A View of the North York Moors

The North York Moors (also known as the North Yorkshire Moors) is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. The national park's area is 1,436 km² (554 square miles), and it has a population of about 25,000.^[1] The North York Moors became a National Park in 1952, through the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949. The Brecon Beacons National Park, looking from the highest point of Pen Y Fan (886 m/2907 feet) to Corn Du (873 m/2864 feet). ... Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, UK A national park is a reserve of land, usually declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 527 pixelsFull resolution (992 × 653 pixel, file size: 85 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) NASA Worldwind Screen Shot North York Moors, UK Text added by Harkey Lodger File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county, located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in that region and also partly in North East England. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Urra Moor is the highest moor in the North York Moors, a national park in North Yorkshire, England. ... The metre (or meter, see spelling differences) is a measure of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The Brecon Beacons National Park, looking from the highest point of Pen Y Fan (886 m/2907 feet) to Corn Du (873 m/2864 feet). ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (950x404, 75 KB) Photo: Colin Grice I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (950x404, 75 KB) Photo: Colin Grice I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... The Brecon Beacons National Park, looking from the highest point of Pen Y Fan (886 m/2907 feet) to Corn Du (873 m/2864 feet). ... North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county, located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in that region and also partly in North East England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... Binomial name Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull Heather redirects here. ... Moorland in the Pennines (England); Coarse grasses and bracken tend to dominate especially in high rainfall areas. ... Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, UK A national park is a reserve of land, usually declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the Countryside Commission (which later became the Countryside Agency), provided the framework for the creation of national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales...

Location and Transport

To the east the area is clearly defined by the impressive cliffs of the North Sea coast.The northern and western boundaries are defined by the steep scarp slopes edging the Tees Lowlands and the Vale of Mowbray.To the south lies the Vale of Pickering. The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... The Vale of Pickering is a low-lying flat area of land in North Yorkshire, England. ...

Four roads cross the moors from north to south. In the east the A171 joins Whitby and Scarborough. Further inland, the A169 runs between Pickering and Whitby. More centrally, a minor road departs from the A170 at Keldholm and passes through Castleton before joining the A171 which connects Whitby and Guisborough. The most westerly route is the B1257 connecting Helmsley to Stokesley. The A170 from Thirsk to Scarborough marks the southern boundary of the moors area. Whitby is a historic town in North Yorkshire on the north-east coast of England. ... The South Bay at Scarborough The North Bay at Scarborough Scarborough Lighthouse Spa Bridge (footbridge), Scarborough The Grand Hotel at Scarborough Scarborough Castle Keep Scarborough is a town located on the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire, England. ... Pickering is an ancient market town and a parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England,on the borders of the North York Moors National Park. ...

There is an east-west main line rail link from Whitby to Middlesborough in the north and the North Yorkshire Moors steam railway runs from Pickering to Grosmont with a link to Whitby.^[2] A diesel train on the NYMR The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England. ...

Physical geography

Climate

As part of the United Kingdom, the North York Moors area generally has cool summers and relatively mild winters. Weather conditions vary from day to day as well as from season to season. The latitude of the area means that it is influenced by predominantly westerly winds with depressions and their associated fronts, bringing with them unsettled and windy weather, particularly in winter. Between depressions there are often small mobile anticyclones that bring periods of fair weather. In winter anticyclones bring cold dry weather. In summer the anticyclones tend to bring dry settled conditions which can lead to drought. For its latitude this area is mild in winter and cooler in summer due to the influence of the Gulf Stream in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Air temperature varies on a daily and seasonal basis. The temperature is usually lower at night and January is the coldest time of the year. The two dominant influences on the climate of the North York Moors are the shelter against the worst of the moist westerly winds provided by the Pennines and the proximity of the North Sea. Late, chilly springs and cool summers are a feature of the area but there are often spells of fine autumn weather. Onshore winds in spring and early summer bring mists or low stratus clouds (known locally as sea frets) to the coasts and moors. Within the area variations in climate are brought about by local differences in altitude, aspect and shelter.^[3]

Snowfall is variable from year to year. Heavy falls are associated with north-easterly winds off the North Sea.

Average recordings are:

• 130 wet days
• 215 dry days
• 20 snow fall days
• rainfall of 1000mm to 1520mm near the coast
• rainfall of 635mm to 760mm inland
• summer temperatures of 20°C to 32°C
• winter temperatures of -1°C to 10°c^[4]

Geology

Simplified geology of the North York Moors.

