Rosedale Abbey is a village located in a spectacular valley in the centre of 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...

, 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...

, midway between 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...

 and Castleton

Castleton, North Yorkshire

Castleton is a village on the River Esk, part of the civil parish of Danby in the county of North Yorkshire in England. It can be found about 15 miles south-east of Middlesbrough, in the North York Moors. There was once a medieval castle sited on Castle Hill....

 in an area of rolling hillsides and stunning scenery. The village consists of a collection of quaint cottages, pubs, a church, an art gallery, tea room, glass studio and the village green.

A Cistercian Priory

Priory

A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...

 of the same name once stood on the site. All that is left today is a staircase, a sundial and a single stone pillar. Originally founded in 1158, the priory was inhabited by a small group of nuns who are credited with being the first people to farm sheep commercially in the region. The priory ceased to operate in 1535 due to the Dissolution of the Monasteries

Dissolution of the Monasteries

The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...

. The building was eventually dismantled in the 19th century when the stone was reclaimed for building - including a new church on the site of the original priory.

In the 19th century a flourishing iron ore mining industry was established. The population of the valley expanded dramatically until the demise of the mines in the 1920s. 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...

, a standard-gauge railway line, ran round the head of the valley serving mine workings on either side and ran across the moors to reach what is now the Esk Valley Line

Esk Valley Line

The Esk Valley Line is the railway line from Middlesbrough to Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. The route follows the course of the River Esk for much of its eastern half....

 at Battersby Junction

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 :...

.

The long-distance path known as ‘The Abbey Trail’ links seven beautiful and historic abbeys including Rosedale, Whitby

Whitby

Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...

, Lastingham

Lastingham

Lastingham is a village and civil parish which lies in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the southern fringe of the North York Moors, five miles north east of Kirkbymoorside, one and a half miles to the east of Hutton-le-Hole. It was home to the early missionaries to the...

, Byland

Byland Abbey

Byland Abbey is a ruined abbey and a small village in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England at .-History:It was founded as a Savigniac abbey in January 1135 and was absorbed by the Cistercian order in 1147. It wasn't an easy start for the community who had had to move five times before...

, Kirkham Abbey, Fountains

Fountains Abbey

Fountains Abbey is near to Aldfield, approximately two miles southwest of Ripon in North Yorkshire, England. It is a ruined Cistercian monastery, founded in 1132. Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved Cistercian houses in England. It is a Grade I listed building and owned by the...

 and Rievaulx

Rievaulx

Rievaulx is a small village and civil parish near Helmsley in North Yorkshire and is located in what was the inner court of Rievaulx Abbey, close to the River Rye. The inner court of the monastery contained buildings such as the brewhouse, bakehouse and guesthouse. Its name originated as Rye +...

. Walkers can marvel at the historical and ecclesiastical theme of the abbeys and in-between view the tremendous rolling countryside of the North York Moors

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...

.

In mid-August, Rosedale Show is held in the village. The show dates back to 1871 and is one of the oldest in North Yorkshire. Every year the show attracts some 5,000 visitors.

Very few of the inhabitants were born in the village. At the present time a large number of people have settled in the village who were born elsewhere. There has recently been a local parish council election where some of candidates were opposed to the construction of affordable housing close to their properties.

Tourism

Due to the outstanding beauty of the countryside in the dale - as with many of the UK's National Parks - tourism has developed into the major industry. Many of the smaller properties have been renovated for private holiday homes or as self-catering accommodation to satisfy the ever-increasing demand. Larger properties and farms are taking guests in bed and breakfast accommodation and the hotels, pubs and restaurants in the area are thriving.

External links

Interest

• Gillies-Jones Traditional and contemporary glass makers in the village
• Rosedale Parish Council
• Rosedale 9 Hole Golf Course
• Rosedale and District Show
• East Mines at Rosedale by Adrian Brown

Tourism

• Yorkshire Coastliner Bus Service
• North Yorkshire Moors Railway
• Milburn Arms Hotel Accommodation, Food and Ales
• Abbey Tea Rooms Cream Teas

History

• Rosedale Mines & Tramway Subterranea Britannica Site Records