Comments on: Sutton Bank, Witches and Featherless Geese

By: dabawenyo life

dabawenyo life — Fri, 31 May 2013 05:33:42 +0000

I love the story about the featherless goose and stone wall photos. :-)

By: McEff

McEff — Sat, 18 May 2013 11:28:06 +0000

I’m glad you didn’t become a hooligan, Dohn. The world would have become a poorer place.
Now you mention the floating islands I’ve heard of them in folk tales. Strange how people’s minds worked in those days.
Cheers, Alen

By: earthstonestation

earthstonestation — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:44:03 +0000

Alen, in the old days islands could float and I’m told that some could fly through the air. Our town of Meriden was surrounded by what were called ‘the hanging hills’. As a teenager (and older) I climbed around the trails on all of them. I was lucky to have the space and it kept me out of trouble or from becoming a hooligan, amongst other things.

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:32:17 +0000

Ho Carol. My first car was an 800CC Mini and you had to hold the gear stick when it was in second or it would jump out. This one’s a Suzuki Ignis, and it only jumps out occasionally ??? but never when you’re expecting it.
On fence post holes, I was considering offering to give the farmer ??? who was not young in years ??? a hand, but when I said “ow do” he just grumbled a barely audible reply. So I continued on way. The guy in the tractor spreading fertiliser, though, gave me a smile and a cheery wave.
Cheers, Alen

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:26:01 +0000

Hi Dohn. I did a Google image search on Mount Lamentation and Black Pond and I see what you mean. There are distinct similarities. I would imagine that nearly every community that lives near a body of water has its “bottomless” lake woven into the local mythology. My father was brought up in the Scottish borders and when we were children he took my brother and myself to see the Black Loch, which he insisted was bottomless. It had an island in the middle and I couldn’t work out that if it was bottomless, what was holding up the island?
Cheers, Alen

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:01:10 +0000

Hi Tony. As an old potholer I’ve heard of dye being used as well ??? but never planks. There must be a story there.
Cheers, Alen

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:21:03 +0000

Hi David. This might surprise you but I’m a big fan of hedge laying and have done several over the years. My interest came about when I worked as a rock driller on the top of Stainton Quarry, near Barrow, and watched two farmers spend several days laying a hawthorn dyke. I thought: I’d like to do that. So I’ve had a few goes and it’s a very pleasant way to spend several days in the depths of winter. You get scratched to hell, mind.
The walling is interesting. I was thinking the same thing. If I’m still agile in 30 years’ time I should go back and record how the elements and lichen have affected the new stone.
Cheers, Alen

By: mountaincoward

mountaincoward — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:39:59 +0000

That Gormire Lake sounds interesting! I think I’ve been to all those legendary places but, although I’ve driven up Sutton Bank, I’ve never got out and walked there I have to admit. Sounds nasty your car jumping out of gear like that – that would terrify me up a steep hill!

It’s easy enough making holes for fence-posts in the very wet weather we’re having as the ground is so soft – neither easy nor satisfying in drier weather though.

By: earthstonestation

earthstonestation — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:35:13 +0000

The second picture looks so much like Mount Lamentation in my hometown back in Connecticut it took me by surprise, or maybe not. Both areas have seen lots of glacial activity I suppose. I was fortunate growing up there with lots of trails to hike on the ‘hills’ that surrounded the town of Meriden. Another similarity was Black Pond at the base of one of those hills – reportedly it was bottomless, although I know of no witches or geese swallowed there most of us avoided swimming in the cold dark pond.

By: Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett — Sat, 11 May 2013 22:32:43 +0000

I’ve heard of dye being use to trace the course of underground rivers in limestone – and even planks of wood -but never geese (or witches!)

By: David

David — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:04:49 +0000

This is an interesting area Alen. I bet it is hard to make progress with all those tumulus, caves and views take in.

Like hedge laying, walling seems to have seen a bit of a renaissance over the last few years. I wonder how many years will pass before the lichens spread and you cannot see the difference between old and new.

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:08:09 +0000

Hi Tracey. I bet it was fun working at the gliding club. I walked through it when I did the Cleveland Way. I plan to walk round that way next time and down to Byland Abbey.
I saw the fairy parlour cave on the map when I was writing up this piece but must have walked past it on the day. In fact there is quite a lot of ancient stuff on the map that I missed.
Cheers, Alen