The geology of the North York Moors is dominated by rocks of the Jurassic age.They were mostly laid down in tropical seas 205 to 142 million years ago. Fluctuations in sea level produced different rock types varying from shales to sandstones and limestones derived from coral. These marine and delta deposited rocks are superbly exposed on the Yorkshire coast from Staithes to Filey. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 507 pixelsFull resolution (3440 × 2181 pixel, file size: 277 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Image Notes Type: Scan Source: Self made Author: Harkey Lodger Photographer:Harkey Lodger Copyright holder:Harkey Lodger Location: The North York Moors, Yorkshire, UK Co-ordinates... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 507 pixelsFull resolution (3440 × 2181 pixel, file size: 277 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Image Notes Type: Scan Source: Self made Author: Harkey Lodger Photographer:Harkey Lodger Copyright holder:Harkey Lodger Location: The North York Moors, Yorkshire, UK Co-ordinates... The Jurassic Period is a major unit of the geologic timescale that extends from about 199. ...

• Lower Jurassic At the beginning of the Jurassic era shales, clays and thin limestones and sandstones were deposited in a shallow sea. These deposits are many metres thick and include layers of ironstone of various thicknesses and the rocks from which alum is extracted.
• Middle Jurassic A perion of gradual uplift happened when mudstone and sandstone were deposited on a low lying coastal plain crossed by large rivers. Occasionally this land area was inundated by the sea and at these times calcarious rocks containing marine fossils were deposited. These are the Ravenscar group of rocks. The Oxford clay was deposited at the end of this era.
• Upper Jurassic Towards the end of the Jurassic era the land again sank beneath the sea. At first the sea was shallow and calcareous sandstones and limestones were deposited. These are the Corallian rocks of the Tabular hills towards the south of the area. Overlying the Corallian rocks is the Kimmeridge clay which underlies the Vale of Pickering but this is not exposed on the surface.

A cross section of the geology of the North York Moors.

Subsequently, about 30 million years ago, the land was uplifted and tilted towards the south by earth movements. The upper layers of rock were eroded away and the older rocks were exposed in places. Because of the tilt the oldest rocks became exposed in the north. These are the bands of shales and ironstones on the northern scarp of the moors and Cleveland Hills. The middle layers form the sandstones of the high moors and the youngest layers of limestone form the tabular hills. In the dales where the rivers have cut through the younger rocks there are also exposures of older shales, ironstone and sandstone. Rosedale is an example of this.^[5] Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 418 pixelsFull resolution (1688 × 883 pixel, file size: 92 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Image Notes Type: Scan Source: Self made Author: Harkey Lodger Photographer:Harkey Lodger Copyright holder:Harkey Lodger Location: The North York Moors, Yorkshire, UK Co-ordinates... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 418 pixelsFull resolution (1688 × 883 pixel, file size: 92 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Image Notes Type: Scan Source: Self made Author: Harkey Lodger Photographer:Harkey Lodger Copyright holder:Harkey Lodger Location: The North York Moors, Yorkshire, UK Co-ordinates...

During the Quaternary era, the last 2 million years, the area has experienced a sequence of glaciations. The most recent glaciation, the Devensian, ended about 20,000 years ago. The higher parts of the North York Moors were not covered by the ice sheets but glaciers flowed southwards on either side of the higher land mass. The Quaternary Period is the geologic time period from the end of the Pliocene Epoch roughly 1. ... A glaciation (a created composite term meaning Glacial Period, referring to the Period or Era of, as well as the process of High Glacial Activity), often called an ice age, is a geological phenomenon in which massive ice sheets form in the Arctic and Antarctic and advance toward the equator. ... The Devensian glaciation is a name for an ice age period which occurred between 120,000 and 10,000 years ago. ...

As the climate became warmer at the end of the ice age the snowfields on the moors began to melt. The meltwater was unable to escape northwards, westwards or eastwards because it was blocked by ice. Huge torrents of water were forced southwards. Water from the Esk valley area flowed southwards gouging out the deep Newtondale valley as it went. Water from the moors formed a vast lake in the area of the Vale of Pickering. Eventually this lake filled its basin and then overflowed at the lowest point which was at Kirkham. Here it cut the steep sided Kirkham gorge. When the glacier finally retreated they left deep deposits of boulder clay and glacial alluvium behind. The boulder clay blocked the eastern end of the Vale of Pickering causing a permanent deviation in the course of the River Derwent. Alluvium from the glaciers covers many areas to the north of the moors and in the Esk valley.

