Barnby, East

"The monument includes a motte and bailey castle situated at the head of the valley of the Sandsend Beck, overlooking its precipitous gorge from the north side. The Barnby Beck, major tributary of the Sandsend Beck, issues over a series of waterfalls from a slack, while a minor tributary flows in a steep-sided gully along the western edge of the monument; because of its location the castle has good natural defences on its south-western side. The motte is an artificial mound, 50m in diameter at the base and surrounded by an 8m wide, 2m deep ditch. The mound is 4m high, the flat top being 40m in diameter and partially surrounded by a 0.5m high rampart bank. There are various low earthworks on the top of the mound, some of which will contain the foundations of buildings such as the fortified tower which once stood on the motte while other features are the result of a small-scale excavation reported to have been carried out prior to 1817. To the north-east of the motte and running at a tangent to it is a ditch which links the gully of the small stream to the west with the edge of the precipice to the south; the ditch is 5m wide and 1.5m deep at its north-western end but becomes 10m wide and 3m deep at its south-eastern end. The motte is flanked by two enclosures, or baileys. Of these, the northern one is triangular, measuring 60m by 30m across, bounded by the ditch on its north-eastern side and by the steep, 5m high scarp of the east bank of the stream at the west. The southern bailey is larger, measuring 65m long by 40m wide, bounded by the ditch to the north-east and by the precipice to the south and west. The castle was founded in 1072 by Nigel Fossard and abandoned about 1200 when Robert de Turnham built Old Mulgrave Castle, its stone successor, 700m to the east." Historicengland.org.uk. (2012). Foss Castle: a motte and bailey, precursor to Old Mulgrave Castle, Lythe - 1008286 | Historic England. [online] Available at: Link [Accessed 11 Dec. 2021].

The benchmark is cut into the north face of a left cornerstone of the village shop.

There is a benchmark cut into the north face of a left cornerstone of the village shop, below the finger post,

The benchmark is cut into the roadside wall of Corner Cottage, just below the down pipe.

There is a benchmark cut into the roadside wall of Corner Cottage, just below the black downpipe.

Harvested fields to the sea side

The benchmark is cut into the west facing gable end of the farmhouse. It is well hidden from view with shrubbery growing from the base of the wall.

There is a benchmark cut into the west facing gable end of the farmhouse. It is well hidden from view with shrubbery growing from the base of the wall.

A close-up of the sign at the corner with Lodge Road can be seen in NZ8413 : Sign at the junction of Lodge Lane and High Street (A174), Lythe.

The sign points to Ugthorpe, Whitby and Guisborough; it can be seen in context in NZ8413 : High Street (A174), Lythe.

The A174 runs 33 miles from Thornaby on Tees to Whitby. Link

The A174 runs 33 miles from Thornaby on Tees to Whitby. Link