We gazed at the finest view of England, which is how the cliff tops at North Yorkshire’s Sutton Bank are often described. Peering out over the blue-green distances, we searched the sea of fields for landmarks: the red roofs of the nearby villages; further away, the pale towers of York Minster catching the setting sun; and, perched on the horizon, 40 miles away at the limit of sight, the cooling tower giants of Drax power station. But it wasn’t only great land distances that caught the eye.

“We’re looking at 60 million years of history,” announced Uncle Johnny Corcoran, pointing at the golden glow of the limestone cliffs. Something of an amateur geologist, he described how the 160-metre-tall cliffs had been laid down in distinct slabs.