Drainage

The North York Moors are drained by two main river systems.The northern part of the area is drained by the River Esk and its tributaries. The Esk flows from west to east and empties into the North Sea at Whitby.

To the south the moors are drained by the River Derwent and its tributary the River Rye. The Derwent crosses the Vale of Pickering flowing westwards, turns southwards at Malton and flows through the eastern part of the Vale of York before emptying into the River Ouse at Barmby on the Marsh.^[6] The Vale of York is the area surrounding the city of York, in the north of England. ...

Hills

• Urra Moor, the highest point
• Cringle Moor
• Roseberry Topping

Urra Moor is the highest moor in the North York Moors, a national park in North Yorkshire, England. ... Cringle Moor is the second highest hill in the North York Moors, and the highest point east of the Clay Bank Top Pass. ... Roseberry Topping is a distinctive hill on the border between North Yorkshire and Cleveland, England, of which it has long been a symbol. ...

Natural history

Heather moorland, North York Moors. In August these heather clad moors are spectacular. Mainly Calluna vulgaris here.

The North York Moors National Park encompasses two main types of landscape, whose differences are clearly visible, and the coastal belt. There are predominantly green areas of pasture land and the purple and brown heather moorland. The two kinds of scenery are the result of differences in the underlying geology and each supports different wildlife communities. Image File history File linksMetadata Heather_moorland. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Heather_moorland. ...

• The moors

Sandstones erode slowly and form poor acid soils which are deficient in nutrients. They are less permeable to water, impeding drainage and encouraging the formation of bogs. Sphagnum moss bogs are common where there is abundant rain and poor drainage. Cotton grass is a distinctive plant which grows in the boggy areas. In the cold acid waters of peat bogs there is little decomposition of organic material with the result that the dead sphagnum moss gradually accumulates to form peat. This raises the levels of the bogs and they dry out. Heather then invades the area. Large areas of the moors are now covered in heather, bilberries and grasses growing on thick layers of peat. The acid soils and peat bogs are unsuitable for earthworms so species which usually feed on earthworms such as moles and the common shrew are absent on the moors. The pigmy shrew survives by eating the insects and spiders that live in the heather. Lapwing, curlew and redshank breed on the moors and there are sandpipers along the streams. Wheatear and golden plovers inhabit grassier patches on the moors and ring ouzels live in stony areas. Red grouse, which feed on young heather shoots, are abundant. The heather is burned in strips by gamekeepers and farmers to encourage new heather growth to feed the grouse. Grouse shooting is part of the moorland economy. About 20 per cent of the national park is covered in bracken. Few things can grow under its dense cover and it does not support many insects and is unpalatable to most animals. The bracken is extremely invasive. Sheep are a ubiquitous part of the moorland landscape. Their grazing helps to maintain the open wild landscape that is needed for many other plants and animals to thrive. Species See text Sphagnum is a genus of mosses commonly called peat moss due to its prevalence in peat bogs. ... Cotton grass is a plant; the name is used for any member of the genus Eriophorum belonging to the family Cyperaceae, the Sedge family. ... Binomial name Vaccinium myrtillus L. Bilberry is a name given to several species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium (family Ericaceae) that bear tasty fruits. ... Earthworm is the common reference for the larger members of the Oligochaeta (which is either a class or subclass depending on the author) in the phylum Annelida. ... The word mole when used alone, has several possible meanings in the English language: Mole (animal): a small burrowing mammal. ... See also Masked Shrew for the mammal known as the Common Shrew in parts of North America. ... Genera Erthrogonys Vanellus Lapwings are medium-sized wading birds belonging to the subfamily Vanellinae of the family Charadriidae, which also includes the plovers and dotterels. ... Species N. phaeopus N. tenuirostris N. arquata N. americanus N. madagascariensis N. minutus N. borealis N. tahitiensis For other uses, see Curlew (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Tringa totanus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Common Redshank or Redshank (Tringa totanus) is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. ... Families Charadridae Jacanidae Rostratulidae Ibidorhynchidae Recurvirostridae Haematopodidae Scolopacidae Dromadidae Burhinidae Glareolidae Thinocoridae Waders, called Shorebirds in North America (where wader is used to refer to long-legged wading birds such as storks and herons), are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. ... Binomial name See text Species See text The wheatears, genus Oenanthe, were formerly considered to be members of the thrush family Turdidae. ... There are three species of wading birds in the plover family called Golden Plover. ... Binomial name Turdus torquatus Linnaeus, 1758 The Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) is a European member of the thrush family Turdidae. ... Binomial name Lagopus lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Willow Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) is a medium-sized bird in the grouse family. ... Species Pteridium aquilinum Pteridium caudatum Pteridium esculentum Pteridium latiusculum and about 6-7 other species For the Irish television soap opera, see Bracken (TV). ...

