High Carl

Shooting Hut at Blue Hill

Old mine shaft near Gibbon Hill

The tops of mine shafts often show well on moorland as they are surrounded, as here, by a grassed-over collar of mine spoil. The shaft seen here appears not to be open but is probably sealed in some rudimentary way - to walk on its base might be unwise. It's possible of course that the shaft was of no great depth. The dumped timber surely has no connection with the mine's history but is simply a mass of old fencing wood dumped there.

Fence line heading towards Greets Hill

The fence connects two moorland hill tops, Gibbon Hill and Greets Hill; those tops are actually very minor rises indeed along the ridge dividing Swaledale and Apedale.

Estate road below Beldow Hill

Beldow Hill is a fairly vague location on the northern slope of High Carl and Gibbon Hill, which are themselves two minor features of the southern side of Swaledale. The road is heading eastwards towards a shooting hut where, on earlier visits the photographer has found a stuffed ram in one of the unlocked rooms! It was absent on this occasion.

Estate road north of High Carl

The road is on the southern slope of Swaledale; it follows a route which is also that of a bridleway.

Summit area of High Carl

High Carl is a moorland hill top near to Apedale Head. The fence crosses close to the hill's highest point which may well be just beyond the fence line - OS mapping gives a spot height in that direction, west of the fence angle, at 555m. The low boundary stone is cut with a 'B' on the south side which is in view; there's the letter 'F' on the other side.

Slope descending near Browna Gill

The slope is on the south side of Swaledale. Calver Hill is on the far side of the valley at the centre of the image with Fremington Edge to the right of it and more distant.

South Grain

With evidence of former lead mining activities.

Pond, Apedale Head

A former pit shaft I think.

Gibbon Hill

Looking north.

T Eyre

On Gibbon Hill

Looking south.

T Eyre

Footbridge over Mirk Gill

Old stone footbridge over Mirk Gill, close to Hops House.

Birks Gill

Birks Gill should mean 'gill of the birches', but the only tree in evidence here appears to be an ash. The beck is almost completely dry following weeks with very little rainfall.

Ruins at Birks End

There are ruins either side of the gill at Birks End and it is difficult to work out if either was once a house. This building is unusual in that it has steeply angled gables, which would suggest that it once had a ling thatched roof. The Birks End farmhouse on the modern map is a few metres further up the hillside.

Mirk Gill

Unlike its neighbour Birk Gill, this gill actually has water running down it. Swaledale gets plenty of rain, but the first few months of 2011 have been unusually dry.