Discover: Blakey Ridge
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Date posted: 31/03/2022
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Time to read: 6 minutes
Charlie Fox
Charlie is Content Manager for the North York Moors National Park Authority. Previously working as a journalist, focused on environmental issues, Charlie first came to the National Park Authority with a desire to work alongside an organisation with shared values and a commitment towards the natural world. “One of the best things about my job is writing about this striking landscape and the people who care for it”.
Heading from the southern fringes of the North York Moors National Park I headed over Blakey Ridge – a vast upland of moorland and dale. It was a pale, light day. The clouds were white, flat, and sparse, but still held the warmth of sunlight.
Such a space has an openness that draws the land closer to the sky. To be amongst it, looking far into the distance where treetops shape the skyline, I felt for a moment bolder, but then, in a good way, smaller. Smaller than the rolling valleys, smaller than the hills, clouds, sky.
As captivating as such a landscape is, I had to move on, past the village of Westerdale towards a narrow beck that ran at the bottom of a steep decline – a shaded and tranquil waterway in sharp contrast to the rawness of the surrounding moorland.
It was here at a small, gravel car park that I met Ellie Davidson, a young Conservation Trainee for the North York Moors National Park Authority, who is leading on a project to protect and enhance juniper trees. Wearing a spirited smile, Ellie emerged from her car. We laced up our boots and headed out into the landscape.
It wasn’t long until we came across what Ellie described as her ‘favourite juniper’. Now this is what is referred to as a ‘tree’ juniper, as oppose to the other subspecies ‘dwarf’ juniper. Such trees appear in all sorts of forms and grow up to 10 metres tall. They are dioecious, meaning that male and female structures grow on separate trees and have small, needle-like leaves of green and silver. Female juniper produce fleshy cones that look like berries and when mature have vibrant hues of purple, indigo and black.
At roughly three metres tall, Ellie’s juniper didn’t have a dominating presence, but its long branches were quite distinct by the way they flowed down the tree, in some cases to the ground, before rising sharply at the tips. This feature was so distinct that it gave it an ornamental quality and from certain angles it looked like the wide-opened mouth of a whale.
Sadly, such trees are becoming increasingly rare in England as a result of habitat fragmentation and the fungus–like pathogen Phytophthora austrocedrae. Ellie’s work is to survey current populations within the National Park, revitalise previous conservation efforts and take new steps to cultivate healthy junipers – a necessary step towards a brighter future of what is one of only three native conifers of Britain.
What has remained with me since this journey is the striking diversity of the landscape of the North York Moors National Park and how that supports a wide variety of life and experiences. You can seek shelter in quiet spaces like shaded becks, or you can stand boldly against the elements high on the moorland. There is a richness here that I would identify as not only being necessary to nature, but necessary for the nourishment of our minds – a place that can soothe, challenge and enrich.
Article Banner image credit Ebor Images
Spooky season is in full force across our National Parks! 🎃
From eerie encounters to magical misty landscapes, our National Parks look wonderfully frightful.
Keep swiping for some spooky seasonal finds…
1. Pumpkin at the ready at Dartmoor National Park.
2. Visitors enjoying a frightfully fun Halloween Trail at Aysgarth Falls, Yorkshire Dales National Park. Photo by Stephen Garnett.
3. A watchful crow leading the way perched on a signpost at South Downs National Park. Photo by Colin Mitchell.
4. St Benet’s Abbey emerging from the atmospheric autumn mist at the Broads National Park.
5. A beaver caught in a mesmerising moment under the cover of darkness at Cairngorms National Park.
6. Devil’s Fingers (Clathrus archeri) reaching their eerie tendrils through the grass at New Forest National Park. Photo by Bryan Wilson.
7. Thirlwall Castle standing proudly beneath a spectacular, star-filled night sky at Northumberland National Park.
#NationalParks #Halloween #SpookySeason
Dartmoor National Park celebrates 75 years today, but its story holds more than 10,000 years of human history.
Some of its prehistoric remains date back to the Bronze Age, and the longest prehistoric stone row in the world can be found on Dartmoor.
Dartmoor truly is a place where thousands of years of history remain woven into the landscape. 💚
#Dartmoor #DartmoorNationalPark #NationalParksUK
You don`t have to wait for nightfall to experience the magic of darkness. ✨🌙
Now the nights are drawing in, “Dusking", a traditional Dutch twilight ritual, could teach us how to appreciate the darkening evenings.
As the golden hour fades into the blue hour, the landscape begins it quiet transformation. Colours soften, sounds change, and a hidden world starts to emerge. Bats take to the skies, moths begin their nightly journeys, and familiar places reveal a completely different character.
While the tradition of Dusking may have begun in the Netherlands and re-introduced in Amsterdam, shared experiences are spreading across Europe.
Places like @northyorkmoors are holding dusking events as part of their Dark Skies Festivals, inviting people to slow down and reconnect with nature together.
Have you ever tried Dusking? Tell us below 👇
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Danby Beacon, North York Moors National Park (Russell Burton)
Sutton Bank at sunset, North York Moors National Park (Oliver Sherratt)
Sutton Bank at dusk, North York Moors National Park (Steve Bell)
North York Moors National Park (Steve Bell)
The clocks go back on Sunday, which means more darkness. ⏰ ⭐
But darkness isn’t always a bad thing. Darker nights bring many benefits for our natural environment, supporting wildlife and helping nature thrive.
Stargazing beneath our dark skies also connects us to centuries of traditions and our enduring fascination with the stars. ✨
Our National Parks are home to some of the darkest skies in the UK. By protecting these special places, we can help preserve the dark skies that benefit both people and nature.
#DarkSkies #NationalParks #ClocksGoBack
👻 Strange sights and spooky stories await in the @Southdownsnp
From mist-shrouded woods and twisted trees to castles beneath the moon, the National Park is home to many eerie spots.
And across our 15 National Parks, there are tales that have endured for centuries, legends still passed down today, and histories with dark chapters.
📸
Ghost in South Downs - Luis Fernando Mancilla
Iping tree - Richard Murray
Harvest moon - Andrew Gambling Photography
Devil’s Dyke - Sam Moore
Stamner Park - Finn Curry
#SouthDowns #Halloween #NationalParks
🎉 Happy Exmoor Day, @exmoornp!
Today, Exmoor National Park celebrates years of connecting people with nature, wildlife and the great outdoors.
From England’s largest wild red deer herd and native ponies to Europe’s first International Dark Sky Reserve and dramatic landscapes, Exmoor is a place full of life, history and discovery.
Its landscapes, wildlife and historic villages bring people closer to nature and create opportunities to explore, connect and enjoy the benefits of being outdoors.
Here’s to Exmoor – and many more adventures to come! 💚
#Exmoor #ExmoorNationalPark #NationalParksUK
Happy birthday @parc_eryri 🎂
From its towering peaks and sweeping valleys to its rich heritage, Eryri (Snowdonia) is a place that means so much to so many people.
It`s a landscape full of stories, shaped by generations of people and home to some of Wales` most treasured places, from the summit of Yr Wyddfa to the quieter corners.
Today, we`re celebrating everything that makes Eryri unique, from the people and traditions that give it its character to the ongoing work to protect its landscapes and wildlife.
Share your favourite memories of Eryri in the comments! 💬
📸Ogwen Valley, Snowdonia @cinqueportsphotography
#Eryri #EryriNationalPark #TheAnswerIsNationalParks
Autumn is a chance to give nature a helping hand. 🍂
From leaving fallen leaves to providing food for birds, small actions can make a big difference to the world around us.
Here are some of the ways to help nature this season.
#NatureRecovery #Autumn #NationalParks
