Roseberry Topping: From Spring Walk to New North Yorkshire Paintings
The journey behind my new Roseberry Topping paintings began in April 2026, when Ross and I decided it was time to explore somewhere new. We’d driven past this distinctive North Yorkshire landmark countless times on our way to the coast and into the North York Moors, but we’d never actually stopped to explore it on foot.
So, with sketchbooks and cameras in hand, we headed to Roseberry Topping to gather inspiration for a new collection of paintings.
Exploring Roseberry Topping in spring
At 320 metres (1,050 feet) high, Roseberry Topping may be relatively small, but its distinctive shape makes it one of the most recognisable landmarks in the area. Its unusual profile was dramatically altered by a large landslip in 1912, which was linked to a combination of geological and mining-related factors.
The hill also has a fascinating connection to Captain James Cook. As a boy, Cook lived nearby at Airey Holme Farm and regularly climbed Roseberry Topping. The National Trust notes that these early expeditions are said to have helped inspire his lifelong sense of adventure and exploration.
For me, though, it was the landscape and, in particular, the spring colour that caught my eye.
Bluebells in Newton Wood
We timed our visit perfectly for the bluebell season. The woodland around the base of Roseberry Topping was beginning to fill with carpets of blue, particularly through Newton Wood. The National Trust describes Newton Wood as one of the area's best places to see bluebells, with the woodland floor transformed into a sea of blue during spring.
What should have been a relatively quick 40-minute climb to the summit turned into a four-hour adventure!
Rather than heading straight up the main path, we wandered around the base of the hill, explored the woodland and stopped repeatedly to sketch and photograph the views. I was looking for those little compositions that might eventually become paintings.
And I'm so glad we took our time.
Had we simply followed the main route to the summit, we would have missed so much of the beautiful woodland, the bluebells and the changing views of Roseberry Topping.
Sketching the landscape
As always, I wasn't looking for a photograph to simply reproduce. I was gathering ideas, colours, shapes and memories that I could take back to my studio and turn into something of my own.
After plenty of sketching and photographing, we eventually made our way to the summit.
The views from the top were spectacular, stretching across the patchwork fields of the Cleveland Plain towards the North York Moors and the wider landscape beyond. The National Trust describes the summit as offering expansive 360-degree views across farmland, moorland, the coast and the industrial landscape around Teesside.
Standing up there, it was easy to understand why Roseberry Topping has inspired generations of walkers, artists and explorers.
Three new Roseberry Topping paintings
Back in my studio, the sketches, photographs and memories from our spring walk became the starting point for a new collection of North Yorkshire landscape paintings.
I've created three paintings inspired by our day:
The Path to Roseberry Topping
A painting inspired by the winding paths and dramatic approach to this unmistakable Yorkshire landmark.
Bluebells at Roseberry Topping
Inspired by the vivid spring colour we found around the base of the hill, with the bluebells providing a beautiful contrast against the woodland and surrounding landscape.
Bluebell Woods
A celebration of the woodland itself and those magical spring carpets of blue that made our walk take considerably longer than planned!
These paintings are a reminder of why I love exploring new places with a sketchbook. A day out walking can become the beginning of an entirely new collection of artwork, capturing not just what a place looks like, but how it felt to be there.
Fine Art Prints are available at the Joanne Wishart Gallery & Online
