Old Mally Plantation

Wood, Forest in Yorkshire Scarborough

England

Old Mally Plantation

Raven Lodge retaining walls Credit: Mick Garratt

Old Mally Plantation, located in the picturesque county of Yorkshire, England, is a historic woodland nestled within a sprawling forest. Covering an area of approximately 50 acres, this enchanting plantation is renowned for its ancient trees and diverse flora and fauna.

The plantation, dating back several centuries, has retained its original charm and remains largely untouched by modern development. It boasts a magnificent collection of towering oak, beech, and ash trees, some of which are believed to be over 300 years old. These majestic giants create a dense canopy, providing a tranquil and sheltered environment for a myriad of wildlife species.

The woodland floor is carpeted with a rich tapestry of wildflowers, such as bluebells, primroses, and wood anemones, which burst into vibrant colors during the spring months. The plantation is also home to an abundance of wildlife, including deer, foxes, badgers, and a myriad of bird species, making it a haven for nature enthusiasts and birdwatchers alike.

The plantation is crisscrossed by a network of well-maintained footpaths, allowing visitors to explore its captivating beauty at their own pace. These paths lead to charming clearings, babbling brooks, and hidden ponds, further enhancing the plantation's allure.

Old Mally Plantation offers a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of city life, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the tranquility of nature. Whether one seeks a leisurely stroll, a picnic amidst the trees, or a chance to reconnect with the natural world, this woodland paradise promises an unforgettable experience for all.

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Old Mally Plantation Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 54.427437/-0.92334289 or Grid Reference NZ6904. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Raven Lodge retaining walls

Mick Garratt

Little Fryup Dale

The Rev. J.C. Atkinson, writing in the late 19th-century, had a fascination for Little Fryup Dale, or rather the folklore associated with the area around the little knoll on the right, Fairy Cross Plain. It might seem odd that a man of the cloth should be so preoccupied with fairies, elves and hobs but belief in the supernatural would still have been within living memory of many of his parishioners. In 1866 he wrote: There was a singularly fine fairy-ring, at Fairy-cross Plain, in this parish — a place which will be mentioned again before long, in connection with the Elfin race — round which children, in the time of my parish clerk’s childhood, (and he is not fifty yet,) would run any number of times short of nine, himself among the number. Nothing would induce them to run the ninth, for if they did it would ‘raise the fairies,’ who were held to have great power to harm, and a willingness too, if treated neglectingly or despitefully. Atkinson compares similar lore from Northumberland, Scotland and across the North Sea, from Sweden and Denmark. Fairy Cross Plain now is just two or three cottages. In Atkinson’s day, one of these was a public house called the “Ship Inn”. Job Bonas lived in another. He was a farmer, blacksmith and horse breeder, and used to drive to Helmsley by pony and trap to shoe the oxen on Lord Feversham’s estate. For sources and references see my blog Link

Mick Garratt

New Way

The steep hill out of Little Fryup Dale.

T Eyre

Little Fryup Dale

Looking east at the bottom of New Way.

T Eyre

Great Fryup Dale

Looking NE from the road.

T Eyre

On Danby Rigg

Looking west towards Danby Dale.

T Eyre

Danby Rigg

The rocky escarpment on the west side of Danby Rigg.

T Eyre

Road junction at Slate Hill

The road along Little Fryup Dale has a branch here which ascends the moorside. A roadside sign warns that this is a single track road with no passing places and is unsuitable for lorries. It fails to mention the numerous potholes though.

Gordon Hatton

The steep descent into Little Fryup Dale

A single track road that drops steeply off the moor into Little Fryup Dale. A sign at the bottom warns of a lack of passing places, but there are several smooth grassy areas where vehicles may pass.

Gordon Hatton

Bridleway into the dale

This is bridleway number 30.31/114 which drops down off the moor for a 140m descent to the road at the minor watershed between Little and Great Fryup Dale. The prominent 'island' of high ground in the distance is simply shown as 'Heads' on OS maps old and new.

Gordon Hatton

Moorland sheep

Sheep on the moor above Great Fryup Dale. They appear to exist quite happily up here through the winter months, their grassy diet no doubt supplemented with sheep nuts and hay by the farmer. Beyond Great Fryup Dale is a thin blue line on the horizon, that being the North Sea out from Whitby.

Gordon Hatton

Across the moor towards disturbed ground

Gently sloping moorland above the head of Great Fryup Dale. In the middle distance an area of highly disturbed ground which suggests an area of landslips rather than human activity, as there's no indication on old maps of any quarrying or mining. What old maps do show is a line of springs, probably emerging where sandstone overlies shales, a combination which often causes landslips.

Gordon Hatton