On the 14 of September about four in the afternoon we set off from
Harrowgate, supposing the distance to Skipton to be only 16 Miles,
but to our great Disapointment found it to be twenty. The wind being
very high and directly in our faces, made our ride very uncomfortable,
and the distance made it so late that we should have been benighted
had not the moon got up in good time to our assistance.
At length we arrived, and next morning went to see Skipton Castle,
the Seat of Lord Thanet, who never resides here. It has formerly been
a good house and pleasantly situated, but in a most dreadful part
of the country.
After breakfast we set off for Mallum, vulgarly called Maum, and after
driving 11 or 12 Miles thro bad roads, in a day tenderd not the best
in the world, by wind and some showers, which however we were lucky
enough to escape, we came to the village which is situated in a vale
surrounded by mountains on all sides.
The first place we were shown, by a girl of about twelve years old,
was Maum Cove, on our way to which I saw a girl about the same age
of our guide, who was I absolutely think the most beautiful creature
I ever beheld, in any station of life.
The Cove is a high Lime Stone Rock about 1/4 of a Mile from the village
in a semicircular form, said to be 300 feet high but if we allow it
to be 200 I think we shall be right. At the foot of this immence rock
issues a considerable brook large enough to turn a floure mill. This
brook makes its appearance on the other side of the mountain, into
which it enters by two holes. Any light body thrown into either of
these mouths, will come out at the cove.
From hence we return’d towards the village. At the entrance of
which we struck off to the right to a place called Gordell Scarr,
which is near a mile from the village of which it is the great lyam.
When we had got about half way, our guides uncle come after us, and
taking us under his care sent her back. About half way from the village
we got sight of the brook that comes from it, which we kept in sight
the whole way to the place itself. On our arrival, tho well accustomed
to high rocks I could not help being astonished at this. You approach
it thro a valley by the side of the brook, and all at once on turning
round a rock you find yourself in a amphytheatre surrounded on all
sides except the entrance, by rocks said to be 300 feet high, which
I think they are if not more. On your right as you enter is a kind
of cave that seems to have drawn Mr Gray’s attentions more than
any other part of the Scarr, and is truly a tremendous craggy rock
over hanging its base is five or perhaps six yards, as when you stand
at that distance from it’s foot, the drops of water that continualy
distils from its top, fall on your head.
On the opposite side is another Rock of the same height and very near
perpendicular, having some scrubby yew trees and other shrubs growing
out from its sides in many parts. But to me neither of these, beautifull
as they are, can be put in competition with the front view of it to
where the rock divides into a kind of valley, in which at the height
of 100 feet on the right hand side, is a rude arch in the rock from
2 to 21/2 yards wide, and about the same high from whence the river
gushes from the mountain and falling about 14 feet, you for the time
lose sight of it, from hence it falls from rock to rock, at the bottom
of the gulley and is by that conducted to a high steep rock, from
whence it falls about 40 feet perpendicular, after which it is tumbled
from rock to rock meeting in its way two or three more rocks of 18
inches or two feet high in its way before it gets into a quiet passage,
thro the valley thro which it passes to the village, where it joins
the other streams from Mallum Cove.
But this is by some said to be the source of the River Air, but this
is a mistake, that river rising rather below the village, and has
two distinct springs, which unite soon after they rise, a short distance
further, the stream from the village joins it.
Having seen all we had to see we returned thro Kirby Mallum, a village
about a mile further, where we turned of towards Settle, by this road
we made it 12 miles, tho there is a road over the moors that is not
more than half the distance, but the hills are steep and the road
bad and easily mistaken.
Settle is a market town, and pritty large tho straggling and ill built.
It is situated at the foot of the mountains, and directly over the
town stands a very steep lime stone rock, from which they are continually
making lime, that appears as if it would fall and crush the town.
It is said that the rock was surveyed some time ago, on a report of
its dangerous appearance. When the lerned surveyors gave it as their
oppinion, that if it did fall at all, it must be the other way, which
side unfortunately for their predictions leans against the mountain.
For my part tho I confess it looks dreadfull do not think the town
is in any danger from it.
On our return to our inn we could not conceive what made such a clatter
in the street which on examination we found to proceed from the shoes
worn by the boys in the street who were just come from school which
are made with a wooden soal like that of a clog that are from 1/2
to 3/4 of an inch thick, and because this is not strong enough they
shoe them with iron in some places.
On the 16th we continued our journey and one mile from Settle passed
there a village called Giggleswick which is situated at one end of
a strong mountain called Giggleswick Scarr, from which it takes its
name.
A short mile from the village under the scar is a well that ebbs and
flows frequently, where I just got out of the gigg, and tasted the
water which was very good but as we had no time to spare and had no
sort of doubt of it’s really being possed of all the qualities
it is said to be. We did not stay to see it’s retrograde motion
when we saw it over run the stone basin very fast and formed a pretty
little stream from it.
The road from the well has a gentle assent for nearly a mile under
this craggy scar and having gained the summit of it we descended into
a valley of some considerable extent, on one side of which stands
the enormous mountain of Ingleborough which appears to be the highest
in the country and is said to be the first land that can be seen from
sea in the Irish Channel.
