Historical Remains

The landscape of the North York Moors has been changed by the people who have lived here.

Old ruined abbeys help us to learn about the past Since the last Ice Age ended 10,000 years ago, people have used the land for homes, for producing food, for industry and for enjoyment. Millennia have passed, and many of the remains left by these people have disappeared, but many have been found and are now protected.

Hidden in the landscape are remains from the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Romans, Vikings, Medieval, Tudor and Victorian times.

Learning about the history of the North York Moors can help us to understand this special landscape better.

Visitors to the National Park today can explore the remains of a grand abbey built by monks almost 1000 years ago, walk on a road built by the Romans nearly 2000 years ago or marvel at a Bronze Age burial mound built for someone who died 3000 years ago! Ralph's Cross is the symbol of the National Park

You will also find one of these historical remains on our logo. Ralph’s Cross is one of the many stone crosses standing high on the moors and it was chosen to represent the North York Moors when it became a National Park in 1952.

The countryside is very peaceful nowadays but you can still see the remains of old industrial sites such as ironstone kilns, jet works and alum quarries, where people worked for their living a hundred years ago or more.

Over 12,000 archaeological sites and features have been recorded so far in the North York Moors National Park. Over 700 of these are thought to be so special that they have been added to a list of ‘Scheduled Ancient Monuments’ and are protected and cared for by an organisation called English Heritage.