• The limestone belt.

Limestone weathers down quickly to produce nutrient rich alkaline soils on well drained rocks. Gouging by glacial meltwaters has left spectacular valleys along whose floors run attractive streams. The limestone streams with their nutrient rich waters support an abundance of aquatic invertebrates such as insect larvae and crustaceans. These in turn support such fish as trout and grayling. Insects which emerge from the water in summer are also a rich source of food for birds. Grey wagtails, swallows and spotted flycatchers are commonly seen. Dippers and kingfishers are also typical. The otter, after a period of decline, is starting to recolonise the rivers and streams. Farndale is famous for its wild daffodils in spring. Sheltered woodlands dominated by sessile oaks can be found to the south of the high ground. These woodland areas are the home of pied flycatchers, sparrow hawks and wood warblers. Roe and fallow deer can also be found here. The woodlands and south facing grasslands on the limestone belt provide a good habitat for many butterflies. The fertile alkaline soils support an abundance of wild flowers. Bluebells and primroses grow in the hedgerows in spring and rarer plants such as the wood vetch and orchids are also to be found. Adders are widespread throughout the national park. On the moors they eat common lizards and around the hedgerows and woodland edges they feed on mice and voles. Classes Remipedia Cephalocarida Branchiopoda Ostracoda Maxillopoda Malacostraca The crustaceans (Crustacea) are a large group of arthropods (55,000 species), usually treated as a subphylum. ... Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss Biwa trout, Oncorhynchus masou subsp Trout is the common name given to a number of species of freshwater fish belonging to the salmon family, Salmonidae. ... A grayling can refer to a A type of freshwater salmonid fish: Specifically, Thymallus thymallus, the grayling proper, or Generically, any fish of genus Thymallus, the graylings Grayling butterfly, Hipparchia semele, common on heathlands in Britain Grayling is also the name of several places: Grayling, Alaska Grayling, Michigan Grayling Township... Binomial name Motacilla cinerea Tunstall, 1771 The Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) is a small passerine in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws. ... Genera Many, see text. ... Binomial name Muscicapa striata (Pallas, 1764) The Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata, is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. ... For the article on the constellations, see Big Dipper and Little Dipper Species Cinclus cinclus Cinclus leucocephalus Cinclus mexicanus Cinclus pallasii Cinclus schulzi Dippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the family Cinclidae. ... Families Alcedinidae Halcyonidae Cerylidae Kingfishers are birds of the three families Alcedinidae (river kingfishers), Halcyonidae (tree kingfishers), and Cerylidae (water kingfishers). ... Genera Amblonyx Aonyx Enhydra Lontra Lutra Lutrogale Pteronura The otter (lutrinae) is a carnivorous aquatic or marine mammal part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, polecats, badgers, as well as others. ... Species ????? Daffodils are a group of large flowered members of the genus Narcissus. ... Binomial name Quercus petraea (Mattuschka) Liebl. ... Binomial name Accipiter nisus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. ... This article refers to the Eurasian leaf warbler. ... Binomial name Dama dama (Linnaeus, 1758) The Fallow Deer (Dama dama) is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ... The term bluebell can refer to the following: English Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) or Spanish Bluebell () Bluebell of Scotland (Campanula rotundifolia, called harebell in England) and other Campanula species Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica) Bluebell The name of one of the rabbits in the book Watership Down by Richard Adams BlueBell... Species many, see text *APG Classification Primulales by Cronquist system The primrose is any of over 500 species of low-growing herbs of the genus Primula, family Primulaceae. ... Orchid re-directs here; for alternate uses see Orchid (disambiguation) Genera Over 800 See List of Orchidaceae genera. ... Adder is another name for viper. ...