After having passed thro the village of Clapham we crossed the foot
of the mountain and came close to the town of Ingleton but instead
of entering it we turned to the right round the mountain on the road
towards Richmond and proceeding four miles up a valley between two
very high mountains one of which is Ingleborough the other Whernside
which is said to be again higher than the former, as will appear by
the height of the different mountains, have we come to a place called
Chaple in the Dale consisting of a small chaple and two or three houses.
Here after having found a man as a guide and just our horses into
his stable for there is not even an alehouse here, we were shown a
very large hole in the ground about one hundred yards from the chaple.
The top of this hole is even with the field in which it stands, on
one side of which is a hole in the rock and a sloping pathway down
to it, that admits you a few yards down its side, from whence it has
the appearance of a monstrous large pot from which it takes the name
of Hurtle Pot.
It is I believe possible to go much lower than we went if not down
to the water that is in it’s bottom, but the drops that fall
from its top makes the way too slippery for anyone who has as great
a regard for himself as I have. The water at its bottom is said to
be exceeding deep and have a communication with Weathercote cave on
the one side and on the other having passed under ground for near
a mile rises in the Vale a little below the village and forms the
source of the Waise. After very hard rain this pot is said to fill
with water and run out of its entrance, notwithstanding the pot is
about 50 feet in diameter and as many or rather more when we saw it
from the surface of the water.
From hence he took us to another place and showed us a large spilt
in the rock which he called Gingle Pot tho for my part I could see
no more that it had to a pot than it had to being a curiosity which
I could see nothing like. Having assended the rock at the back of
this place and gone about 100 yards we passed as small cottage that
seemed entirely ignorant that it was so near to one of the greatest
curiosities in this kingdom. About 40 yards from its door is the mouth
of Weathercote cave, the entrance and top of which are covered with
trees and shrubs of various kinds. One side that is more sloping than
the rest admit of your entrance and after scrambled down till you
get about 12 yards below the surface of the ground you see the falls,
which make a noise like thunder and fill the cavern with its spray
like small rain.
Here on the right hand side is a cave in the rock said to be a great
curiosity and to have parts of it resembling tables and chairs. These
I looked for in vain, there was indeed in one corner a rock you might
set down on but that is all I could find. Here is also a fine spring
of fine water to which some of the tourists ascribe a petrifying quality,
tho after a strict search we could find nothing like petrifaction
near it.
From hence we descended lower and about halfway down is a small fall
on the left hand side that falls from a considerable height tho nothing
when compared to the great one which is at the farthest end of the
cave, which breaks from the rock about 12 feet from the surface of
the ground from whence it seventy five feet perpendicular, into the
bottom of the caverns, where it no sooner fills than it sinks under
ground and after visiting Hurtle Pot and perhaps Gingle Pot in its
way forms the source of the river Waise as I have already said.
On the left hand side of the fall and close to it is another cave
that I could stand up in is have you are in some measure covered from
the spray of the fall, tho you are wetted by the drops that continuously
fall from it’s top. At the extremity of this our guide said there
was a long subteraneous passage that is supposed to communicate with
the two Pots, but as no one had yet ventured to explore it, we left
it to some more curious and enterprizing genius.
At the bottom of the hole I searched for some curious stone or petrefactions
in vain and was obliged to return to the top without any thing worth
bringing away. This place also runs over after very hard rain although
near 90 feet deep.
On my arrival in the air again I found myself quite wet through in
several long the length of this cavern is near one hundred feet and
its breadth rather more than half that distance, after this, having
discharged the guide, we walked on toward Ingleton and left the servant
to get the gigg and follow us. This gave us an opportunity of going
to the source of the river before he overtook us, in which there is
nothing to be seen but the water rising from several different parts
of the rock, which within a few yards formed a considerable stream,
after having come God knows how far under ground.
Having gain’d the road again, he soon overtook us and we proceeded
thro Ingleton to Thornton, near which is a remarkable cave under ground
but as it is not at all equal to those in Derbyshire and other parts
of England, and we were rushed in point of time,we did not go into
it, but proceeded to Kirkby Lonsdale to dinner.
Here is a fine old bridge across the river Lon of which no body can
give any account, but like many other things whose real history is
unknown, the workmanship is ascribed to the Devil who is said to have
built it in one night with one apron full of stone and that he intended
it should be much larger but his apron string breaking he let fall
some of the stones on a hill near it called ................
The town is neat and well built most part of it, has a good church
and a remarkable pretty church yard, that commands a charming view
of the river that forms a kind of lake just under it. About 1/2 mile
from the town stands a white house that was formerly a Gentlemans
seat, now let for a farm house, which is a fine object. From hence,
the evening being fine, we took a walk to it, the path leading to
it being all along the cliff commanding several beautifull views of
the river and town.
Next morning we left this and got to Kendal about one o’clock,
after dinner we paid a visit to Mr Maude who we had known at Harrowgate,
and who received us with a great deal of civility.
After tea we took a walk and saw the town which is large and for the
most part well built, particularly some new streets leading to the
water, it is a place of very great trade and as most other trading
towns are, is very populous.
Here is the best market place I ever remember to have been ......................
Read the accounts of other 18th & early 19th century visitors to the Malhamdale area. |
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