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<< Our Photo Pages >> Roseberry Topping - Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature in England in Yorkshire (North)

Submitted by johndhunter on Friday, 28 December 2018  Page Views: 12535

Natural PlacesSite Name: Roseberry Topping Alternative Name: Teesside Matterhorn, Odin's Hill
Country: England County: Yorkshire (North) Type: Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature
Nearest Town: Great Ayton  Nearest Village: Newton under Roseberry
Map Ref: NZ5791012603
Latitude: 54.505444N  Longitude: 1.107203W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
5 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
4 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – Southern face of the summit, November 2016 (Vote or comment on this photo)
Roseberry Topping in North Yorkshire is a distinctive landmark, an outlier on the northern edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. Clearly visible from many places on Teesside, it can also be often seen popping up on the skyline in the far distance from within the moors which no doubt would have been an aid to travellers in times past. Its distinctive shape however is recent.

Originally a conical shape a geological fault in 1912 possibly exacerbated by jet and ironstone mining caused a collapse at the summit of the western face giving it the mini Matterhorn shape we see today. Its earliest documented name is Othenesbery, this was in the Guisborough Cartulary of 1119. There have been many variations on this name down through the ages such as Ohenseberg, Ouesberry etc, before ending up as Roseberry. It has been concluded that Othenesbery means the place where Othin was worshipped. Othin is a variant of Odin, consequently you will often see it referred to as Odin's Hill.

In 1826 a Bronze-smith's hoard was discovered by a workman in a cleft in the rocks on the southern slope at NZ 579126. It consisted of 14 pieces, five of which are now lost. The nine surviving pieces are in the Sheffield Museum they are: Three socketed axes, a spearhead, gouge, hammer, chisel, knife and axe mould. Items that are missing included a whetstone, a bronze object that was probably a dagger sheath, a flat plate of bronze, a lump of jet and about 5 lbs of copper.
Roseberry Well indicated on the OS map near the summit at NZ 57956 12650 was a holy well (spring?). It is however no longer extant and hasn’t been for a long time, I don’t really understand why they even show it on the map. It seems to me that indicating it by the term “Site of” would be more appropriate. I believe it was last photographed in existence about 1926.

Iron Age or Roman field systems - In a field on the lower southern slope centred around NZ 5785 1207 crop marks on air photographs indicate the presence of enclosures and field boundaries this is Pastscape Monument 1552845 and further details can be found there. Also in a field to the north of Roseberry Topping above Mount House Farm at NZ 58492 13541 further crop marks from air photographs indicate another enclosure and field boundaries. This is Pastscape Monument 1552496 and further details can be found there.

Earthworks – There are numerous earthworks on and around Roseberry Topping the majority of which are post medieval relating to jet and ironstone mining, However there are those which are earlier whose purpose is unknown. One of which is what has been described as an uneven ditch which starts at NZ 57599 12606 (my gps) and then runs south for about 130m. This is at the 200m level just to the south of the main trail (west side) before you go through the gate leaving Newton Wood. There is a branch off from the main trail which runs just above this “ditch” from where it can be clearly seen that it has been formed by the digging of a series of contiguous large irregular pits – purpose unknown.
About 25m from the northern end of the ditch still at the 200m level and through the gate leaving Newton Wood immediately on your left you will see a large pit at NZ 57615 12635 (my gps) this is the first of a series of pits, ten of which have been recorded also over a distance of about 130 m continuing northerly around the hill at the 200m level. They are not regular in shape, size or depth and the spacing between them varies considerably also erosion and landslips are further confusing the issue and more have probably been lost as they ran round the hill. However those nearest the gate are quite close together and I get the distinct impression that they were just carrying on doing the same thing with these pits as what they were doing with those pits that formed the ditch to the south, whatever that was. As already stated there purpose is unknown but it is not for jet or ironstone extraction as they are at the wrong level.
Continuing further around the 200m level to the north of the hill at about NZ 5794 1302 (from old OS map) are another two pits similar to those on the western side, they lie within an earthwork. This earthwork is a low bank 0.25m high and 3.5m wide with traces of an exterior ditch and runs west to east for about 220m. It encloses an area including the two pits with a cliff edge to the north. I am not sure of where its east and west grid reference end points are but I had a look at it at NZ 57912 12904 (my gps) and at NZ 57984 12922 (my gps) where a trail bisects it. When I visited December 2018 the bracken was dying off and it was clearly visible, I am not sure what it would be like in the summer with the bracken growing. Its purpose is also unknown but it is not defensive because the higher ground of Roseberry Topping to its south overlooks it, making it impossible to defend. One idea put forward is that it may have been a holding area for livestock prior to ascending/descending from Newton Moor to Newton under Roseberry.


