Craven Christmas Crackers

Legends and Folklore of Settle and Giggleswick

Whoaa!! Hold it right there! No need to look so suspicious.  This may well be Giggleswickisaurus: just one of the many rocky highlights around the ancient village.  This is, in fact, a gritstone outcrop on Mill Hill, named after a mill that once stood nearby and which was powered by the waters of the ancient Giggleswick Tarn. Let's have a winter wander around this amazing place.

Another view of Mill Hill and the rocky outcrops - covered in a layer of glacial drift.

On the 25th May 1863, some thirty years after Giggleswick Tarn was drained, labourers were working on drainage ditches in the ancient tarn bed when one Joseph Taylor hit upon what he at first thought was a large log - some five feet beneath the surface.

He uncovered what is now known as the Giggleswick Log Boat, complete with paddles - and likely to have been a one man fishing vessel.  It is now in the Leeds Museum Discovery Centre, but was formerly in the main City museum, where it was shattered into pieces by a German bomb in 1940.  Painstaking work has pieced it back together.  The boat was once thought to predate the Roman conquest, but has been dated to early medieval times. Paddling along the base of the scar must have been sublime.

Here, where now stands a golf course - once stood a sheet of water which must have been a magnificent sight under the towering limestone cliffs of Giggleswick Scar.

In the middle of the tarn stood an island called Gretna Green.  The high ground below centre, backed by the conifers, was presumably the island.  As the tarn was popular with skaters, it is likely the island was a place of romance, hence the name. You know - a quick kiss and kanoodle when no-one was looking place? Wonder if anyone was novel enough to tie the knot there?  Schoolboy's Tower, a giant cairn linked to the pupils of Giggleswick School, dominates the scene at the top of the scar.

Below the scar lies the famous Ebbing and Flowing Well, first described in Drayton's 'Polyolbion' as far back as 1612:  

'At Gigglesworth, where I a fountain can you show

That eight times in a day is said to ebb and flow.'

How did the magical properties of this well orignate? According to Drayton, writing in the Polyolbion, there was a beautiful nymph who dwelt in the Craven mountains, and attracted the attentions of a determined satyr (in legend, a woodland creature with the features of a goat and a fondness for revelry!) :

'And after her he goes, which, when she did espy,

Before him, like the wind, the nimble nymph did fly,

They hurry down the rocks, o'er hill and dale they drive, 

To take her, he doth strain, t'outstrip him, she doth strive.'

In desperation, the nymph prayed to the gods, who promptly answered her call by transforming her into a spring which rose and fell with her exhausted panting.  The Polyolbion writes how they:

'turned her to a spring, which, as she then did pant,

When, wearied with her course, her breath grew wondrous scant,

Even as the fearful nymph then thick and short did blow,

Now made by them a spring, now doth she ebb and flow.'

Even today her panting is still evident, but it is best to watch after a period of moderate rain. The well's depth varies by about eight inches over a period of just a couple of minutes, and when it is ebbing a current of air called the 'silver chord' can be seen by the very lucky, shooting across the trough like an underwater laser.  I have yet to see the chord, but the thrill of the chase is still there!

Beyond the well, a the top of Buckhaw Brow, a path leads up onto the higher reaches of Giggleswick Scar, and impressive views over the Craven Lowlands open up towards another place of legend: Pendle Hill, forever associated with the witch trials of 1612, coincidentally the same year that Drayton was writing about the well.

This is the classic view over the scar.  The road runs along the line of the South Craven Fault which began moving (under the sea) in late Carboniferous times.  Essentially it is a giant fracture in the earth's crust and everything you can see on the right (the green bit!) slipped down along that fracture, while everything to the left was lifted upwards to form the cliffs. That's a simple way of putting it.  The same limestone that once lay level with the top of the cliffs now lies hundreds of feet below the golf course (underneath the bed of the former tarn). Complicated stuff, but essential to understanding this wonderful landscape.  As sea levels gradually lowered, it is likely that the cliffs of Giggleswick Scar once formed part of a dramatic coast pounded by waves: amazing to think about today.