• The coast

The cliffs and sandy bays of the coast offer an assortment os seashore habitats. The spectacular scenery where the Cleveland Hills meet the sea has been designated as a Heritage Coast. The cliff at Boulby, at 690 feet, is the highest point on the east coast of England. Here the Jurassic strata of shales, clays and ironstones are displayed with superb clarity. There are also fine exposures of Jurassic rocks with their characteristic fossils around Robin Hoods Bay and Ravenscar. Rocky shores offer an abundance of seaweeds in zones of different types which are more and less tolerant of exposure to the air and salt or clear water. Rock pools contain sea anemones, blennies, crabs and molluscs. Sandy shores harbour a variety of plants and animals which are buried in the sand. Birds such as curlews and oyster catchers are to be seen prodding the sand to find these creatures for food. A few cormorants and fulmars breed along the coast where stonechats and rock pipits can also be spotted. Herring gulls are the commonest breeding birds and are an interesting sight nesting in the chimneys of coastal towns.^[7]. A Heritage Coast is a strip of coastline designated by the Countryside Agency in England and Wales. ... Families Many, see text. ... Families Blenniidae Chaenopsidae Clinidae Dactyloscopidae Labrisomidae Tripterygiidae The common name blenny is ambiguous at best, as it has been applied to several families of perciform marine fishes all sharing similar morphology and behaviour. ... Superfamilies Dromiacea Homolodromioidea Dromioidea Homoloidea Eubrachyura Raninoidea Cyclodorippoidea Dorippoidea Calappoidea Leucosioidea Majoidea Hymenosomatoidea Parthenopoidea Retroplumoidea Cancroidea Portunoidea Bythograeoidea Xanthoidea Bellioidea Potamoidea Pseudothelphusoidea Gecarcinucoidea Cryptochiroidea Pinnotheroidea * Ocypodoidea * Grapsoidea * An asterisk (*) marks the crabs included in the clade Thoracotremata. ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ... The curlews are a group of eight wader species, characterised by a long slender downcurved bill and mainly brown plumage with little seasonal change. ... For other uses, see Cormorant (disambiguation). ... Species (Linnaeus, 1761) (A. Smith, 1840) For other uses, see Fulmar (disambiguation). ... Species see text The genus Saxicola, the stonechats or chats, is a genus of 14 species of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World. ... Binomial name Anthus petrosus (Montagu, 1798) The Rock Pipit, Anthus petrosus, is a small passerine bird which breeds on rocky coasts of western Europe northwards from Brittany. ... Binomial name Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763 The Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is a large gull which breeds across North America, Europe and Asia. ...

History

There are records of 12,000 archaeological sites and features in the North York Moors National Park of which 700 are scheduled ancient monuments. Radio carbon dating of pollen grains preserved in the moorland peat provides a record of the actual species of plants that existed at various periods in the past. About 10,000 years ago the cold climate of the ice age ameliorated and temperatures rose above growing point of 5.5°C.Plant life was gradually re-established and animals and humans also returned. A Scheduled Ancient Monument is defined in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and the National Heritage Act 1983 of the United Kingdom government. ... Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring isotope carbon-14 to determine the age of carbonaceous materials up to about 60,000 years. ...

• Mesolithic

Around 8,000BC Britain was still part of the European land mass and communities of Middle Stone Age people migrated to England and began to inhabit the North York Moors. Relics of this early hunting, gathering and fishing community have been found as a widespread scattering of flint tools and the barbed flint flakes used in arrows and spears.

• Neolithic

By 5,000 BC global sea levels had risen, the North Sea existed and Britain was cut off from mainland Europe. During the New Stone Age, which lasted from around 4,500 BC to 2,000 BC, the population increased and agriculture was adopted. These early farmers were the first to destroy the forest cover of the moors. Their settlements were concentrated in the fertile parts of the limestone belt and these areas have been continuously farmed ever since. The Neolithic farmers grew crops, kept animals, made pottery and were highly skilled at making stone implements. They buried their dead in long low burial mounds.

• Bronze Age

Around 2,000 BC the early Bronze Age Beaker People were inhabiting the area. During a 1,400 year period these people inhabited all areas of the moors and finally destroyed much of the original forest. The climate was relatively warmer and drier at this time so it was possible to live on the high moors throughout the year. When a piece of land was exhausted of nutrients, these people moved on, leaving behind land that was incapable of supporting anything but a heathland vegetation. There are about 3,000 Bronze Age burial mounds on the moors. The Beaker people (or `Beaker folk) were an archaeological culture present in prehistoric Europe, defined by a pottery style -- a beaker with a distinctive bell-shaped profile -- that many archeologists believe spread across the western part of the Continent during the 3rd millennium BC. The pottery is particularly prevalent in...

• Iron Age

The Iron Age dates from about 600 BC. There are remains of two promontory hillforts at Boltby Scar and Rudston Scar and a collection of circular stone hut foundations on Percy Rigg. Other evidence of Iron Age occupation is scarce, having been obliterated by subsequent agricultural activity.

