North York Moors
Moorland Crosses

Find out more about the intriguing moorland crosses on the Moors - history, legend and walking ideas...

On our recent holiday to the North York Moors, I came across a reference in a travel guide to one of the moorland crosses: 'Fat Betty'...

...now, I had come across this name before, as I worked with maps of the moorland area in my previous employment - the name had tickled my fancy, and I had always wondered about it...

When I discovered that it was one of the moorland crosses, and that it was actually very close to where we were staying, I was naturally very keen to pay a long overdue visit to my 'friend' Fat Betty.

The Moorland Crosses are a series of crosses, some ancient and some considerably newer, right across the whole North York Moors area...

• There are more than 30 crosses named on OS maps.
• There are more on these moorlands than in any other area of England.




• The crosses were put up for a variety of reasons:
  • to mark boundaries of hunting forests, or sheep grazing rights
  • put up by monks as preaching crosses where they would preach to the pagan moorland peoples
  • put up as waymarkers to help travellers across the moors find their way
• In 1711, the Justices of Northallerton ordered that stone signposts were to be erected at all moorland crossroads
• The moorland crosses come in many different forms, although they are all known as 'crosses':
  • some are just a simple monolith
  • some are in a crucifix shape
  • some just have a corss design carved into the stone
  • many have the round wheelhead design
• Putting up a cross was often seen as an act of religious devotion, so became a popular act of good works.
• Many of the crosses also had an indentation in the top, where travellers would leave money (a few coins) to help other travellers in need - you will often still find a few coins left there today.

Ralph Crosses






• The moorland cross known as 'Young Ralph' is probably the cross that most visitors to the North York Moors would be familiar with...

  This can easily be seen from the main Castleton to Hutton-le-Hole road, and became the emblem of the North York Moors National Park.

• It is positioned at the summit of a 1409ft (429m) pass - Blakey Ridge - and marks the crossroads between the roads from:
  • Castleton
  • Westerdale
  • Rosedale Abbey
  • Gillamor
• The cross itself is 9ft high (2.7m). In 1961 a traveller tried to climb the cross, to retrieve some coins left there, and broke it into pieces! Happily it was able to be repaired, and was reinstated.
• 200m away, on higher ground, a smaller and older corss marks the old road from Westerdale to Blakey Ridge. This cross is known as 'Old Ralph'.
• This name is said to come from the legend that a farmer from Danby, (called Ralph!) found a traveller here, who had died from exhaustion. He erected the Ralph cross as a memorial and a waymarker.

Fat Betty






• Close by is my own favourite moorland cross - Fat Betty - also known as 'White Cross'.
• Fat Betty is an old wayside cross, and marks the point where the parishes of Danby, Westerdale and Rosedale all meet.
• Fat Betty looks short and stumpy (hence the name) - the main shaft itself is actually missing, and the cross is just a wheelhead cross top on a stump. She's been painted white, to be seen across the moors.
• We're not quite sure who 'Fat Betty' was - perhaps a local nun? ... or one story tells us she's a woman who was turned to stone!

Fat Betty and Ralph Crosses on the Map

Find the crosses on the main Castleton to Hutton-le-Hole road.

There is a pull in just nearby, and the crosses can be visited, about half a mile walk in either direction - you'll get some fantastic views across the moors too...

This map is interactive.

• Just use the + and - buttons in the top left corner of the map to zoom in and out.
• Use the arrows to move about the area.

When we visited in early March, the moorlands around Fat Betty were basically snowfields still, and the nearby road was actually closed, due to snow.

Other Moorland Crosses

Other moorland crosses which may interest you...

• Lilla Cross
  • Thought to be the oldest moorland cross - 10th Century
  • Just off the Whitby-Pickering road, at Ellerbeck Bridge
  • Legend has it that the cross commemorates Lilla, who died saving the life of his king, Edwin.
• Ana Cross - on Spaunton Moor
• Blue Man i'th'Moss
• Percy
• Redman
• Job
• Rosedale Cross - put up in the year 2000 by the inhabitants of Rosedale, to mark the millenium

Keen hikers can enjoy 'The Crosses Walk' of over 50 miles - a round trip from Goathland, passing 13 of the moorland crosses.

Link to information about the Moorland Challenge Crosses Walk

I don't think I'm quite up to that but I will be keeping a look out for any more moorland crosses on my travels...

A couple of nice crosses walks in this book...

Walking Maps

The price to you is always the same, but I will earn a small commission.

This allows me to continue to provide you with the information on this website, all for free.

Thanks for your continued support :)

Have you got any photos of moorland crosses? Add them, here...

Have you done 'The Crosses Walk' challenge? Tell us all about it, here...

More about the North York Moors

More about the Danby Visitors Centre - National Park Moors Centre

Where we stayed: The Old Granary, Castleton, near Whitby - holiday cottages



Have you got your free subscription to 'Yorkshire Coast Lines' yet? Receive your free, monthly, e-mail newsletter, full of ideas for days out and excursions along the Yorkshire coast, and upcoming local events... straight to your inbox.

Custom Search

Bringing you ideas and information for your British holidays, short breaks and days out in the UK...

...from Whitby to Scarborough, Filey, Bridlington, Hornsea, Withernsea, North York Moors and beyond…

New! Comments