Trods on the North York Moors

There are many things that make the North York Moors locally distinctive and unique. 

And none more so than the ancient stone footpaths that you might notice criss-crossing the high moors if you holiday in Rosedale Abbey.

Trods make Great Walking and Cycling Paths Across the North York Moors.

In our local dialect, these footpaths are called "trods".

According to my copy of the Oxford English Dictionary, "trod" is a Yorkshire dialect word for "a trodden way, a footpath, path, or way". 

And there are hundreds of miles of these ancient footpaths running across the North York Moors around Rosedale. 

Our local trods all share one distinctive feature, which marks local footpaths on the Moors as different from other footpaths elsewhere in Britain.

Proper trods are formed from a single row of large stone flags, laid end-to-end for mile after mile.

Impressive thought our trods are today, estimates suggest that just 20 per cent of them survive.

And many of those that have survived, are now being preserved with conservation or "listed" status to prevent further loss.

Locals and visitors alike now see the historical significance of trods.

And it is to be hoped that concerted efforts by the National Park Authority, Local Councils, and community groups will help to preserve those few trods that survive today.

Nineteen long-distance trods have been identified by historians and archeologists on the North York Moors.

Three notable examples which are close to Rosedale Abbey are:

* The “George Gap Causeway” which runs from Blakey Ridge through Rosedale and down Great Fryup Dale to Staithes;

* “Quakers’ Causeway” from the Quaker cemetary at the top end of Castleton to Commondale and then over the moor to Guisborough Priory; and

* Glaisedale trod which runs the length of Glaisedale and is easy to follow if you cross the moor from Rosedale Abbey and drive towards the village of Glaisedale.  It is on the left side of the road and visible above ground at many places.

It is thought that the earliest trods date from mediaeval times.

The Monks Trod Links Glaisedale to Rosedale Abbey.

But newer trods were still being constructed in the 18th century.

There are many possible reasons why trods were constructed. 

Many seem to connect the monastic properties such as those at Whitby, Rosedale Abbey, Guisborough Priory and Rievaulx Abbey.

Many Trods Were Built to Link the Great Religeous Sites of North Yorkshire Such as Guisborough Priory to Rosedale Abbey.

It is certainly probable that monastic labour helped create many of them.

And for that reason, many of the paths are still called "Monks’ Trods". 

Some trods also tally closely with the locations of mineral working.

Alum, iron, coal and jet were all mined on the moors or coast.

So some trods link mine workings and products from their place of origin to points of shipping or mineral working.

Other trods lead from the coastal fishing villages and must have connected the fish trade with local inland markets at Stokesly, Helmsley or York.

Whatever their purpose or age, I think you'll discover that trod footpaths on the North York Moors are quite marvelous in adding to our unique "sense of place".