• Roman

By AD 71 the Roman army had reached Yorkshire where they established a fort at Malton. From here a number of roads radiated. One of these roads was Wades Causeway, which led north-eastwards over the Vale of Pickering and across the moors to the North Sea coast. There are Roman camps at Cawthorn and Lease Rigg near Grosmont and there are signal stations along the coast at Filey, Scarborough, Ravenscar, Goldsborough and Hunt Cliff. The Romans left Britain in AD 410.

• Anglo-Saxon and Viking

After the departure of the Romans, Germanic tribes arrived and settled in the area. These Angles, Saxons and Jutes gave many of the place names to villages on the moors They worshipped a number of gods, notably Woden, the god of war. However, Christianity came to Yorkshire when King Edwin of Northumbria was baptised in AD 627 at York. Christian monasteries were established at Lastingham in 654 and Whitby in 657. A nunnery was built at Hackness in 680.

In the ninth century Viking raiders began to attack the Yorkshire coast and in 867 these Danes destroyed the religious houses at Whitby, Lastingham and Hackness and after battle set up a new Danish kingdom based at York. The Danes settled in the area and later themselves became Christian. They introduced their language, elements of which still remain in the local dialect, and renamed a number of settlements. The term Viking commonly denotes the ship-borne warriors and traders of Norsemen (literally, men from the north) who originated in Scandinavia and raided the coasts of the British Isles and mainland Europe as far east as the Volga River in Russia from the late 8th–11th century. ...

• The Middle Ages

King William I of England and his Norman barons took control of the nation in 1066. Central to the imposition of Norman rule was the building of castles. There are well-preserved castle ruins at Helmsley, Pickering and Scarborough and others existed at Ayton, Danby, Mulgrave and Whorlton. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries monasteries were established on the moors at Whitby Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey, Byland Abbey and Mount Grace Priory. Gifts of land and money were bestowed on these establishments and the monastic orders became notable landowners, eventually owning about a third of the land in the area. The abbeys managed their land as sheep farms and became very rich on the profits. They continued to take in land from the waste and what remained of the forest and in the process gave the moors the distinctive landscape that still remains. Being envious of the wealth of the monasteries, Henry VIII of England closed them down, and confiscated and sold off their property. This was bought by individual people, some rich but some who had been tenants of the monasteries, and became privately owned land. The ruins of Whitby Abbey Illustration of the ruins of Whitby Abbey Whitby Abbey from pond Whitby Abbey is a ruined Benedictine abbey sited on Whitbys East Cliff in North Yorkshire on the north-east coast of England. ... The ruins of the abbey church Rievaulx Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey located in the small village of Rievaulx (pronounced Ree-voh), near Helmsley in North Yorkshire. ... The ruins of Byland Abbey Early History Byland Abbey in Yorkshire was founded as a Savigniac abbey in January 1135 and was absorbed by the Cistercian order in 1147. ... Mount Grace Priory is the best preserved and most accessible of the ten Carthusian charterhouses in England. ...

• Post-mediaeval

In many areas of the moors and their associated dales the settlements took the form of isolated farms and hamlets rather than villages. Very few had an open field system of agriculture so Enclosure Acts were rarer than in other parts of England. The seventeenth century saw a major acceleration in the reclaiming of marginal waste land and in the eighteenth century forward looking landlords attempted to improve their lands using drainage schemes and fertilisation measures.^[8]

• The nineteenth century

In the nineteenth century railways were built from Pickering to Whitby (1836), Middlesborough to Whitby (1868) and Scarborough to Whitby (1884).

Locally sourced iron ore has been processed on the North York Moors from medieval times. In the 19th century it became a boom industry. Dozens of ironstone mines and several short-lived blast furnaces were constructed. Between 1856 and 1926 high-grade magnetic ironstone was mined in Rosedale. A railway was built around the top of the dale to serve the mines, and kilns were built to process the ore. In two decades the population of the valley rose from 558 to nearly 3000.Poor-quality coal was mined in many places on the moors from the 18th century to the early 20th century. The North York Moors is the only source for British jet. It has been mined in the area from prehistoric times but the industry grew in the middle of the 19th century in response to a fashion for the jewellery produced from it. In the 1880’s cheap imports produced a decline in the industry which was focussed on Whitby. The remains of alum quarries are to be found to the north of the area and along the coast. Alum was important to the textile industry because it was used as a mordant or fixative for dyes that were used to colour cloth. The industry thrived in the region from the early 17th century until 1871. Its decline came when chemical dyes were discovered. The scars of industrial activity on the moors make it an interesting area in which to pursue industrial archaeology.^[9] This heap of iron ore pellets will be used in steel production. ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel formed in swamp ecosystems where plant remains were saved by water and mud from oxidization and biodegradation. ... Look up jet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A crystal of alum Alum, Allom [aluminium potassium sulphate], in chemistry, is a term given to the crystallized double sulfates of the typical formula M+2SO4·M3+2(SO4)3·24H2O, where M+ is the sign of an alkali metal (lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, or caesium), and M3+ denotes one...

