Country and County: Cumbria

0

The Old Woman of the Tarn

Today the hamlet of Talkin in north Cumbria sits astride the quiet road which connects the villages of Hallbankgate and Castle Carrock. Although secluded and well away from busy highways, it is now home to a variety of people from many walks of life.

Ginger Beast of Beckermet

I was intrigued to come across mentions of a Big Foot sighting in Beckermet, Cumbria and sought out the original source, a copy of the Whitehaven News, dated 5 March 1998.

Rawthey Bridge Stone Circle

Stones used in the construction of the 1822 Rawthey Bridge over which the A683 passes were plundered from a stone circle described in The History and Antiquities of the Counties of Westmorland and Cumberland, 1777 by J Nicolson & R Burn. “A circle of large stones, supposed to be a monument of druid worship”. According to Rev.

Egremont Crab-Apple Fair

Held on the nearest Saturday to the 18th October, the festival was established in 1267 and involved the distribution of crab-apples amid fun, games and traditional Cumberland Wrestling.

St Patrick’s Well

Around 450AD St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland is supposed to have preached on the banks of Ullswater in Cumbria. The whole Patterdale area is named after him. In Glenridding a Holy Well dedicated to St Patrick can still be found roughly one mile outside of the village of Glenridding.

Corby Castle

Corby Castle lies on the banks of the river Eden, not far from Carlisle. The castle was the seat of the Howard family and is haunted by a spirit known as the radiant boy who has been sighted infrequently. The apparition haunts a room in the oldest part of the castle, which is reached by a passage running through a wall.

The Solway Ghost Ships

The Cumberland News 18/02/2000, featured an article by Ruth Berry and Gill Hands about ghosts on the Solway.

St Bees Priory

The atmospheric church at St Bees is all that remains of a small Benedictine monastery closed down during the reformation. The priory is associated with the legend of St Bega, who is said to have fled here to escape an arranged marriage in Ireland.

Brigham Church

Brigham Church is reputed to be haunted by a hangman named Joseph Wilson, who was interred in the churchyard in the year 1757. He committed suicide by throwing himself from the Cocker Bridge in Cocker Mouth.