Roseberry Topping was originally known as Óòins bjarg toppen (Odinsberg ), or Odin’s Rock or Crag and is believed to have been a Sacred Hill to our Viking invaders who settled the area.
The legend concerns Osmund, a king of Northumberland and his queen. She had been unable to produce an heir so Osmund prayed very hard that she might conceive, and consulted wise men on the subject. Eventually the queen did give birth to a son, Oswy, but the wise men gave the king bad news. They told him that the child would die by drowning on his second birthday.
Osmund instructed his queen to take their son to the highest part of his kingdom – Odinsberg. They could shelter in an old hermitage - probably a cave – at the top for three days, making sure that Oswy was well away from rivers or ponds during his birthday.
The queen carried the child up the steep hill, 1049 feet in height, and became very tired. On Oswy’s birthday she lay down to rest in the hot sunshine and fell asleep. Oswy wandered off and when the queen woke up there was no sign of him anywhere so she went looking for him and found him drowned in a pool known as Odinsberg Spring, close to the summit of the hill.
The queen became distraught and died not long after her son, they were buried in the churchyard in Tivotdale, from then on Tivotdale became known as Oswy-by-his-mother-lay, now known as the town of Osmotherley, or so it is told.
For further information on the area try this link:
http://www.halikeld.f9.co.uk/holywells/north/rosebery.htm
and for photo’s of Roseberry Topping and other areas:
http://www.newfocusphoto.com/display.php?ref=danby_high_moor
Lord Stones to Stokesley
From Lord Stones, instead of going back to Chop Gate, we will descend the escarpment known as Carlton Bank, a very steep, narrow and winding road that takes us down to the valley we overlooked. From the bottom you can look back up at the top where previously you were standing overlooking the valley. Just a couple of miles further on we come to the pleasant market town of Stokesley. It has a long main street and a couple of car parks that were probably the original market squares. Between the sidewalks and the road there is a cobbled area where cars can park free.
When we were on our way home from Middlesborough we stopped off at Stokesley as I wanted to visit Boyes Store, to find some beads for a shawl I am knitting, and as we entered the town we were astounded to see that a huge Carnival had taken over all the car parks and the cobbled area throughout the town. I’ve never seen such a large carnival, it had literally taken over the town, extending down side streets too. They had arrived the previous night and were getting ready to open up for the evening, it was planned to be there for three days during the Stokesley Show which was taking place on a show field on the outskirts of the town. I bought my beads and then we stopped off in a little Italian Bistro for a coffee before setting off home, back along the main road leading through Chop Gate. It started to rain a little as we approached Helmsley. We Brits grumble about our weather constantly, too much rain, not enough summer, but in reality we should be thankful. It is the rain that keeps our fields so gloriously green and our trees and shrubs so abundant and healthy. Sometimes the green is almost dazzling.
I was asked about the food at Lord Stones Café, depending on the appetite we might just have a bowl of soup and a roll, but it is a BIG bowl and a BIG roll! If we are really hungry we will have maybe a roast, pork, beef or chicken with all the trimmings and of course the traditional Yorkshire pudding, or baked Gammon with fried eggs, chips (fries to you) and side salad. There are all kinds of sandwiches, cakes and desserts too. I wrote an article on Lord Stones Café back in 2003 which you can find here:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=11000
Unfortunately I have just heard that the owner of Lord Stones has been receiving threats on Facebook recently due to an incident when over 1000 bikers turned up at the café. It can cope with quite a lot of people but certainly not that many at one time, and things became ugly when some of the bikers started using foul language and became aggressive because they couldn’t get served, frightening other customers. I hope it doesn’t happen again, it is such a lovely place to visit.
A Poem I wrote back in 2004 about Yorkshire that has been published several times.
Beauty of Yorkshire
Hills and vales carved by long lost
rivers and icy fingered glaciers,
sparkling streams and rocky shallows
flowing past Alder shaded banks
and daffodils in glorious profusion
proclaim the coming of Spring to the dales.
A valley filled with swirling white mist
where treetops float on an ethereal sea
lapping at verdant, bejewelled and
sun-kissed meadow lined shores,
a magical and mystical scene
and up above a lone curlew calls.
Vast and lonely windswept moorland,
home of purple heather and stunted trees,
habitat of grouse and tiger moth caterpillar,
fens and bogs and hidden Roman roads;
where grazing sheep, legendary ghosts
and strange creatures roam.
Across the wolds to the coast,
sandy beaches and cold North sea
quaint red roofed villages that
cling like limpets to crumbling cliffs
weathering the ravages of storm and sea,
defiant in the face of erosion.
Yorkshire is a treasury of
historic cities and small market towns,
picturesque coastal and inland villages
surrounded by diverse and magnificent scenery,
A county of exceptional beauty
and a sparkling gem in Britain’s crown.
Jackie S Brooks
11th September 2004 (c)
Tomorrow I will take you on a virtual tour in the opposite direction, from Little Barugh, where I live, to Thirsk, Ripon and the outskirts of Harrogate.
My Proddy Rug
I started this a couple of years ago then it ended up in the attic when I ran out of things to cut up. I needed more red to finish the border, but recently found what I needed at a jumble sale, some old red jackets I could cut into clips, so now the proddy rug is finished. It's the kind of carpet my grandma used to make, a big one for in front of the fire, and smaller ones for hall and bedrooms, we didn't have wall to wall carpet in those days, just lino.
My two boy cats, Rappy and Jet, love this new rug, Jet likes to 'kill' it, Rappy likes to sleep on it, it's thick, soft and warm.
Finished Proddy Rug
Proddy Rug Tool and clip of fabric Vintage Cane Carpet Beater
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