Economy

The area's economy is mainly founded on tourism and agriculture. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (885x591, 187 KB) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): North York Moors Yorkshire colloquialisms Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (885x591, 187 KB) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): North York Moors Yorkshire colloquialisms Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Tourists on Oʻahu, Hawaii Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of services in support of this act. ...

Agriculture

For over a thousand years the basis of the economy in the North York Moors was agriculture. The rural scene, which attracts millions of visitors to the park each year, has been formed and maintained by generations of farmers. The 1996 Agricultural Census recorded a total workforce of 2,913 employed on 1,342 working farms. Sheep and cattle provide the prime source of farm income. The dale farms have rights to graze sheep on the open moor. The rights to moorland grazing are often essential to the economic viability of a farm. In recent years agriculture in Britain has suffered economic setbacks and the viability of hill farming has become questionable. A number of environmental schemes to improve farm incomes have been devised but the industry continues to decline. Agricultural use of the moors is shared with grouse shooting as a means of gaining financial return from the vast expanse of heather. There is richer farmland across the southern limestone belt, where there are arable and mixed farms as well as the livestock farms. The main arable crops are barley, wheat, oilseed rape, potatoes, and sugar beets. There is also some intensive production of pigs and poultry.

Tourism

Many visitors to the moors are engaged in outdoor pursuits, particularly walking; the parks has a network of rights-of-way almost 2300 km (1400 miles) in length, and most of the areas of open moorland will be open access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Popular named walks included the Cleveland Way, which circles the moors, and has a section along the coast; and the Lyke Wake Walk, which leads directly across the heart of the moors. The area also offers opportunities for cycling, mountain biking, and horse-riding. The steep escarpments that define the edges of the park on three sides are used by several gliding clubs. Hillwalking or fellwalking is the recreational practice of hiking in mountainous terrain. ... In the United Kingdom, rights of way are paths on which the public have a legally-protected right to travel. ... The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 is a UK act of parliament which came into force on November 30, 2000. ... The Cleveland Way is a National Trail in Northern England. ... The Lyke Wake Walk was started by a local farmer, Bill Cowley, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England, in 1955. ... Police officer on a bicycle Cycling is a recreation, a sport and a means of transport across land. ... Mountain biker riding in the Arizona desert. ... horse, see Horse (disambiguation). ... A modern glider crossing the finish line of a competition at high speed. ...

Entertainment

The moors have a not changed much in the past 50 years, and are often used as a backdrop to British television programmes and films.The Heartbeat and the scenes of The Hogsmeade Station in the Harry Potter movies were filmed in Goathland. Dalby Forest is also host to many forms of entertainment throughout the year including outdoor concerts. For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... Heartbeat is a long-running British TV police drama series set in 1960s Yorkshire. ... Hogsmeade is a fictional village in Scotland that appears in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. ... Goathland is a village in the North Yorkshire Moors national park, England. ...

Aerial photo of the North York Moors

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 406 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): North York Moors Metadata This file... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 406 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): North York Moors Metadata This file...

Towns

There are few major settlements within, or around, the National Park: Helmsley, Pickering, Kirkbymoorside, Stokesley, Northallerton and Whitby, which is often regarded as the capital of the North York Moors. The moors are within a reasonable distance of Redcar and East Cleveland. Statistics Population: 1,570 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SE612838 Administration District: Ryedale Shire county: North Yorkshire Region: Yorkshire and the Humber Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: North Yorkshire Historic county: North Yorkshire Services Police force: North Yorkshire Police Ambulance service: Yorkshire Post office and... Pickering is an ancient market town and a parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England,on the borders of the North York Moors National Park. ... Kirbymoorside is a small market town in North Yorkshire, England. ... Statistics Population: 4750 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: NZ524087 Administration District: Hambleton Shire county: North Yorkshire Region: Yorkshire and the Humber Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: North Yorkshire Historic county: Yorkshire (North Riding) Services Police force: North Yorkshire Police Ambulance service: Yorkshire Post office and... Northallerton is a town in North Yorkshire, England. ... Whitby is a historic town in North Yorkshire on the north-east coast of England. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Langbaurgh East was a wapentake of the North Riding of Yorkshire, the eastern division of Langbaurgh. ...

