very well. Shades of autumn in the background too  Updale Natural History Recorder

Old oak tree

Rosedale History Society – 6-7 October 2018

For your diaries – the coffee morning in the coach House Inn on Saturday 6 October from 10.00am to 12.00am will be in aid of the Rosedale History Society. Please come along and enjoy the company and see the displays, while supporting the work of the RHS which is doing research into local historical projects including the 1918 Armistice, the centenary of which is next month.

Also, a reminder that the the usual RHS Tea and Chat will be on Sunday 7 October from 2.00 to 4.00pm at the Updale Reading Room, where there will again be excellent tea and cakes available as well as an extensive archive of research material of local and family history.

Churchyard Strim and Rake – 5 October 2018

It’s that time again – time to cut and rake the conservation area in the Rosedale Abbey churchyard. A team of volunteers from the National Park will come on Friday 5 October at around 10.00 am to cut and rake the conservation area, but local volunteers, with any strimmers, rakes etc, would be very welcome. As an incentive, refreshments will be provided!

The NYMNP and local volunteers at work in 2016.

If you can spare an hour or so, please come along on Friday – no need to book! This will be the last time that the NYMNP volunteers will be cutting the conservation area and from 2019 onwards it will be purely a local task.

The Ascending Angel

The Angel on the Celestial Ladder on the side of St Mary and St Lawrence Church has been moved up a notch as a result of the outstanding £5000 raised at the the recent Flower Festival.

The Angel as at 24 September 2018

and as at 27 September

The fund raising effort continues as can be seen from the height of the ladder. Cards, notebooks and the Rosedale 2019 Calendar are available from the Abbey Stores, Graze on The Green tearooms, the Coach House Inn, Gillies Jones Glass and the Caravan Club site shop. Also keep a look out on this site and on social media for further news about fundraising events for this vitally important cause.

Rosedale Flower Festival

Some more images from the festival in St Mary and St Lawrence Church, which has now concluded after a very successful ten days, as indicated in the amounts raised below:

The nave of St Mary and St Lawrence Church
The Harvest Thanksgiving Display
Jo Barker from Moorjocks Felt and Fleece in Hutton le Hole, demonstrating the spinning of local moorland fleeces into wool

Felt work by pupils from Rosedale Community Primary School
A lovely window arrangement

Flowers by the font

The farming display by the Pickering flower arrangers
The Women’s Institute Display
Pulpit Flowers

So far over £4800 (and rising) has been raised through donations and sales, a tremendous result and a fitting tribute to all the hard work of the volunteers who set up and helped throughout the festival and especially to the astonishing generosity of all who donated money to the Appeal – it is hoped that the Angel can now be raised a few notches up to the £20,000 mark on the Celestial Ladder (see the exterior wall at the east end of the church).

A splendid ageing oak tree

In to September and an autumnal feel in the air.  The old oak is still in full leaf but has plenty of acorns which are looking very healthy and are a good size this year.  In the background the rowan berries are ripe ready for birds to feed up on and plenty of seeds on the ash.  With some leaves starting to show signs of colour change there is just a hint of a change in season  Updale Natural History Recorder

Old oak tree
Plenty of acorns

Rosedale Flower Festival Preview Evening

A preview evening was held for the Flower Festival on Friday 14 September 2018 in aid of the Save Rosedale Abbey Church Appeal. Close to a hundred people, visitors and locals, attended and enjoyed a very convivial event and were royally entertained by the Eskuleles ukelele band.

Father Bill Godfrey formally opening the Festival


The Eskuleles in full flow.
Enjoying the Craic!

Over £600 pounds was raised from donations and sales of Appeal related merchandise, an excellent effort by all involved. Thanks go to all who helped set up the the displays and who who contributed to the Appeal on the evening.

Please remember the church will be open to view the wonderful displays by local groups from 10.00am to 5.00pm each day through to Sunday 23 September, with the Harvest Service followed by a Bring-and-Share supper on Saturday 22 September starting at 6.00pm. All are very welcome to St Mary and St Lawrence Church.

Stairway To Heaven

Those of you passing by the church recently will have seen the ‘Stairway To Heaven’ fixed to the east wall which is intended to chart the upward progress of our Save Rosedale Abbey Church Appeal. As will be seen by the angel, the appeal has already reached the £15,000 mark – onwards and upwards!

David Hadddon Reece steadying the ladder as Trevor and Nick Dale fix the ‘Stairway’ to the wall. Photo by Lorraine Dale


A reminder that the Rosedale Flower Festival in aid of the Appeal starts this coming Saturday 15 September from 10.00 am and goes on each day until Sunday 23 September – entrance is free. Also there will be a Harvest Service at 6.00pm on Saturday 22 September followed by a Bring-and-Share supper. Again all are most welcome to come.