This would once have been a view down over the ancient tarn.  Huntworth Farm is on the right, and the raised island of Gretna Green has now been incorporated into the golf course. The tarn was formed by meltwater at the end of the last glaciation. 

The Great Scar Limestone cliffs of Giggleswick Scar are clothed in trees so it is difficult to make out their many features.  Hidden beneath them are a number of superb caves, but getting to them is no easy feat.  It requires a steady head for heights and firm footing.

Kinsey Cave, explored by W. Kinsey Mattinson of Austwick in the early 20th century, revealed human remains and the full skull of a cave bear.  This one is easy to access along the first dry valley at the top of the scar, and it is believed that a pothole shaft once penetrated the ground at the top of the cliff (an abandoned waterfall) that has now been blocked by glacial debris, and that the bear could have met its end by falling down the shaft.  Its skull is now in the Craven Museum, Skipton (see my post from March, 2013).



Wall Cave is another aperture in the face of the scars.  These little caves were first introduced to me in the writings of Wainwright, many years ago.  'Don't wear your Sunday best' was his sound advice.

In seeking out the starkly-named Dangerous Cave, described by Harry Speight (1892) as being 'bad to get to' (that's an understatement!!), I had to wander very close to the cliff edge and find a breach through the scars into the upper reaches of the woodland.  Here, I paused for a magnificent view over the South Craven Fault zone and along the Craven Lowlands to Pendle Hill.  The club house of the golf course marks the southern shoreline of the ancient tarn.

And here is Dangerous Cave, hundreds of feet above the road, hidden under the ivy and pointed out by the lower branches of a larch tree.  It's easy to miss - and very rarely visited.  

Dangerous Cave is essentially a small open pothole shaft on a ledge - as nasty on the inside as it is on the outside, but well worth a visit.  

A slippery slope descends to a small ledge above the main chamber - but it needs a rope to descend to the chamber itself - otherwise it would be almost impossible to climb out.  I entered the cave knowing this: one slip and I'd have been down there a long time.  That's why it's always wise to tell people where you are going when entering any cave.  This one - small as it is - certainly lives up to its name.

The main chamber in Dangerous Cave, viewed from the ledge above.  There is certainly a great deal of archaeological potential here - no doubt protected by the difficult access.

Dangerous Cave also has some attractive flowstone formations like these 'organ pipes.'

These calcite features dangle above the drop into the main chamber of Dangerous Cave.

The last few metres of slippery rock plunging into the main chamber.  There's not much for hands and feet to grip onto and many a sheep must have met its end here over the years.

Continuing over the crest of the scar - the highest point is reached at Schoolboy's Tower. Traditionally, each new boy of Giggleswick School has added a stone to this cairn, but its almost professional structure suggests it has been a site of importance for a long time.  No doubt this was once a place important to early man, considering the amount of caves in the area.  Only a few feet from the cairn lies the massive cliff of Giggleswick Quarry, now thankfully closed and being allowed to let nature take over.  It should be a fine habitat in a few years.  

Schoolboy's Cave lies just below the cairn, actually burrowing below the tower itself.  It is a superb shelter and again was no doubt utilised by early man.

A joint passage branches off to the right just inside the entrance to Schoolboy's Cave. These fossil caves are clearly very ancient features.

Keeping to the edge of the scar on the return journey - a massive breach in the cliffs is soon reached - and not without a shudder.  This is Nevison's Nick: named after highwayman John Nevision.  When being pursued for robbery in 1645, he allowed his horse to refresh itself at the Ebbing and Flowing Well.  The waters of the sacred spring gave his steed, it is said, magical powers, and it carried him up the scar and over this ravine in one magnificent leap. Despite its prominence on the ordnance survey map, few people have ever seen Nevison's Nick as it requires a gravity-defying pull up from the main road and is hidden from view by trees.  

Nevison's Nick is well worth seeking out, and is one of my favourite places in the Dales.  The horseshoe shaped 'nick' indicates a minor fault and it is likely that this was once an active waterfall, plunging down into the tarn.  It is possible for agile and brave explorers to half climb, half scramble up the nick in the centre, while the flanks offer routes for more experienced climbers.  

