Dibbinsdale Road

Image: © Ian Dodds Taken: 31 Aug 2024

The two houses pictured only get given numbers on all the online maps. Considering how striking they both are I think it would be more fitting if they were given their proper names. Number 31 (the furthest away one) is 'Oak Tree House', and Number 33 is 'Dibbinsdale Cottage'. Oak Tree House doesn't look so impressive from this direction on account of the white panelling but from further up it is quite a sight - dark tiles going up and up to form a ridiculously steep high roof. While the views from the road down here are great, the walk can be a little bit hairy, and the short stretch of narrow pavement in front of the car and van is fairly representative of the bitty pavement that leads to here heading North from the pub at the top of the hill. It is single file only at best and in other parts you would be lucky to find room to keep placing one foot on it while walking along. The road may be even more of a lottery in the winter though, as it is apparently in the colder months that, a short distance further down at the small bridge crossing Dibbinsdale Brook, the 'Headless Lady of Dibbinsdale' sometimes appears, startling motorists in ghostly white. It is said that centuries back a nun and a monk were conducting a secret relationship; the nun became too overcome by guilt to go on and drowned herself in the water below.

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