The vale of Lyvennet : $b its picturesque peeps and legendary loreBland, John Salkeld
History
The vale of Lyvennet : $b its picturesque peeps and legendary lore
Bland, John Salkeld
Cumbria (England) -- Description and travel
The Park at Crosby Ravensworth, of which Sir Lancelot Threlkeld boasted
as affording him unbounded pleasure, lies to the south of Crosby, and
is now known as Crosby Gill. It has originally been enclosed by a wall
three yards in height, and of immense thickness; portions of this are
still to be seen, the most perfect specimen being on the roadside from
Crosby to Gilts. It has certainly been a chase of princely dimensions,
containing within its bounds upwards of 700 acres, with a circumference
of over six miles. The chase is of a very irregular and romantic
character, being cut up into glens and ravines. A stream rising at
King's Well runs the whole length down a beautiful yet wild valley,
thickly covered with brushwood. This is joined in its course by three
or four tributary streams. The Lyvennet from Black Dub runs down a deep
and craggy glen, Raven Gill, down which the stream, after forming a
succession of cascades, flows round the base of Raven Cragg, forming a
deep pool called Aggy Lum; around which hangs a gloomy horror from the
fact that it was once the scene of the last dreary plunge of a frail
forsaken mother. Gilts beck, which gathers its waters from the bleak
scars around Penhurrock, has also formed its course down a deep ravine.
It is crossed, near Gilts, by a very picturesque bridge; the water runs
through a cleft in the rock. This has been taken advantage of as an
almost natural bridge. Its workmanship is attributed to Michael Scott,
or, as some say, the Devil, who, flying over with a load of stones in
his apron, the strings accidentally broke, and down fell the stones.
He, unwilling to reload, but still wishful to turn them to some useful
purpose, descended and formed the present bridge. On another occasion,
however, he has not been so industriously inclined, for an immense heap
of boulders near Wood Foot are also attributed to a similar accident;
which he left in so careless a manner, as, according to the expression
of an old farmer, "to spoil a lump of good land." A load these stones
certainly have been, but more likely that of some antediluvian iceberg
than that of his Satanic Majesty.[12]
The lodge, where probably resided the keepers, &c., is situated on an
elevated part of the chase, commanding a view of the whole surrounding
woods; it is now used as a farm-house, and has been rebuilt.
Many a time, doubtless, did the knight and his visitors at the Hall
enjoy the excitement of the chase as the sound of hound and horn echoed
among the dells.
* * * * *
These were jovial days at Crosby; but like their noble originators they
are past and forgotten, except to the dreaming poet or the prosing
antiquary, who have preserved for us something of the past in that fine
old song:--
Oh those indeed were merry days
The merry days of old.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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