Just below the nick and to its west is a climber's path, hundreds of feet above the road.  Its highlight is Staircase Cave, with its lovely ivy-strewn entrance.  Climbers use it as a shelter, and because of its height and awkward position is has avoided the attentions of early archaeologists.  It has some lovely floor deposits and a gorgeous calcite staircase inside: a hidden gem high up on the scar.

The entrance to Staircase Cave gives one the impression of idly pulling back a curtain to let the light stream in.

The staircase itself is composed of golden calcite, leading into the narrow confines of the cave.

'Half way up the stairs is a stair where I sit .... there isn't any other stair quite like it' - and there isn't actually!  This one has a lovely suspended pool and is described by Harry Speight as being a perfect 'little handbasin.'

Another view of Staircase Cave.  I didn't have my helmet and lamp with me today so I pointed into the inky blackness and hoped for the best!

And finally ... on the way home I visited the Plague Stone.  This was given an elaborate 'enclosure' in memory of Thomas Brayshaw, the local historian who spent long hours exploring where we've been today. During the 1598 Settle plague, coins were left in the recess in exchange for food and goods - to prevent the disease from spreading outside the town.  These 'plague stones' were placed at the edges of towns throughout the country and this is one of the few still to survive.  It is situated opposite the Craven Arms, just outside Giggleswick and close to the A65.

Close up of the inscription above the Plague Stone.

Once I removed the moss - the stone's structure and shape were more evident.  A real piece of history.

Last view of the Plague Stone - another site well worth a visit.

Visit the Ebbing and Flowing Well by tucking your car into a small layby on the left just before it: close to the track down to the farm.  Later, proceed up the road and at the top of Buckhaw Brow there is a parking spot on the right (top left of picture) giving access to Giggleswick Scar.  From then on, it's the stuff that explorers dream of ... but the drops are severe and great care is needed at all times.  Ignore that ugly blot of a quarry: it's now being planted with native trees and in twenty years it should be a wonderful place for wildlife.

Have a great Christmas and get up in the Three Peaks to work off that turkey and pud ...

Stephen x

Druid's Hill

In search of a Lost Stone Circle

Druid's Hill - so named since time immemorial, lies just to the south east of Settle.  It contains many gritstone erratics dropped by the Ribblesdale Glacier - and this mysterious appearance - along with a once celebrated stone circle - have given it the enticing name.  The ancient woodland of Cleatop Park now covers the hillside - and is a key to finding the site of the circle. Writing in 1892, Harry Speight concluded: 'Mr Thomas Brayshaw, of Settle, informs me that within the memory of persons still living, it was so well defined that one or two gaps caused by the removal of stones could be easily distinguished.'  This afternoon I paid a visit to the circle's enigmatic remains, high on the hillside - and didn't meet another soul: but look at that sky!

Turning off the A65 towards Settle, a lay-by is reached on the right with this beautiful sign close by, depicting the rock of Castleberg, traditional rams and the white rose - just to remind us where we are.  A lane on the right, opposite this sign, climbs up towards Cleatop Park.

Crossing the railway line and looking towards a misty Penyghent.

Handsome bulls at Hoyman Laithe, by the track up to Cleatop.

Far Thornber Barn, looking towards Settle, and Penyghent, with the limestones of High Hill lying on the Mid Craven Fault to the right.

The steep, rustic path up to Lodge Farm.  When you know you are visiting an ancient site, excitement keeps those feet plodding ...

Lodge Farm.  Just beyond, a gate on the right gives us access to the spooky Druid's Hill.

As if the ancients were aware of a rare human in their presence, storm clouds began to build, giving an eerie yet beautiful atmosphere.  Here I am looking back at Lodge Farm, with Settle nestled in the valley, carved out by glaciers of long ago.

View down to the mysterious little Pond Plantation: the great limestone mass of Giggleswick Scar, on the South Craven Fault is visible in the misty background.

The view ahead towards the slopes of Druid's Hill - with the woodland of Cleatop Park behind.  The stone circle remains are situated on the highest point of the hilltop - just where the evergreens meet the browns of the larches at centre.

