Farndale
Encyclopedia
Farndale is a valley located in the North York Moors
National Park in North Yorkshire
, England
. The nearest town is Kirkbymoorside
located some 5 miles to the south. Pickering
is some 13 miles to the south east and Helmsley
12 miles to the south west. Farndale is surrounded by some of the most inhospitable moorland in England, and is sandwiched between Bransdale
and Rosedale
. To the north east sits Blakey Ridge at over 400 m above sea level, and to the north west, Cockayne Ridge reaching up to 454 m above sea level is one of the highest points of the North Yorkshire Moors. Around the north of Farndale, between Bloworth Crossing and Blakey is the track bed of the old Rosedale Ironstone Railway (Rosedale Branch)
which forms part of two Long Distance Footpaths
these being Wainwright
's Coast to Coast Walk
and The Lyke Wake Walk
.
Farndale is a scattered agricultural community with traditional Yorkshire
dry stone
walls. The valley is popular with walkers due to its famous wild daffodils, which can be seen around Easter time all along the banks of the River Dove
. To protect the daffodils the majority of Farndale north of Lowna was created a Local Nature Reserve
in 1955.
Farndale is home to two hamlets
- Church Houses at the top of the valley and Low Mill further down. Low Mill is a honeypot
during daffodil season as this is where the famous daffodil walk begins, and the national park
runs a Moorsbus
service through the valley during busy periods to ease the traffic on the two narrow roads that run either side of the valley.
The annual Farndale Agricultural Show
which is held on the Summer Bank Holiday
Monday in Late August is a popular local event. The 100th Show was held in 2006
South of Lowna on the Gillamoor to Hutton-le-Hole
road Farndale becomes Douthwaitedale.
Around the head of Farndale ran the Rosedale Branch
railway en-route from Battersby
to Rosedale
supporting iron ore mining on the moors
.
along the course of the River Dove with Farndale East Parish Council responsible for the eastern side including Church Houses and Farndale West Parish Meeting
looking after the western side including Low Mill.
The 2nd tier of Local Government is Ryedale
District Council and the third tier North Yorkshire
County Council
and Historically being part of the North Riding of Yorkshire
.
Farndale is part of the Thirsk and Malton
UK Parliament constituency and the Yorkshire and Humber European Parliamentary constituency.
North York Moors
The North York Moors is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. It covers an area of , and it has a population of about 25,000...
National Park in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The nearest town is Kirkbymoorside
Kirkbymoorside
Kirkbymoorside is a small market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England which lies approximately 25 miles north of York midway between Pickering and Helmsley, and has a population of approximately 3,000.-History:...
located some 5 miles to the south. Pickering
Pickering, North Yorkshire
Pickering is an ancient market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England, on the border of the North York Moors National Park. It sits at the foot of the Moors, overlooking the Vale of Pickering to the south...
is some 13 miles to the south east and Helmsley
Helmsley
Helmsley is a market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. The town is located at the point where the valleys of Bilsdale and Ryedale leave the higher moorland and join the flat Vale of Pickering. It is situated on the River Rye and lies on the A170 road, east...
12 miles to the south west. Farndale is surrounded by some of the most inhospitable moorland in England, and is sandwiched between Bransdale
Bransdale
Bransdale is a valley running south through North Yorkshire, England, and part of the North York Moors National Park. Sandwiched between Bilsdale to the west and Farndale to the east, it is formed from the dales of Bransdale itself at the top of the valley, Sleightholmedale and Kirkdale...
and Rosedale
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 Pickering located some 10 miles to the south. Rosedale is surrounded by some of the most beautiful moorland in England. To the north west sits Blakey Ridge...
. To the north east sits Blakey Ridge at over 400 m above sea level, and to the north west, Cockayne Ridge reaching up to 454 m above sea level is one of the highest points of the North Yorkshire Moors. Around the north of Farndale, between Bloworth Crossing and Blakey is the track bed of the old Rosedale Ironstone Railway (Rosedale Branch)
Rosedale Branch
The Rosedale Branch was an goods-only railway line running from Battersby Junction across the heights of the North York Moors in North Yorkshire, England to reach iron ore deposits in the remote hills of Rosedale valley...
which forms part of two Long Distance Footpaths
Long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom
-England and Wales: National Trails:National Trails are distinguished by being maintained by the National Trails organization . , there are fifteen such trails, one of which is not yet complete....
these being Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the...
