Eston Nab
Eston Nab | |
---|---|
![]() Eston Beacon on the nab | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 242 m (794 ft) |
Listing | (none) |
Coordinates | 54°33′25.82″N1°7′20.69″W/ 54.5571722°N 1.1224139°W |
Geography | |
Location | Eston,Redcar and Cleveland,North Yorkshire, England |
Parent range | Cleveland Hills |
OS grid | NZ568183 |
Topo map | OS |
Eston Nabis arocky outcrophillin the town ofEston,Redcar and Cleveland,North Yorkshire,England.
A nab is a rocky promontory, and Eston Nab, marking the highest point – at 242 metres (794 ft) – on theescarpmentwhich forms Eston Hills,[1]appears as a clearsandstonecliff on the northernmost edge of Eston Moor. It overlooks the town ofEston,which is part ofRedcar and Cleveland,and can be seen from beyondHartlepoolon the northern side ofTeesBay.
It is the site ofBronze Ageburial moundsand anIron Agehill fort. However, regardless of all its history, to local people, the name of Eston Nab is synonymous with the monument that stands there. When families went out for a walk together[2]– the monument at Eston Nab was the destination of choice.
Historical site
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Eston_Nab_-_Iron_Age_hillfort.jpg/220px-Eston_Nab_-_Iron_Age_hillfort.jpg)
Remains from theBronze Agehave been found, such asflintarrowheads,possibly date back to between 6000 and 4000 BC.
Frank Elgee, curator of theDorman Museum,Middlesbrough,in 1927, uncovered parts of anearthenwarecremationurn,together with burnt bone and flint. These possibly dated from 1800 BC.
There was a substantial Iron Age hill fort at Eston Nab. Boulder walls and ditches are still visible even though they were built in around 700 BC.[3]
Eston Hills, of which it is the highest point, had a warren of cavernous tunnels carved into them, to create theironstonemines that closed in 1949. They formed the original basis for the iron and steel industry on theRiver Teesand the building ofMiddlesbrough.Eston Nab featured in the film,A Century in Stone,a film about the Eston mines. The monument was shown as it was in the early 19th century.[4]
In early 2014, for the sum of £15,000, Eston Nab was purchased from its private owner by a voluntary organisation known as the 'Friends of Eston Hills'. A co-founder of the organisation was Craig Hornby, a local film-maker whose best-known work,A Century in Stone,tells the story of iron-stone mining in Eston Hills. The property acquired includes land around the area of the monument, between the privately owned Bauer Teesside site and Eston Moor, which is already in public hands.[5]
Monument
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Eston_Nab_Monument_1.jpg/190px-Eston_Nab_Monument_1.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Eston_nab_beacon.jpg/190px-Eston_nab_beacon.jpg)
The monument is in the form of apillarmade ofsandstonebricks. It was originally built as a lookout tower andbeaconto warn of invasion during theNapoleonic Warsin the early 19th century. With the advent ofironstonemining in Eston Hills, the beacon was used as a house and survived until 1956. It was then demolished and later rebuilt into its present form.
A plaque on the side of the monument reads:
This monument is placed here to mark the
site of the beacon tower which was erected
by Thomas Jackson of Lackenby about 1800 as
a look-out post against invasion during the
Napoleonic wars and which again served the same
purpose in the second world war of 1939–1945.
It stands within a Bronze Age fortified
camp whose outer defences can be seen.
Erected in 1956.
Wildlife and recreation
[edit]At only 242 metres (794 ft) above sea level at its highest point, Eston Nab is classed aslowland heath.
Bird species found at the heath includes,lapwing,curlew,green woodpeckerandlinnet,whilst there are various butterflies and dragonflies.[6]
The area around Eston Nab is managed for its wildlife, archaeology and amenity. Many people use the hills for walking, cycling and horse riding. There are several self-guided walk leaflets, which take in points of interest. These are available at the Flatts Lane Woodland Country Park Visitor Centre,Normanby.
The Eston Hills provide access to the wider countryside via the public right of way network. The land owned or managed by theRedcar and ClevelandBorough Council is mostly bordered by farmland. Eston Nab commands an excellent view of the nearbyRoseberry Topping,which stands higher at 320 metres (1,050 ft).
Bauer Radio
[edit]Eston Nab is also used byBauer Radioas a site for digital radio masts – broadcasting local radio from this convenient high spot. The advent of these communication towers was controversial when they were first installed, because the monument at Eston Nab, and the skyline that it was part of, had become such a familiar symbol of the area. As part of the mast installation a road was extended to the summit of the Nab.
Gallery
[edit]-
Eston Nab looms in the distance beyondOrmesbyvillage
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The woods on the ascent to Eston Nab
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A view from Eston Nab
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A view from Eston Nab
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The communications masts ofBauer Radioat Eston Nab
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View ofMiddlesbroughfrom Eston Nab
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View ofRedcarfrom Eston Nab
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A speckled wood butterfly near Eston Nab
References
[edit]- ^"Tees Archaeology – Eston Hills".Archived fromthe originalon 16 July 2011.Retrieved22 June2010.
- ^Walking World – Eston Nab
- ^"Tees Archaeology – Eston Nab"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 16 July 2011.Retrieved20 June2010.
- ^Pancrack Pictures – A Century in Stone
- ^Middlesbrough Evening Gazette Eston Nab: Pen put to paper to make history and return Teesside landmark to public ownership
- ^"Redcar and Cleveland Council – Eston Moor".Archived fromthe originalon 12 June 2011.Retrieved20 June2010.
A Century in Stonehttps:// pancrack.tv/century
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)