POSTGATE CROSS

Grid Ref. 918043

The cross is of medieval origin and on early maps there is a post gate i.e. a gate on the road. The socket with a broken shaft lies on the old road from Whitby Abbey to Pickering and Hackness and on the old Robin Hood's Bay Road. The road was known as Abbey Road, a busy thoroughfare for both monks and merchants. It is now on the route of the Coast to Coast walk over Graystones Hill. A more interesting explanation for its existence is that it may have been associated with Father Nicholas Postgate, though there is little firm evidence to establish the link. This most remarkable man was born in 1599 at Kirkdale House, Egton Bridge. Life for Catholics was dangerous and, wishing to enter the priesthood, he was forced to train abroad. From 1621 to 1630 he studied at Douai, in France. On returning to England, he spent some 30 years as chaplain or private priest to wealthy families at Saxton (Tadcaster), Burton Constable (East Riding) and Kilvington (Thirsk), but then returned to his native Moors. He lived in a thatched cottage at Ugthorpe, tramping across the Moors in his familiar brown cassock and white canvass cape. He ministered to Roman Catholics within the Whitby, Pickering, Guisborough area. He regularly celebrated mass in the attic of a house in Egton Bridge. This chapel was hidden for 150 years after his death, until a servant girl, when cleaning the wall of the house, pushed her hand through the plaster, exposing the chapel, all prepared for a service. Since then the house, on the east bank between Egton and Egton Bridge, has been known as Mass House. In St. Hedda's R.C. Church, Egton Bridge, is a scale model of the house (which was 15ft long, 10ft wide, but only 5½ ft high), together with several relics of Father Postgate. The remoteness of the Moors, Catholic sympathisers (three major landowners were Catholics), and the authorities turning a blind eye, allowed more Catholics to continue with their faith in the Egton-Ugthorpe area than in any other part of Yorkshire. It is claimed that nowhere else in England can so many families be identified who were able to survive the period of persecution in unbroken continuity and faithfulness. Postgate is said to have made 1000 converts within the area. After the popish plot to overthrow Charles 2nd failed there was a Catholic witch hunt and a reward of £20 was offered for the capture of a Roman Catholic priest. Father Postgate continued with his work, still signaling the holding of a service by laying out washing on the hedge of the cottage where it was to be held. Unfortunately the reward proved too great a temptation and on 7th December 1678, at the age of 79, he was betrayed. He was baptising the child of Matthew Lyth of Red Barn Farm, Ugglebarnby, when he was arrested. John Reeves, an excise man of Whitby, together with Henry Cockerill, a mariner of Whitby who belonged to the Constabulary at Eskdaleside. The two entered the house on the pretext of looking for arms and ammunition, which could have been used in the Oates Plot. Father Postgate was arrested, taken via Brompton to York, where he was tried and found guilty of treason. Whilst waiting for his sentence to be carried out, he was visited by one of the women who had testified against him. He forgave her, and even gave her the money which had been left by friends, to make his last days more comfortable, to pay for her journey home. Likewise, in his last words, he claimed that he had never wronged his Majesty. He was taken to Knavesmire (where the Race Course is today) to be hung, drawn and quartered, on 7th August 1679. Many think that Father Nicholas Postgate, Martyr of the Moors, will one day be canonised. Another claim made of him is that it was he who introduced the wild daffodils to Farndale. It is known that he was a great lover of flowers. Reeves is unlikely to have received his reward as it is said that after prolonged suffering of body and mind he was found drowned in a deep sinister pool in the Little Beck, where it flows past Ugglebarnby to join the Esk at Sleights. That pool is called the Devil's Dump and it is claimed that no fish has been caught in its waters. As well as the belongings of Father Postgate in St. Hedda's, his relic hands are said to remain, one in Ampleforth College, and one in St. Cuthbert's R.C. Church, Durham City. The Ampleforth cross is certified, having a Bishop's seal and is used at the annual open-air mass held by the Postgate Society. The Durham hand is not certified. Some time ago it was noticed that both hands were in fact right hands! It was not unusual for hands to be removed from the body, the hands having handled the sacred sacrements. The Durham hand passed through several families before being given to a priest at Egton and he later moved to Durham (Father Postgate had no connection with Durham).