's Coast to Coast Walk
Coast to Coast Walk
The Coast to Coast Walk is a 192-mile unofficial and mostly unsignposted long distance footpath in Northern England...
and The Lyke Wake Walk
Lyke Wake Walk
The Lyke Wake Walk was started by a local farmer, Bill Cowley, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England, in 1955. He claimed that one could walk over the North York Moors from east to west on heather all the way except for crossing one or two roads and he issued a challenge that walkers took up...
.
Farndale is a scattered agricultural community with traditional Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
dry stone
Dry stone
Dry stone is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. Dry stone structures are stable because of their unique construction method, which is characterized by the presence of a load-bearing facade of carefully selected interlocking...
walls. The valley is popular with walkers due to its famous wild daffodils, which can be seen around Easter time all along the banks of the River Dove
River Dove, North Yorkshire
The River Dove is a river the county of North Yorkshire, England, and is a tributary of the River Rye, itself a tributary of the River Derwent. It is the drainage basin of the moorland of Farndale, Stocksdale, Baysdale, Greenhow and Westerdale. It is formed by the confluence of Blakey Gill and West...
. To protect the daffodils the majority of Farndale north of Lowna was created a Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
in 1955.
Farndale is home to two hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
- Church Houses at the top of the valley and Low Mill further down. Low Mill is a honeypot
Honeypot (geography)
In geography, a honeypot is a particularly popular visitor attraction which attracts tourists in large numbers. The term 'honeypot' originates from bees buzzing around a hive.-Tourism planning:...
during daffodil season as this is where the famous daffodil walk begins, and the national park
North York Moors
The North York Moors is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. It covers an area of , and it has a population of about 25,000...
runs a Moorsbus
Moorsbus
Moorsbus is a network of bus services operating to and around the North York Moors national park and surrounding areas. It has been operational since the 1980s, and links places such as Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, York and Hull to the national park...
service through the valley during busy periods to ease the traffic on the two narrow roads that run either side of the valley.
The annual Farndale Agricultural Show
Agricultural show
An agricultural show is a public event showcasing the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show , a trade fair, competitions, and entertainment...
which is held on the Summer Bank Holiday
Public holidays in the United Kingdom
Public holidays in the United Kingdom are the public holidays observed in some or all of the countries of the United Kingdom. Most businesses and non-essential services are closed on public holidays, although an increasing number of retail businesses do open on some of the public holidays.Although...
Monday in Late August is a popular local event. The 100th Show was held in 2006
South of Lowna on the Gillamoor to Hutton-le-Hole
Hutton-le-Hole
Hutton-le-Hole is a very small village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England, about seven miles north west of Pickering. Hutton-le-Hole is a honeypot village...
road Farndale becomes Douthwaitedale.
Around the head of Farndale ran the Rosedale Branch
Rosedale Branch
The Rosedale Branch was an goods-only railway line running from Battersby Junction across the heights of the North York Moors in North Yorkshire, England to reach iron ore deposits in the remote hills of Rosedale valley...
railway en-route from Battersby
Battersby railway station
Battersby railway station, serves the village of Battersby in North Yorkshire, England. It is located on the Esk Valley Line south of and is operated by Northern Rail who provide all of the station's passenger services.- History :...
to Rosedale
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 Pickering located some 10 miles to the south. Rosedale is surrounded by some of the most beautiful moorland in England. To the north west sits Blakey Ridge...
supporting iron ore mining on the moors
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
.
Political
Farndale has politically split into 2 Civil ParishesCivil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
along the course of the River Dove with Farndale East Parish Council responsible for the eastern side including Church Houses and Farndale West Parish Meeting
Parish meeting
A parish meeting, in England, is a meeting to which all the electors in a civil parish are entitled to attend. In some cases, where a parish or group of parishes has fewer than 200 electors, the parish meeting can take on the role of the parish council itself, with statutory powers, and electing a...
looking after the western side including Low Mill.
The 2nd tier of Local Government is Ryedale
Ryedale
Ryedale is a non-metropolitan district of the shire county of North Yorkshire in England. Settlements include Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside, Malton, Norton-on-Derwent, Pickering, and Terrington.-Derivation of name:...
District Council and the third tier North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
and Historically being part of the North Riding of Yorkshire
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire was one of the three historic subdivisions of the English county of Yorkshire, alongside the East and West Ridings. From the Restoration it was used as a Lieutenancy area. The three ridings were treated as three counties for many purposes, such as having separate...
.
Farndale is part of the Thirsk and Malton
Thirsk and Malton (UK Parliament constituency)
Thirsk and Malton is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
UK Parliament constituency and the Yorkshire and Humber European Parliamentary constituency.