Mount Vittoria

A narrow ridge of heather moorland. But the Ordnance Survey six-inch map of 1857 records a plantation here by the name of Mount Vittoria Plantation. There is no sign of any trees now and indeed on the 1895 edition the name had been removed. But the name intrigues me. Where did it come from?

Vittoria is Italian for Victoria. In 1857 of course Queen Victoria had been on the throne for twenty years. A plantation could well have been planted to commemorate her coronation. But then why Italian?

There is a Mount Vittoria in Australia. It was a penal colony. The 4th Foot Lancaster King’s Own Regiment was stationed there during the 1830s as convict guards. Maybe a North Yorkshire lad somehow found himself down under; as guard or convict?

But I would suggest both places were named after the Battle of Vittoria when, in 1813, Wellington’s forces routed the French under Bonaparte in Spain. Perhaps there was a local soldier involved or perhaps the victory was just in the public psyche.

So where is it this Mount Vittoria. I leave that as a challenge for you. It shouldn’t be too difficult if you know the North York Moors. But here’s the link to the modern map if you give up.