All of these mason marks ('Masonic motifs' of stonemasons) have been carved into the walls of the bridge supports of the disused railway bridge, whose track once ran into Commondale Brickworks.

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(b) Commondale Bricks

Its hard to imagine there was a large brickworks operating in Commondale producing the very hard characteristic red bricks.

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(c) A lonely War Memorial

 

The stone in Remembrance to Guardsmen Robbie Leggott killed in action 1916 and Alf Cockerill died of wounds 1914 stands above Commondale Village on the south-west of Skeldersceugh Moor - North Ings Moor - Commondale Moor

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(d) prehistoric stone alignment near Hob on the Hill

This line of earthen bank and standing stones is found between OS grid 645121 to 645124 and runs just east, and parallel to, the Commondale - Guisborough bridleway.

This is a very impressive stone alignment leading up to Hob on the Hill.

 

The bank is not defensive and is presumably a Bronze Age territorial boundary marker.

 

One of the lower stones has a cross inscribed on it.

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(e) Boundary Stones and Hob Cross

Hob-on-the-Hill OS grid ref. NZ 646125

Carved on it is RC 1798, the RC refers to Robert Chaloner Esq. Lord of the Manor and member of Parliament for York.

 

Between Hob on the Hill and Hob Cross is another boundary stone marked one side with SK AWD 1814 and TC 1856/1866? (I think?)

 

The track running north from Hob-on-the-Hill down to Hob Cross

 

The quite large stone of Hob Cross at NZ 646134, also marked with RC 1798.

Hob Cross is not a medieval cross, but an estate boundary marker from, at the earliest, the late 16th century, but probably dates from the 18th century.

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(f) Stone Trods - Pannier Ways

This stone trod - pannier way - packhorse route ... runs from north of Castleton to Guisborough and dates back to the monastic period after the Norman conquest. This is part of what is known as the 'Monks Trod'.

 

When it reaches the Lockwood Beck - Castleton Road you look down on the completely natural Freeborough Hill.

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Some notes on Commondale Village and environs

Commondale is one of the most quietly fascinating villages on the North York Moors — a place where prehistoric archaeology, Victorian industry, estate history, and moorland traditions all overlap in a compact dale. The sources you prompted surface a rich, well‑documented story, especially around the brickworks, St Peter’s Church, the stone trods, and the prehistoric landscape. Below is a fully grounded, structured account with citations.

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1. Landscape & Setting

Commondale sits in a small side‑dale of the upper Esk Valley, surrounded by open moorland and crossed by ancient trackways. The village is visually distinctive because many of its houses are built from Commondale red brick, produced locally from the mid‑19th century.

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2. The Commondale Brickworks (Cleveland Fire Brick & Pottery Company)

The brickworks were the defining industry of Commondale.

Origins (1860s)

• Founded in 1860 by John Slater Pratt, a Stokesley printer and businessman who invested around £30,000 in land beside the new Cleveland Railway.

• Pratt established the Cleveland Fire Brick and Pottery Company, exploiting local fireclay.

Development

• After Pratt’s death in 1867, the works were taken over by J. Crossley & Son of Middlesbrough, who expanded brick production and became one of the largest brick manufacturers in Cleveland and South Durham.

• Decorative pottery was briefly produced in the 1870s–80s, inspired by Linthorpe Art Pottery, but this side of the business failed by 1884.

Legacy

• Most houses in the village — including the old school, Ness Terrace/Brick Row, and several cottages — are built from Commondale bricks, giving the village its distinctive red colour.

• Brick production continued until 1947, after which the site became the Raven Gill Scout campsite.

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3. The “Almost” Ironstone Industry

Commondale briefly flirted with ironstone mining:

• In 1864, Pratt financed a borehole that struck a 4‑ft seam of ironstone at 150 ft depth.

• The Cleveland Iron Company attempted to develop the site, but legal disputes, lack of visible progress, and financial collapse ended the venture by 1866.

• Equipment and 32 workers’ cottages were auctioned off soon after.

This left Commondale with industrial traces but no lasting mining industry.

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4. St Peter’s Church

St Peter’s stands above the village on the road to White Cross.

• Built of Commondale brick, modest in scale but with a warm, simple interior.

• Contains notable stained‑glass windows:

  • East window (traditional design).

  • North window commemorating St Colman of Lindisfarne, recalling a tradition that he rested in Commondale after the Synod of Whitby (AD 664).

• Visitors are encouraged to leave a donation for upkeep.

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5. Commondale Railway Station

• Still open on the Esk Valley Railway, serving the village with trains between Middlesbrough and Whitby.

• Historically important for transporting bricks and pottery from the works.

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6. Village Life: Hall, Coffee Mornings & Community

• The Crossley Memorial Institute (1923) is now the village hall.

• Commondale is well‑known locally for its excellent coffee mornings, with homemade cakes and craft stalls — a highlight of village life.

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7. The Cleveland Inn

• The Cleveland Inn is referenced in local descriptions as still existing at the time of the source material.

• The source cuts off before confirming its current trading status, but historically it served brickworkers, railwaymen, and walkers.

• As far as I know it is closed in 2026

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8. Stone Trods (Medieval Packhorse Ways)

Above the village, a stone trod descends from the moor near White Cross into Commondale:

• A medieval packhorse route used for centuries for trade and travel.

• Still clearly visible entering the village above the war memorial.

These trods connect Commondale to a wider network of ancient moorland routes.

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9. Hob‑on‑the‑Hill: Barrows, Standing Stones & Alignment

A classic circular walk from Commondale leads to Hob‑on‑the‑Hill, a prehistoric site of national importance.

The Barrows

• Two Bronze Age bowl barrows sit prominently on the north edge of the moors.

• Excavated in 1863 by Canon J. C. Atkinson, revealing cremation burials, pottery vessels, a flint knife, and an arrowhead.

• One barrow has a boundary stone carved “Hob on the Hill” with the date 1798.

Stone Alignment

• A line of prehistoric stones, possibly Bronze Age or Neolithic, highlighted dramatically in winter sunlight.

• One stone bears an ancient Christian cross, suggesting later reuse or sanctification.

This landscape is rich in prehistoric monuments, field systems, and cairns.

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10. Circular Walk: Commondale → Hob‑on‑the‑Hill → Standing Stones → Return

A popular local route (inferred from the sources):

1. Start at Commondale village.

2. Climb past the war memorial and join the stone trod.

3. Ascend to the moor towards White Cross.

4. Follow the ridge to Hob‑on‑the‑Hill barrows and stone alignment.

5. Loop back via Foul Green or the moorland edge.

This walk gives superb views of the dale and reveals Commondale’s prehistoric and medieval landscape.

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11. War Memorial

• A moorland WWI memorial above the village commemorates two estate workers killed in the First World War.

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⭐ 12. Why Commondale Is Special

Commondale is a microcosm of North York Moors history:

• Prehistoric ritual landscape (barrows, alignments).

• Medieval trade routes (stone trods).

• Victorian industry (brickworks, pottery, railway).

• Distinctive architecture (red‑brick cottages).

• Strong community life (village hall, coffee mornings).

• Superb walking country right from the village centre.

It’s a small place with an unusually rich and well‑documented past.

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