Sources Include: The archaeology of Roseberry Topping by Stephen J Sherlock (CBA Research Report 101, 1995)
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Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – Viewed looking at the south west face from Newton Wood, May 2017. The bluebells in this wood are prolific at this time of year. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – Viewed looking westerly from Newton Moor, January 2016 (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – View from the summit looking southerly, September 2019. In the distance can be seen the Cleveland Hills . The field directly below, is that field in the site description at NZ 5785 1207 where air photographs show crop marks indicating enclosures and field boundaries of either the Iron Age or Roman period. The small building on the right is the folly known as the Shooting B... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – Viewed from the southern edge of Hanging Stone Wood , on the way up to the cairns on Ryston Bank, July 2019. Most of the greenery (except for the trees) around Roseberry Topping is bracken, it is extremely prolific at the moment. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – Viewed looking north from Cliff Rigg Quarry, May 2017. Patches of blue at the edge Newton Wood just below left of centre in the image are bluebells. In the spring this wood is a sea of bluebells interspersed with patches of wild garlic, definitely a place to put on your bucket list. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping - The Summit, October 2018. Busy as usual, very rare not to meet anybody whatever the season, its an extremely popular place.

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – East Face, November 2012

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Earthworks – This is a very basic sketch showing the locations of those earthworks mentioned in the site description which are not related to post medieval jet and ironstone mining but are from an earlier period whose purpose is unknown.

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : The Ditch – Viewed looking northerly at NZ 57595 12536, December 2018. This is a section of the 130m long ditch at the 200m level on the west side formed by the digging of irregular size pits as described in the site description. Its purpose is unknown but it is not for Jet or Ironstone extraction as it is at the wrong level

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – Viewed looking northerly from nearby Aireyholme Farm (obscured by the tree branches), December 2014. Aireyholme Farm was the boyhood home of Captain James Cook, RN. FRS. He moved there at the age of 8 in 1736 when his father a farm labourer was employed by the then owner Thomas Skottowe. Thomas must have realised that James was no ordinary farm labourers son because he paid f...

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – Viewed looking northerly from fields below, June 2015

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping popping up whilst walking across Newton Moor, October 2018

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by Antonine : Photo taken in 2011

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by Antonine : Photo taken from the A173 road in 2011

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by Antonine

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping - Viewed looking north, Sept 2015. Image taken from Cliff Rigg Quarry with zoom facility. Both the National Trust and Historic England call the small building centre left in the image “The Shooting Box” see HERE its alternate name is “The Summer House”. It was more than likely built (circa 1788) as a landscape feature (folly) rather than anything practical. See thi...

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping - Viewed looking at the south west face, January 2016. The building on the skyline in the right of the image is the Folly known as The Summer House or Shooting Box

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – Viewed from Cold Moor just above the Garfit Gap near the Wain Stones, about six miles away as the crow flies. August 2009. This view shows the context of the landscape it is within, dominating all that it surveys including Industrial Teesside on the skyline in the left of the image.

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – Viewed looking westerly from the Cleveland Way climbing up onto Newton Moor, September 2004

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – Panoramic shot taken from about 2½ miles away in a northerly direction, near by Mill Farm below Upsall Moor, July 2013. This view shows what a distinctive feature that it is, standing out from the Moors and Cleveland Hills behind it.

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – North Face, January 2016

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – View from the summit looking north easterly towards Guisborough and the North Sea beyond, October 2018. The field just below the centre of the image with the yellow X in it, is that field mentioned in the site description at NZ 58492 13541 where air photographs show crop marks indicating an enclosure and field boundaries of either the Iron Age or Roman period.

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberrry Topping - Viewed looking northerly from nearby Aireyholme Farm, August 2016. The field with the cattle in, is that field in the site description at NZ 5785 1207 where air photographs show crop marks indicating enclosures and field boundaries of either the Iron Age or Roman period.

Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping submitted by johndhunter : Roseberry Topping – Viewed looking easterly, November 2017

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 1.0km WNW 299° Newton Under Roseberry Standing Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NZ570131)
 1.1km ENE 73° Pinchinthorpe Moor tumuli* Cairn (NZ5900612945)
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 1.8km E 96° Newton Moor RC2* Round Cairn (NZ5971312441)
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 3.5km NE 48° Ruther Cross* Ancient Cross (NZ6044514960)
 4.1km ESE 111° Percy Rigg* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NZ61761120)
 4.5km NNW 333° Mount Pleasant (Eston)* Cairn (NZ55821654)
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Re: Roseberry Topping by johndhunter on Friday, 13 March 2020
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[Thanks, now up-dated to Ambience 5]. Admin – When I submitted this site I gave it an ambience of 4 (Good) it should have been a 5 (Superb) – could you please amend this.
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