6 Rosedale Abbey
Pickering, Y018 8RA
North Yorkshire, UK
In olden-days, the villages along the Southern edge of the North York Moors below Rosedale suffered a geological quirk which meant there was little water available for use by local people.
This was because of the underlying limestone rocks which are free draining; and even today you will see many dry valleys when passing through the area.
For hundreds of years, water had to be carted in to Fadmoor, Gillamoor, Kirkybmooride, Carlton, Beadlam, Nawton, Pockley, Old Byland and Rievaulx from ten springs at Ouse Gill.
In 1747, the problem of the dry villages was solved by Joseph Foord; with careful survey work he created free-running channels from the North York Moors above Farndale which followed the contours of the moorland ridges to deliver water to Kirkbymoorside.
The survey work and digging took Foord over twenty years, but he was successful in bringing water to over 20 local communities between 1747 and 1768.
10 Rose & Crown Yard
Off Flower Gate, Whitby
North Yorkshire, Y021 3BE