The Cleatop or Druid's Circle. It takes a little time to find it at first but is unmistakable once located with its henge type banking suggesting it was certainly Neolithic in origin.  According to Brayshaw in his 'History of the Ancient Parish of Giggleswick' it stood here undisturbed for centuries until a farmer decided to destroy it - no doubt he was expanding his pasture - or dare we suggest he was scared of it?  There are scattered boulders round about which may have belonged to the circle, but it is likely the stones were incorporated into the wall surrounding Cleatop Park.  

The circle from the north.  The banking to the east (left) is more prominent and there appears to be an entrance into the complex on the west side, facing the setting sun.

The circle from the east, showing the curving arc of the eastern banking and a prominent stone (left centre) which may have been linked with the complex as it is lined up due west. The ancient peoples chose a superb vantage point for this site.

Including the width of the banking, the entire 'circle' is about 60 feet across.  Again the prominent stone at west can be seen in this photograph - with the Settle by-pass leading towards Clapham and Ingleton.

The massive banking of the Druid's Circle - viewed on the initial appraoch from the north. What a stunning feature it must have been once.  Apparently, it was visible from a great distance.

Several ditches and earth bankings connect with the circle site from the west.  They may or may not be contemporary with the circle itself.  Are these scattered boulders the remains of the ruined feature?

Final view of the circle with the larches of Cleatop Park a clear pointer for locating the elusive site.  

Beautiful rock and sky scenery on the aptly named Druid's Hill - situated behind the stone circle site.

Getting up close!

 The summit of Druid's Hill - shrouded in legend.

By now - as I walked in the path of the Druids, I couldn't look at the sky without a shudder.

 .... while at the same time being humbled by the beauty of the place.

This short but invigorating stroll is ideal for a winter's afternoon and can be combined with a trip into Settle for a bite to eat at the Naked Man.  The route from the parking spot is highlighted in blue and the circle is situated to the north east of Cleatop Park.  The views throughout are magnificent. Go and tread where very few have gone before ... it's better than reality television any day.

Finally - a close up of the circle area with the ancient feature between the arrows and the ditches dotted in red.  The boulder to the west can be seen at the left hand side of the circle beyond the tufts of rushes. Don't you just wish you could bring that farmer back and tell him to rebuild it?  Enjoy .....

Stephen x

                         

The Kelcow Caves

A Place for Skulls

Looking out of the Greater Kelcow Cave, Giggleswick Scar

Giggleswick Scar is a massive wedge of Great Scar Limestone, lifted to prominence millions of years ago along the line of a colossal earth fracture - the South Craven Fault.  Driving along its base towards Clapham, the tree-clothed limestone cliffs dominate the right hand side, while on the left the same limestones have slipped along the fault and now lie hundreds of feet below the Settle golf course.  It is dramatic scenery - and despite the quarrying that has now thankfully ceased - its history and geology remain exposed for all to see.  Two of the many caves in the scar that have been lucky to survive are the Kelcow Caves - yards away from the ugly scar of the quarry but stubbornly resistant to man's destruction.  Long may they remain.  These two caves combine to tell the story of the past as well as any in the Dales.

The gaping entrance to Lesser Kelcow Cave can be glimpsed among the trees in winter, once the leaves have shed.  Greater Kelcow is hidden by trees to its right.

A gate by the busy main road (SD808657) gives access to the ancient woodland containing the caves, which are well worth a visit and require nothing but a good torch and wellingtons. A slippery scramble up through brambles and ferns leads to the prominent entrance of Lesser Kelcow Cave.  Until excavations beginning in the 19th century, the entrance was largely blocked by sediment - and this hid a wealth of archaeological material.

Lesser Kelcow Cave was found to contain the bones of many animals: horse, cattle, deer, domestic pig, sheep, hare, rabbit, fox, badger and small rodents - but these caves are famous for the Romano-British material deposited here during the Iron Age - and even more so for the early Neolithic skulls that were placed here in some numbers.  The skulls discovered were in perfect condition and not weathered, suggesting that the heads were left here soon after death.