• Kilburn
• Castleton
• Goathland
• Grosmont
• Helmsley
• Hutton-le-Hole
• Kirkbymoorside
• Osmotherley
• Pickering
• Robin Hood's Bay
• Whitby

The small village of Kilburn in North Yorkshire is known for two reasons: the White Horse, and the Mouseman. ... Castleton is a village on the River Esk in the county of North Yorkshire in England. ... Goathland is a village in the North Yorkshire Moors national park, England. ... Grosmont (pronounced grow-mont) is a small village situated in North Yorkshire, England and is within the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. ... Statistics Population: 1,570 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SE612838 Administration District: Ryedale Shire county: North Yorkshire Region: Yorkshire and the Humber Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: North Yorkshire Historic county: North Yorkshire Services Police force: North Yorkshire Police Ambulance service: Yorkshire Post office and... Shops in Hutton-le-Hole Centre of Hutton-le-Hole Hutton-le-Hole and Hutton Beck (the stream) in February 2005 Hutton-le-Hole is a very small village in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England, about seven miles north west of Pickering. ... Kirbymoorside is a small market town in North Yorkshire, England. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Pickering is an ancient market town and a parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England,on the borders of the North York Moors National Park. ... Location within the British Isles. ... Whitby is a historic town in North Yorkshire on the north-east coast of England. ...

Attractions

• North Yorkshire Moors Railway
• Byland Abbey
• Cleveland Way National trail (long distance footpath)
• Lyke Wake Walk (long distance footpath)
• Forge Valley NNR National Nature Reserve
• Farndale LNR Local Nature Reserve
• Helmsley Castle
• Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Reserves: Ashberry Pastures, Bridestones, Ellerburn Bank, Fen Bog, Garbutt Wood, Hagg wood Marsh, Hayburn Wyke, Littlebeck.
• Rievaulx Abbey & Rosedale Abbey
• River Seven, River Dove, River Rye, River Seph, River Esk

A diesel train on the NYMR Goathland station. ... The ruins of Byland Abbey Early History Byland Abbey in Yorkshire was founded as a Savigniac abbey in January 1135 and was absorbed by the Cistercian order in 1147. ... The Cleveland Way is a National Trail in Northern England. ... Long-distance trails (or long-distance tracks, paths, footpaths or greenways) are trails or footpaths covering large distances, typically 50 km or more, used for rambling (that is, hiking or backpacking). ... The Lyke Wake Walk was started by a local farmer, Bill Cowley, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England, in 1955. ... National Nature Reserve is a United Kingdom government conservation designation for a nature reserve of national significance. ... A Local Nature Reserve or LNR is a statutory designation in England made under Section 21 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 by principal local authorities. ... Helmsley Castle Helmsley Castle is a medieval castle situated in the market town of Helmsley, North Yorkshire. ... The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the traditional county of Yorkshire, England. ... The ruins of the abbey church Rievaulx Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey located in the small village of Rievaulx (pronounced Ree-voh), near Helmsley in North Yorkshire. ... Rosedale Abbey is located in a spectacular North Yorkshire (UK) valley in the centre of Rosedale, an area of rolling hillsides and stunning scenery. ... The River Rye near Nunnington, swollen after heavy rain. ... The River Esk is a river in Yorkshire, England that empties into the North Sea at Whitby after a course of around 45km. ...

References

1. ^ Living in the North York Moors National Park. National Parks. Retrieved on 2006-06-01.
2. ^ Philips Ordnance Survey Motoring Atlas of Great Britain.2006
3. ^ Englands Landscape. The North East. English Heritage.Fred Aalen.Collins. London.2006
4. ^ UK Met Office. Metoffice.gov.uk
5. ^ The North York Moors Landscape Heritage. Spratt and Harrison. NYM National Park.
6. ^ UK Environment Agency. Derwent CAMS.
7. ^ Ordnance Survey Landranger Guidebook. York and the Moors. Jarrold Norwich 1988.
8. ^ North York Moors. Ian Sampson. David and Charles.Devon.2001
9. ^ www.moors.uk.net. Sourced 01-03-2007.

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North Yorkshire Moors

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Coordinates: 54°23′N, 0°45′W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...