Rosedale Abbey

About trip

Time: 2.25 Hours Terrain: Moderate. Description: In spring the daffodils rival those of Farndale, but are not so well known and therefore not visited by the same number of people. Autumn sees the moors change to a rich purple when the scent of heather can be almost overpowering. Summer is when the high meadows are ready for haymaking and it is then that the field flowers are at their best. Winter, in its turn, brings frost and snow and a grand silence between the storms, when nature tempts the unwary out on to the moors. The valley prospered when ironstone was mined, but with the decline of the industry it has moved back to being a sleepy backwater. Once-polluted streams now sparkle again and forest plantations cloak the hillside, replacing trees cut down to fuel medieval iron furnaces.