IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Newton Road, MIDDLESBROUGH, TS9 6EU

Not an official path. A dog walkers' through the woods of this National Trust property. This part of the wood is rather dark and shadey with poor soil resulting from spoil from the nineteenth century quarrying activities. The fungi is, I think Steteum Hirsutum, a common saprophytic found all year round on fallen branches and stumps of deciduous trees.

From Cliff Rigg. Whorl Hill is in NZ4902.

This photograph shows a section of the railway track that runs in a north-easterly direction between Great Ayton station and Nunthorpe station. The picture was taken from the railway crossing near Rye Hill Farm.

Part of the National Trust.

In the early 17th-century, agriculture in Great Ayton followed the ancient open-field system where the cultivated land of the parish was divided into many long narrow furlongs and sub-divided again into strips. This was all manorial land and those villagers who were tenants or serfs farmed several dozen of these unfenced strips scattered throughout the manor. The strips and furlongs formed large fields and it was communally agreed each year that one such field would be left fallow to allow the soil fertility to recover. Great Ayton was typical in having three open fields. Applebridge Field to the south-west, Crabtree Field to the north-west and Wood Field to the east below Cliff Rigg which would have included the Roseberry housing estate. Modern fields seem big but are not comparable to the ancient open-fields, enclosure hedges having been rooted out to allow easier cultivation by farming machinery. And the yellow rapeseed is a crop which would have been unheard of in the 17th-century. In 1658 all this was to change with the enclosure of the open-fields and common land in Great Ayton. The Lord of the Manor, John Coulson and two major landowners, James Stockton and Sir John Lowther mutually agreed to enclose the land into smaller fields which could then be sold off or rented to individual farmers. The communal open-field system, while not being entirely without criticism, had provided a degree of security and certainty for the peasantry. Enclosure was land privatisation, profitable for some but depriving poorer villagers of their livelihoods and resulting in rural depopulation. From my photo-diary for 27th April 2019 see http://www.fhithich.uk/?p=21081

This single track line provides a vital link between Whitby and the rest of the world by rail, other lines north and south along the coast, as well as the link through to Malton via Pickering having all closed, although Pickering can be reached using the heritage North York Moors railway. The photo was taken from the point where footpath number 10.57/011 crosses the line between Great Ayton and Cliff Ridge Wood.

Near Rye Hill Farm.

Out and about in Cliff Rigg Wood early on a lovely fresh morning, the start of the weekend, but then I smelt smoke, and then a red mist covered my eyes. But maybe the tents won’t be torched, easier than packing, the brown stuff on the baby wipes on the path is only just chocolate, the woods won’t catch fire, the bottles and cans will be picked up and there will be no trace that they’ve been there at all. So I won’t blame the kids, sleeping there like little cherubs. Maybe their parents have not taught them respect, as they flicked their fag ends out the car, and dropped litter in the street. Is the Countryside Code not taught at school? Ah, no money for Outdoor Education. So mobilise the army of Wombles, the site will be cleared. Yet again. Two hours later, the happy campers are up and about. But these are no kids, they’re adults who should know better. Four families with very young tots, the next generation. Are you finished for the day? Are you going to tidy up? Aye, we’ll tidy up, don’t worry! Yeah sure.