Yesterday we relocated from The Lake District to North Yorkshire via the A66. Of course, the A66 was closed completely near Appleby and then reduced to one lane for miles approaching Scotch Corner. Everyone seemed to be out for a Saturday stroll and wanted to do the speed limit minus 10 mph. Once we did get moving on the A1M, we had to leave the main road almost instantly at Catterick. Here we immediately tangled with the traffic leaving the race course! All in all, a slow trip to China – well, to Danby Wiske anyway.
On the way we noticed some significant moorland fires. Presumably these were controlled burns, although we did see a fire engine heading out that way with blue lights flashing.
We passed a “smoot” while we were out walking. At least it might have been one. Which leads me to ask what “footings”, “courses “, “throughs”, “cams”, “stoups”, “bee boles”, “creeps” and “smoots” have in common. Well, any ideas?
Of course, they are all bits of dry stone walls. Although, strictly speaking the last three are holes in the walls. A rabbit “smoot” is a cunningly placed (usually square) hole left in the wall at ground level. Rabbits were invited to pass (or were chased) through the tunnel and were caught in traps with swinging lids. Food!!! “Creeps” are taller, narrow gaps, again at ground level, to allow sheep to pass through. “Bee boles” are built into walls near vegetable gardens to encourage bees to colonise.
“Stoups” are vertical posts with holes drilled through. One of a pair would have round holes and the other square ones. Poles (known as stangs) (each with one round and one square end) would be fitted between the “stoups” to form a removable barrier known as a “slip-gate”.
If you look carefully you can just see that one of these re-located posts has square holes. Had I known what I now do about “stoup-holes” when I took the photo, I would have made sure the different shaped holes were visible. There is a rumour that the expression “square peg in a round hole” might have derived from wrongly orientated poles… just maybe!
A survey in 1986 established that there were over 8,000 kms of stone walls in Yorkshire. At a density of 2.5 tonnes per cubic metre, that means there are at least 20 million tonnes of rock involved in this business. Luckily there’s lots of it lying around in these parts!
That’s enough educational facts for a bit!
Today (Sunday) we went for a walk with Sarah and Ian on the Cleveland way at Sutton Bank, East of Thirsk. The path runs along the top of the scarp slope to a white horse carved into the ground in 1857.
While admiring the horse’s ears (about all you can see from the top path), we were strafed by planes towing gliders off from the field immediately behind us. Also by powered gliders which effectively tow themselves up before switching of their engines.
The Cleveland Way runs 109 miles from Helmsley to Sutton Bank then all the way round the West and Northwest edge of The North Yorkshire Moors to Saltburn. It then runs down the coast to Scarborough and Filey. We walked a sedate four miles of the route (two out and two back)!
Now a (rather long) contribution from Mad Mary…
A couple was invited to a swanky costume party.