Rosedale is a long farming valley of extraordinary beauty, although it was once a hub of industrial activity when the iron mining and quarrying were in full swing. The disused remains of the iron works are all around in the upper valley walls northwards of Rosedale Abbey. The Rosedale East Mines are Scheduled Monuments with Historic England.

Rosedale Valley is now populated by peaceful farming communities, as appears from this image of Stables Farm and its surrounds. Florence Terrace and Midge Hole Farm dazzle in comparison to the calcining kilns of the 18th and 19th century iron industry, now preserved as part of our heritage. The disused railway line, now part of the Rosedale Circular Walk, can be made out as it passes the stone calcination kilns on the East Side of Rosedale Valley.

There were four kilns with sixteen stone arches on the east side of the Valley, near Stables's Farm. These were used to roast (calcine) the ironstone before it was transported. It is said that more than 10 million tons of ironstone was processed in these kilns before the railway's closure. The slag was tipped into the valley below, and has since been earthed over.

There are three substantial Iron Kilns at the disused East Mines, located to the east of Gill Beck and close to Florence Terrace. The dumped iron spoil heaps are striking with their red colour, on the sloping ground beneath the Kilns.

Dale Head Farm is located at the end of Daleside Road, which runs along the centre of Rosedale Valley coming from Rosedale Abbey. The farm is at the foot of a long wooded area to the east side of Nab Scar, which is the steep scarp at the foot of Sturdy Bank. The Scar and the bordering gulch above the wood are rather dramatic looking. The Rosedale Railway track can be seen winding around the top of the wood and fields.

In Rosedale Valley, below the Blakey Junction, there is an alluring fieldscape into the valley towards several farms. Near the foot of West Side is Moorlands Farm below which the long line of trees identifies the River Seven, the main valley river. Beyond the Seven is Red House Farm and to its south is the sinuous line of an un-named Beck issuing from a spring just below the disused railway track.

Shortly after the Rosedale Railway crosses around the head of the valley it encounters a deep side valley carved by the Reeking Gill. This is spanned by a raised embankment. The Reeking Gill is a substantial subsidiary to the River Seven which begins its life further west at the top of Rosedale Head near the parish boundary.

A closer view of Reeking Gill demonstrates its depth, and the size of the Gill. The trees running left-right in the image provide a foliar shield over the infant River Seven. This River is 15 miles long and is eventually subsumed by the River Rye at Brawby. The raised embankment of the Rosedale Railway is clearly seen spanning the Reeking Gill, which is culverted. The embankment is made up of spoil from the railway cuttings and waste ferried by the railway. The rough land in the foreground is known as Blakey Swang.

The River Seven issues at Rosedale Head. The Seven is culverted beneath the disused railway and soon finds the valley floor where it subsumes the Reeking Gill coming in from the east near the parish boundary, a little below Seavy Hill and the Coast path at Seavey Hill.

The Remains of the Rosedale Railway Water Tower stands on the disused railway path between the Lion Inn and Rosedale Head. There was once a metal water tower on top of a brick building. In the background is the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge.

High Blakey House is a bed and breakfast accommodation opposite to the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge. The land below it and stretching south is known as Blakey Swang. Blakey Swang is a large open field, shown on the OS of 1842-1952 as stretching along the east of Blakey Ridge from the old reservoir north north east of the Lion Inn (on the opposite side of the road) to a footpath opposite Little Blakey Howe, on the east of the ridge road. The field extends down the dale side almost to its foot.

The three main Rosedale iron mines where: 1 Hollins Mine. The iron from this mine bore exceptional magnetic properties. Hollins Mine is a scheduled monument located near to Hollins Farm, just south of Rosedale Abbey. 2 Sheriff's Ironstone Pit, which is the site of the first of the mines. Sherrif's Pit is midway between the Blakey Ridge Road at Low Blakey Moor and Thorgill in the Rosedale valley. 3 The East Mines, which can be located at the head of Gill Beck on the old mining railway.

Coast to Coast Trail Guide

"Hiking the Coast to Coast" is a digitally enhanced eBook available from Apple Books for all people who have either a Mac, an iPhone or an iPad, and is designed to accompany you on your walk of the Coast to Coast path. The trail guide contains Ordnance Survey maps and other advanced mapping features, step by step directions, hundreds of colour photographs, details of the route, its conditions in different weather and research snippets relating to places of interest along the way.