10 April 2019

Outskirts

I have tramped along every path and byway in and around Sheffield. It's hard to come across anything new but yesterday afternoon I took my first pictures of the stone object shown above. I must have driven past it a hundred times without noting its existence.

It's called Barncliff Stoop and it stands by an ancient road known as The Long Causeway. Very probably that road was first marched along by Romans as they headed westward over the hills to Buxton and Chester. Later the roadway became a trading route linking South Yorkshire with the west and it is believed that Barncliff Stoop was one of several erected in the fourteenth century to guide early travellers and merchants.

Three miles further along The Long Causeway, you reach Stanage Pole. It stands on the border between Yorkshire and Derbyshire and once marked the boundary between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria that preceded the birth of England itself.
In the distance on the moors, close to a stand of trees you can see Stanedge Lodge - a grouse shooters' lodge and the highest residential building within Sheffield's city boundaries.
I turned back at Stanage Pole, returning to the reservoirs at Redmires. The top reservoir has been undergoing significant maintenance, including strengthening of the dam wall but now they are allowing rainwater to refill it. It's going to take a while unless the heavens open for a few days in a row.

Near Wyming Brook Farm, a girl was cantering around a paddock on her trusty steed. I noticed her lilac coloured helmet popping up above the gritstone wall and managed to snap the picture shown below.
Also by Wyming Brook Farm, I spotted this sweet and newly born lamb which I have named Robert in honour of either the English poet Robert Browning or Robert Brague that redoubtable blogger from the heart of The Peach State, USA. Take your pick. Robert bleated at me and then gambolled off to find his mother, perhaps fearing that I might have been there to do him harm.

20 comments:

  1. We have lots of lambs on the downs at the moment but most are all white, I like the little black face and legs on this one.
    Briony
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    1. In Yorkshire we welcome lambs of any creed or colour.

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  2. Robert sure is pretty!

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    1. That is what people have often said of both Robert Browning and Robert Brague.

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  3. Ah- examples of the ancient and the new. Is there anything on earth cuter than a baby lamb?

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  4. I love the photo of the girl's helmet. Perfect timing! Barncliff Stoop is interesting -- it's amazing to think that marker has been standing there for 700 years. I love lambs. Seeing that, how could anyone ever eat lamb?

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    1. We always used to say to our daughter - it's mutton dear from a nasty daddy ram! She didn't realise our deception until she was about twenty.

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  5. 'Tis a wise lamb indeed who fears you might be there to do him harm. Please give my regards to the new ovine Robert when next you meet. And how uncanny is it that you posted this on my mother's birthday, April 10th? I must gambol off now and try to find her so that I can tell her.

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    1. You will find her again - one day - but many more years must pass. In the meantime keep chewing the grass my friend.

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  6. If you had not said what the lilac thing behind the wall is, I'd never have guessed!
    Yes, lambs (and most other baby mammals) are very sweet. And yet, I do eat lamb, as well as other animals, young or old, much to my sister's chagrin. She has been vegetarian for about 20 years now and keeps reminding me of how sweet and innocent animals are. I admit I would not eat animal products if I had to raise and kill the animals myself.

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    1. No. I wouldn't like to kill the animals I eat either.

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  7. It looks like a signpost ....

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    1. I guess that Barncliff Stoop did serve that function too.

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  8. I love seeing these ancient scenes and rock walls. It always amazes me to think how long they have stood there. What is Stanage Pole made of? It looks like wood but I wonder if it would still be standing if it was made of wood.

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    1. Yes Bonnie, it is made from wood. I guess there have been various poles on the site through the centuries.

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  9. Scaring little Bobby Lamb like that is not a good thing, Mr. Pud!!

    I bet there is a lot of history, many stories stored up in those stones!

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    1. " many stories stored up in those stones"... That's a good way to look at it Lee.

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  10. All this nice stuff on the outskirts of a city. I'm impressed.

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    1. All those pictures were taken within the city limits Red.

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