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
Gaythorn Hall is situated in a wild and dreary district, far away from
any other habitation, and it is rather surprising to find so stylish
a building in such an isolated situation. It is a large building, in
the Elizabethan style, with large mullioned windows of six and eight
lights each. There is a projection on the front side, supported by an
arched doorway with three large mullioned windows in the upper story,
and above the arch are the Bellingham arms. Within this is the door,
above which is a rudely carved figure of a mermaid, and the footstones
are curious grotesque heads. The lower rooms are large and spacious;
the ceiling of one is beautifully ornamented with vine leaf and branch
work, with the family arms in the centre. The upper rooms are also very
spacious; in these are one or two very handsome stone chimneypieces.
Behind the Hall was, at one time, the remains of a private chapel, but
it is now all gone, and no record of it is left, excepting the upper
part of a mullioned window, more ancient in style than the present
Hall, which no doubt occupies the site of a previous building.
There is a curious legend connected with Gaythorn Hall, respecting a
family who lived there. The husband was a Protestant, the wife a Roman
Catholic. Their first born son the mother insisted should be reared
according to her faith; the father objected, and wished him to be a
Protestant. The mother, being a determined woman, insisted that if
it might not be as she wished, the child should not be brought up to
any religion. The consequence was, the heartless mother had the child
put down into a cellar below the house, without any clothing. Into
this place she threw it some straw and old rags to lie upon, and for
its food, potato peelings, paste and dirty washings. These she threw
in at a hole without even herself entering the place. Here the child
remained unknown to any but themselves till it was six years old,
when by accident a man about the building heard a peculiar cry. There
being always curious suspicions respecting this child, he was induced
to compel its mother to disclose its hiding-place, and it was brought
forth, a hideous looking monster, unable to walk. The nails of its
hands and feet were grown like eagles' claws, and its body was almost
covered with hair, which was matted with dirt and filth. The child was
then cleaned, clothed and properly fed, sent to school, and eventually,
though enduring such hard treatment in infancy, grew up to manhood,
occupied a respectable position in society, and lived to a good old
age.
MANOR OF REAGILL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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