Moors link with Scandinavia

The North York Moors were designated a national park in 1952.

Much of the underlying strata of the area saw the light of day south of the equator. It was movement of the massive plates which make up the earth's crust which caused the layers of rock to move northwards. They became covered by seas which later evaporated. A river delta brought silt and rocks from the areas which we today know as Scotland and Scandinavia.

After the last ice age the area of the moors was covered in tundra-like vegetation. The first men to visit the area were hunters, but later farmers came.

The Romans used the moors as a site for ironstone excavation and military training.

Helmsley,a key gateway to the moors, was a community long before the Norman invasion of 1066. It was recorded in the Domesday Book as Almslac. The town has a 12th Century castle with a unique D-shaped keep.

Jewel in the crown of the moors is Rievaulx Abbey, built by Christian monks who came to the area in 1132 and stayed until they were thrown out by Henry V111 in 1538.

Stand on the edge of the Hambleton Hills just below the crest of Sutton Bank on a good day and you can see Whernside Hill above Ribblehead 32 miles away or Richmond which is 24 miles distant.

The first car was driven up Sutton Bank in 1904. It took driver Robert Bower two attempts to reach the top, the first ending in disaster when a safety sprag failed and the car ran backwards and toppled over.

Written by The Editor - 14/03/2001 16:35:05

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