A (non-urgent) text arrived on my mobile very early one morning (do people do that to you?) and because the phone beside my bed lit up and vibrated, it woke me up. Boo! It made me a bit grumpy (that and the lockdown situation) so I decided a solitary walk was the only remedy. I walked up to Shipley Glen, where I enjoyed communing with these rather magnificent trees and the ancient rocks.
My walk continued along the heathland of the Glen and then up and up, onto Baildon Moor. It was very muddy!
The higher you go, the more glorious the views. This is looking down to Gilstead and Bingley.
The moorland looks like a fairly natural landscape but in fact it has been shaped by man for centuries. There is evidence of mining in the curious depressions called bell pits. You might take them for bomb craters but I understand they were vertical shafts dug in order to extract coal. When it became too dangerous to continue, because of the risk of collapse, the shaft was filled and another sunk further along the coal seam. The infill has settled over the years, leaving these characteristic circular depressions.You can see one in the foreground in the photo below.
Part way up the hill is the Dobrudden caravan site, enjoying the spectacular views.
Propped up by the wall of the caravan site, there is this curious stone, with ancient 'cup and ring' markings. Sadly, the marks have now almost eroded away. You can perhaps just make out a few circular hollows. Some years ago, it looked like THIS. These are examples of Bronze Age (2000 - 800 BC) rock art and have been found all over the Baildon, Rombalds and Ilkley moors, though their purpose isn't really clear. They prove that this area was inhabited all those thousands of years ago, though no doubt it all looked a bit different then.
I learned that coal first came into general use after James VI of Scotland succeeded Elizabeth I at the Union of the Crowns. These bell pits are certainly no more than than 400 years old, maybe considerably less to supply the Industrial Revolution.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos of the open spaces, especially that first picture of those magnificent trees. I remember searching for some cup and ring marks on the moors of Northumberland - found them too, they were quite clear once you knew where to look. Early mornings seem to be the best time to be up and about these days.
ReplyDeleteEarly am walks are my favorite as well and thanks for sharing these wonderful photos of your walk. There is much beauty in the world despite the direness if the current situation.
ReplyDeleteI love the pic with the trees!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for venturing out with camera, then sharing here! I was glad to see what the cup and ring marks had looked like before fading almost away. I do wonder what they signified to those who made them.
ReplyDeleteMy new resolution: Turn the phone off when I go to bed. If there's fire or flood or tornado (which latter is possible where I live), then so be it. I don't hear well either, so the town sirens may not alert me. So be it. I'm old and have had a good life and am doing my best to take care of myself in these times. And if those I love have an emergency, I probably couldn't do much anyway. Do I sound hard or what. Yes.
ReplyDeleteOh. I'm already regretting my post. You sound like such a good person and are doing such good work here on your blog,full of the joy of life. Delete this with my full approval.
ReplyDelete