Cheese Stones, Baysdale

At Baysdale 615050 are a small group of boulders.   These are mentioned by Stanhope White (Standing Stones & Earthworks on the North Yorkshire Moors 1987) who seems to think these are man  made perhaps.  I looked on top of all the boulders and sure enough they are lots.  And on other boulders too.  Frank Elgee an

eminent author does not think these are man made.  Some of these look as though they have suffered much erosion around the edges which cuts into the circular depressions and several are on the top and very precariously it must have been for anyone trying to chip  into the rocks as there is little to no room in some places.  The top picture also shows a cross on one  small boulder.  The lower picture shows another group of depressions taken whilst standing on one of the much higher stones.








(left)
I don't know who Maurice H Close 1928 was but have included it in anycase.

Invaders From......

.... Paddling down the R.Tees near Newsham we came across this tropical rain forest.  Alas, it consists of mainly three introduced species and non of them from the tropics

:-

Giant Hogweed, from Southern Russian/Caucasus
Japanese Knotweed, from errrr??? Japan!
Himalayan Balsam, from ????  Oh, yes - the Himalayan mountains.

All three species spread easily down rivers and in some areas, such as this on the Tees forms dense stands eliminating all native species.

Inscribed Stones - Harwood Dale.

There are many inscribed stones within the NYMNP.  Many are well known and recorded by Stanhope White and others.  Some record roads being built, others boundaries.  This one near the south end of Jugger Howe Beck is enscribed:-  

"Oct 1948  This day we pledged our troth". and below in a similiar script  "Today Nov 12 1951"

I wonder who this was and whether they ever got married.  Its entirely possible that one or both of them are still alive.  Perhaps the lettering lower down records the day they actually got married?  Who knows?

This stone is quite difficult to find but this will help  SE 94718 98040

From the bridge crossing Lownortnorth Beck at SE  947982  This is just 100m south of the junction between Bloody Beck & Lownorth Beck. If you look up the slope, almost inline with the direction of the bridge you should sea a dark rock between two patches of birch trees. The inscription is on this rock and the inscription faces towards where I took the photo from.

2. walk over the bridge (don't follow the pubnlic footpath which goes left!) follow a path through some young oak and past a couple of wood seats/benches, as though you were heading towards Bloody beck. Just a few yards beyond the last bench you should now come bloody beck. Don't cross it. But look to your left (SW) and follow a reasonably obvious track up the shoulder through some silver birches. After 20 metres or so you should see a very big rock which is split in two and around 8ft in hight and probably 20 ft in length. The inscription is about 3 ft off the ground at the end you have approached from.. If by chance you go past this enormous ground fast rock you end up at a wire fence - you've gone too far.!

Another Whinstone house, Undercliffe Hall, Great Ayton

 Grey Towers  is one house I know of which is built from basalt or whinstone as its known locally.  Another house is Undercliffe Hall, just outside Great Ayton.

This large victorian house was built by William Jones in 1873 who owned the first chemical plant on Teesside.

Like Grey Towers all the stone around the windows and the quoin stones are all of local sandstone.  The remainder is all local basalt which in this case only came from the quarries less than a mile away.

I also noticed some of the entrance gate contained some basalt and it may be that some of the gatehouse is also basalt judging by the size of the stonework.  Unfortunately for me the gate house is now painted white. So I can't be sure!

In Pickering for the war weekend I noticed a cottage, appropriately called Whinstone Cottage, which was also constructed of the small blocks of basalt.  It is opposite the old mill on the road by the trout farm.

If anyone knows of any other buildings built out of this black hard stone, contact me please.