Things to do in Scaling Reservoir

Keld Hole is a secluded waterfall located on Roxby Beck in the moorland landscape of the North York Moors National Park in North Yorkshire, England. The waterfall lies within the catchment area of Scaling Reservoir, one of several reservoirs constructed in the Cleveland Hills to supply water to the industrial towns of Teesside. The falls are positioned at OS Grid Reference NZ755141, placing them in a relatively remote stretch of upland terrain where Roxby Beck descends through a small wooded gill before continuing its journey toward the reservoir. The waterfall exhibits the characteristic features of North York Moors waterfalls, where acidic moorland streams have cut through bands of sandstone and shale over millennia, creating stepped cascades and plunge pools in narrow ravines. Roxby Beck rises on the heather moorlands to the south of the village of Roxby, flowing generally northward through a landscape dominated by sheep pasture and rough grazing. The beck gathers water from the surrounding moors and smaller tributary streams as it descends toward Scaling Reservoir, which was constructed in the 1950s as part of the post-war expansion of water supply infrastructure in the region. The catchment is typical of North York Moors watercourses, with peaty, acidic water draining from blanket bog and heather moorland, giving the stream a characteristic brown coloration, particularly after heavy rainfall. The flow regime is highly responsive to weather conditions, with the waterfall becoming a dramatic torrent during wet periods and reducing to a modest trickle during summer droughts. The name "Keld Hole" reflects the Old Norse influence on place names throughout the North York Moors, with "keld" deriving from the Old Norse "kelda" meaning spring or stream. This linguistic heritage dates back to the Viking settlement of the region in the ninth and tenth centuries, when Scandinavian farmers and their families established themselves in these upland valleys. The "hole" element likely refers to the pool or hollow formed at the base of the waterfall, a common feature where the force of falling water has excavated a deeper basin in the streambed. Such pools often served as waymarkers and meeting points in the sparsely populated moorland landscape, and many retained their Norse-derived names through subsequent centuries of English settlement. The surrounding landscape is quintessential North York Moors terrain, characterized by extensive heather moorland on the higher ground transitioning to improved pasture in the valley bottoms. The area around Scaling Reservoir and Roxby Beck supports a mixture of habitats including ancient woodland fragments in the steeper gills, where the waterfall environment creates humid conditions favorable to ferns, mosses, and liverworts. The moorland above supports typical upland bird species including red grouse, curlew, and lapwing, while the wooded areas along the beck provide habitat for woodland birds such as woodpeckers, nuthatches, and various warblers. The acidic streams support limited fish populations, though brown trout may be present in deeper pools, and the surrounding moorland is home to mammals including roe deer, rabbits, and occasionally mountain hares on the higher ground. Access to Keld Hole requires crossing moorland terrain, and the waterfall is not served by any formal visitor infrastructure or waymarked trails. The nearest vehicular access is likely via minor roads leading toward Scaling Reservoir from the village of Scaling Dam or from Roxby to the south. Parking opportunities in this area are typically limited to roadside verges or informal pull-offs, and visitors should be mindful of agricultural access requirements and avoid blocking gates or farm tracks. The walk to the waterfall would involve crossing open moorland or following field boundaries, and appropriate footwear and waterproof clothing are essential given the exposed nature of the terrain and the changeable weather conditions typical of the North York Moors. Navigation skills and an OS map are advisable, as paths may be indistinct and the landscape can be disorienting in poor visibility. The construction of Scaling Reservoir in the 1950s significantly altered the hydrology of this part of the North York Moors, impounding water from Roxby Beck and other local streams to create a substantial water body. The reservoir was built to meet the growing demand for water from Middlesbrough and other Teesside towns during the post-war industrial expansion. The civil engineering works associated with reservoir construction would have involved considerable modification of the natural watercourses in the area, though upstream features like Keld Hole would have been less directly affected than those in the inundation zone itself. The reservoir and its surroundings have since become valued for their landscape and recreational qualities, with the water body attracting anglers and the surrounding moorland offering walking opportunities, though the more remote corners of the catchment, where Keld Hole is situated, see relatively few visitors. The geology underlying this part of the North York Moors consists primarily of Jurassic sedimentary rocks, including sandstones, shales, and mudstones deposited in marine and deltaic environments approximately 180 to 160 million years ago. The Middle Jurassic Ravenscar Group, which includes the Saltwick Formation and Cloughton Formation, comprises alternating resistant sandstone beds and softer shale units that create the characteristic stepped profiles of waterfalls in the region. At Keld Hole, the waterfall likely tumbles over one or more of these sandstone bands, with the harder rock forming the lip of the falls while softer material below has been preferentially eroded to create the plunge pool. The surrounding moorland is mantled with peat deposits that have accumulated over the past several thousand years under the wet, cool conditions of the uplands, and this peaty substrate influences both the water chemistry and the ecology of the beck.