REDMAN CROSS

Grid Ref. 731935

The large base is all that remains, but the small hole carved in its middle must have supported a slender shaft. The base is damaged and is supported on two large stones. It probably stood on the crossway of the Beggars' Track continuation to Askew and Cropton, being used by travellers and packmen coming from Farndale. It commemorates the old Rosedale family of that name (one of the few which are able to trace their descent back to the Middle Ages. Redmans are found in records of over 400 years ago).

ROBINSON'S CROSS

Grid Ref. 485956

This may be a waymarker erected by the faithful. There are two modern boundary stones but no medieval base. The stones lie on a long line across Snilesworth Moor. A finely carved D is on the West face (D for Duncombes who bought Helmsley Castle in 1695), and a fine M on the East (M for Manners, Duke of Rutland, who held Helmsley Castle for 10 generations). A rough cross is cut into the head, similar to that found on a piece of the shaft of the South Roppa Cross. The second stone, 5ft long, is a crude stone lying alongside the boundary stone. 

ROPPA CROSS NORTH

Grid Ref. 586930

The shaft is broken into several pieces, one of which is wedged into the base. Roppa means Red Road - Rubera Via - possibly because of the red ironstone and shale found nearby. It is mentioned in the early perambulations as 'Ropy'. It stands beside the Via Magna, used by William the Conqueror in the winter of 1069, on his way to York. This ancient track is referred to seventy years later, in the foundation charter of Rievaulx Abbey as the 'Great Road'.

ROPPA CROSS SOUTH

Grid Ref. 587926

This stands on the ancient Via Magma on Helmsley Moor. It would have been a waymarker. The Via Magna was an important road and is mentioned in Walter Espec's second grant of land to Rievaulx Abbey in 1145. It left Helmsley due north to join the ancient Thurkilsti Road just north of Stump Cross, on Bransdale Ridge. The original shaft was 6ft 5in tall, but is now in pieces, part of the original being wedged into the large medieval base. A second piece of the shaft has a 10in cross carved on one of its ends. Balanced on top is an ancient wheelhead with the carving of a Maltese Cross just visible.

RUTHER CROSS

Grid Ref. 604150

The base and part of the shaft are all that remain. It may have related to the one-time leper hospital which existed at Hutton Low Cross. The base is medieval but the shaft is modern.

SCAWTON CROSS

Grid Ref. 549836

The base lies outside the wall of St. Mary's churchyard. Part of the missing shaft makes the steps of the nearby farmhouse. A Scawton resident, Herbert Bentley, remembers the cross standing by the now dried up duck pond in the village centre. The church was built in 1146 by monks of Byland Abbey, and the cross may be of the same age.In the 17th century perambulations it is mentioned as Scaulton Cross (Scaulto means hollow tun). It stands on the early road of Sperragate, from Helmsley, via Sutton Bank, to Thirsk. A plaque in the church porch records the names of five French airmen who died when their Halifax bomber crashed on returning to Elvington, near York, after a raid on Hamburg, on 17th March 1945. The plaque was formerly on a tree against which the plane came to rest having crashed through two stone walls. Ironically the five had baled out but their parachutes had not had time to open, as they were so low. Two other crew members who remained in the plane survived.

SIL CROSS

Grid Ref. 851029

Shown on Jeffrey's map of Yorkshire, 1771, but now gone. 

SISS CROSS

Grid Ref. 704105

An isolated pillar of a weathered waymarker has replaced the original cross. The base has sunk into the soft peat. The old Siss Cross Road runs south past the cross to join the Pannierman's Causeway. This was used by pack ponies and their deep tracks can be seen 100yds south of the track.

SKELTON CROSS

Grid Ref. 655188

STAKESBY CROSS (WHITBY)

Grid Ref. 885110