Rosedale, North Yorkshire



Rosedale is a valley located almost in the centre of the North York Moors national park in North Yorkshire, England. The nearest town is Kirkbymoorside, some 7 mi to the south. Rosedale is surrounded by moorland. To the north-west sits Blakey Ridge at over 1300 ft above sea level. At Dale Head is the source of the River Seven,which flows down the valley to join the River Rye at Little Habton near Malton. At its southern end Rosedale is squeezed between Spaunton Moor and Hartoft Rigg, where the river flows out through Forestry Commission woodland before passing the village of Cropton to reach the plains of the Vale of Pickering.

The modern village of Rosedale Abbey, built around the site of a former Cistercian Priory is the main settlement in the valley. There is also a small hamlet at Thorgill.

Natural England maps
Maps for Rosedale showing Access, Designations and other criteria from Natural England:

Rosedale Head maps
Maps for Rosedale showing land above the Moorland Line:


 * MAGiC MaP : North York Moors – Rosedale Head.


 * MAGiC MaP : Rosedale Head – River Seven.


 * MAGiC MaP : River Seven – Reeking Gill – Seavey Hill.


 * MAGiC MaP : Old Ralph cross – Young Ralph cross.

Rosedale Abbey maps

 * MAGiC MaP : Thorgill – Rosedale Abbey.


 * MAGiC MaP : Thorgill – Rosedale West Side – Rosedale East Side.


 * MAGiC MaP : Rosedale Abbey – Listed buildings.


 * MAGiC MaP : Rosedale Abbey – PRIORY REMAINS.

Ironstone mine maps

 * MAGiC MaP : Ironstone mine – Rosedale East.


 * MAGiC MaP : Ironstone mine – Rosedale West.

Name history
There was no mention of Rosedale in the Domesday Book of 1086 A.D.

However the name Rozebi is shown in the paragraph for Pickering.

Survey of English Place-Names :


 * Russedal(e) 1130
 * Rossedal(e) 1186
 * Rossdale 1328
 * Rosedale, Rosedall 1376

Name toponym
The toponym might be:


 * Russi's valley
 * Valley beside high but relatively level moorland promontory

The name element dale is from Old Norse dalr or Middle English dale.

The name element rose is from Brittonic < rōs > and might be a reference to Blakey Ridge that defines the west side of the dale.

The name might have a Cornish influence since " Rose " place names are very common in Cornwall.

The Cornish language was introduced into the area by the migration of tin miners from Cornwall. The majority of those came during the Cornish diaspora,

however place name evidence suggests that Cornish miners might have arrived at an earlier date.

Examples of place names that might have a similar etymology:
 * Raisdale, near Chop Gate in upper Bilsdale.
 * Roseberry Topping, North Yorkshire.
 * Roose, Cumbria.
 * Melrose, Scottish Borders.

Heather moorland
Rosedale Head is at the top of the dale at the point where the River Seven rises from the ground. The surrounding moorland is typical of the heather moorland of the North York Moors National Park. In the 18th century the moorland belonged to the Helmsley Estate.

Rosedale Head separates Rosedale from its neighbouring dales to the north:
 * 1) Westerdale
 * 2) Danby Dale
 * 3) Great Fryup dale

Old Ralph – Young Ralph
Old Ralph and Young Ralph are probably the best known of the many wayside crosses found in the North York Moors National Park.

The origin of the names Old Ralph and Young Ralph is not known, however the names might refer to members of the House of Neville:

Old Ralph cross
Old Ralph cross is a monolithic wayside cross of hard gritstone that stands about 6 feet tall, possibly 11th century. The cross is a Grade II* listed building. The cross is located on Ledging Hill the highest point on Blakey Ridge (OS ref: NZ 674 019).

Young Ralph cross
Young Ralph cross is a wayside cross of hard gritstone that stands about 10 feet tall, possibly 11th century. The cross is located on Ledging Hill (OS ref: NZ 677 021). The distinctive profile of the cross is used as the emblem of the North York Moors National Park.

Examples of similar crosses across the North York Moors:
 * Lilla Cross, Lilla's Howe, Fylingdales Moor.
 * Mulgrave Castle – Mauley Cross erected by the Mauley family.

Mining
The extraction of ironstone probably began during the Roman period.

In the late 19th century the valley quickly became a major centre for iron-ore extraction.

Mining took place from 1857 to 1928. The ore was pre-processed by calcination, for which special kilns were built.

The mines were served by the freight-only Rosedale Branch railway line that ran round the head of the valley, serving mine workings on either side, and across the moors to reach what is now the Esk Valley Line at Battersby Junction. The railway line closed in 1929 after the last of the calcine dust extracted from the kiln waste had been sold.

Rosedale Chimney Bank, one of the steepest roads in the United Kingdom, provides a popular entrance point into the valley. A row of disused kilns and a former Royal Observer Corps Underground Monitoring Post are both situated yards from its summit. In the adjacent Farndale Valley wild daffodils bloom around Easter time.

Governance (19th century)
Historically the governance of Rosedale was split east–west by the River Seven.

In the 19th century Rosedale East Side was in the parish of Middleton and the wapentake of Pickering – Lythe , while Rosedale West Side was in the parish of Lastingham and the wapentake of Ryedale.

Recent history
Few inhabitants of Rosedale work in farming. The majority of houses are bought as second homes and as such the permanent local population has been significantly reduced.

In mid-August Rosedale Show is held at Rosedale Abbey and attracts some 5,000 people from all parts of Britain. The show dates back to 1871 and is one of the oldest in North Yorkshire.

The Frank Elgee memorial was erected in 1953 at Blakey Ridge on The North York Moors, overlooking Loose Howe at Rosedale Head.