In this chamber, at the back of Lesser Kelcow Cave - a woman's skull was found in the cave sediment and dated to between 3650 and 3522 BC!!  After intitial excavations in the 19th century, the caves were throughly examined by Tot Lord and the Pigyard Club in the 1930s. Many of the finds are now in the Craven Museum at Skipton.

Many of the objects discovered were tucked away on the natural shelves of the cave.  This formation I call 'The Frog Chorus' - and with good reason!  Fragments of Peterborough Ware pottery have also been found here.

Looking out of Lesser Kelcow Cave.  It is likely that many of the horses and deer were 'poached' - or killed in secret - centuries ago in these wild woodlands, and the caves would have been convenient to store away and deal with the carcasses.  In many of the Settle Caves, horse and cattle bones show teeth marks suggesting they have been scavenged by wolves - and many of the bones have been smashed for marrow.  It is not known why isolated human skulls were placed in caves, but many bones found around Settle have revealed deformities - as though ancient peoples felt those with disabilities had 'malign souls' and therefore were given 'deviant burials' in the dark underworld.  There is still much to learn about the past here.  

Tucked away to the right is Greater Kelcow Cave with its narrow, tapering entrance.  It is not obvious from the base of the scar and needs a careful search.  This cave is perfectly safe even for children to enter with a torch - but as with all caves it should be treated with respect.  The moonmilk coating the walls should be left undisturbed - as should the masses of moths and cave spiders - enough to keep the squeamish at the outside!

This cave has been fully investigated and has revealed an amazing wealth of objects.  Bones of the usual vertebrates along with lynx and bear have been discovered here.  Human remains included an isolated femur that had been culturally smashed ...

Greater Kelcow Cave was a depository for objects during the Romano-British period - probably before the main Roman invasion reached the north.  A number of exquisite brooches were discovered here, along with a superb Iron Age spearhead now in the Craven museum.  The chain and handle of a cooking pot from the same period were also notable finds.  Discoveries from later periods include pottery and even an 18th century Jew's Harp.

These wonderfully sculptured, moonmilk-coated features I call the 'White Horses.'

Amazing to think that early man would have looked up and wondered at the strangeness of this dangling feature - just as we do today.

The attractive moonmilk ceiling in Greater Kelcow Cave.  The origins of moonmilk are unclear, but bacteria is believed to be involved in its formation.

The chamber and soft floor deposits at the back of Greater Kelcow Cave.  A narrow crawl lies beyond.  These deposits are delicate and best left undisturbed.  

Arachnophobes are unlikey to enjoy the Kelcow Caves.  Everywhere you turn, the eight beady eyes of the cave spider - Meta menardi are upon you - and torchlight results in cryptic movements.  Those with a fear of moths will have a double nightmare!  Here, a Tissue Moth Triphosa dubitata keeps a safe distance, between scores of insects.

Close up of the cave spider.  These fellas shun the light, though their spiderlings actually are attracted by it - a factor which probably helps the spiders to move and colonise other caves and buildings.

This dominant lady is spinning as she hunts.  Don't mess!

The beautiful Herald Moth Scoliopteryx libatrix overwinters in Greater Kelcow Cave.  Set against a background of snowy white moonmilk, it is a stunning sight.

Delicate Tissue Moths caught in my cave lamp in Greater Kelcow Cave.

She's sensed a movement.  Somebody's in for it ....

This Herald Moth has been lying still so long - she's coated in moonmilk herself, as lime rich water has been dripping onto her wings.

Romano-British objects, with horse bones beneath - found in the Kelcow Caves and on display in the Craven Museum.

Bone studs, cockle shells, brooch and jet bangle fragments from the Kelcow Caves in the Craven Museum, Skipton.

This aerial view shows the proximity of the Kelcow Caves to the quarry, which is now being left to nature, and should be an important wildlife habitat itself in a few years.  Please respect the site and its delicate woodlands - leave no litter or disturbance.  These posts are to encourage those with a love of wild places.  I have removed bags of bottles and litter from Dales caves on many occasions and wouldn't want to encourage this type of person.   Giggleswick Scar is one amazing place and I'll be visiting its other delights over the next few weeks.

Stephen x