6 Rosedale Abbey
Pickering, Y018 8RA
North Yorkshire, UK
To the uninitiated visitor, a drystone wall might seem to be just a boring North York Moors field boundary seperating one farmer's land from another's.
But our local drystone walls around Rosedale Abbey are a unique and distinctive part of the landscape and play numerous other important roles in North Yorkshire ecology.
Firstly, drystone walls provide shelter and habitats for all kinds of wildlife.
Hares, voles, mice, stoats, frogs, toads, wrens, slow worms, lizards and adders are all attracted to the shelter, security and warmth provided by walls.
And you'll often see hawks and owls perched on drystone walls as they keep an eye out for prey.
All kinds of invertebrates also live within the nooks and crannies like beetles, snails and springtails.
Drystone walls also offer a habitat for beautiful lichens and mosses which live on the bare rock faces.
They often prefer the cooler north-facing stones or ones facing into the prevailing weather.
You'll also see sheep and cattle using drystone walls for shelter against inclement weather.
And the walls frequently contain structures constructed for particular animals, such as bee boles and sheep creeps.
A bee bole is a sunken recess within a wall allowing for the temporary placement of a bee hive during summer. There are some good examples in Glaisedale.
A sheep creep is a small gap in a wall which allows a sheep to pass from one field to another field; but which still restricts the movement of cattle and horses.
You might also find stiles built into dry stone walls to allow for the movement of people from field to field.
So make sure to keep an eye out for our lovely drystone walls as you drive, walk or cycle around Rosedale.
They're more interesting than you might first think!
10 Rose & Crown Yard
Off Flower Gate, Whitby
North Yorkshire, Y021 3BE