button to main menu  Clarke's Survey of the Lakes, 1787

button title page
button previous page button next page
Page 37:-
the rank of captain: He made himself very acceptable to the Usurper, by taking prisoner Sir Timothy Featherstonhaugh at the battle of Worcester. The same Brown had a brother named Richard, whose son James likewise served under Cromwell. Richard, however, being loyal, that he might prevent any others of his sons from entering the service of the parliament, sold How-Town, and purchased a customary tenement at Knott, in the manor of Water-Millock. He lived to a very great age; dying, as appears by the parish-register, at the age of an hundred and four. Abraham his son likewise lived to the age of ninety-nine years and ten months; and in such surprising health and vigour, that at the age of eighty-six he mowed in one day an acre of land. His age and activity attracted the notice of the Duke of Norfolk so far, that he promised to enfranchise his estate, provided he lived to the age of an hundred; but this his death prevented by two months.
  Swarth Beck
  cataracts

Next sail towards the Westmorland side of the Lake, to the foot of Swarth-beck. If this brook chance to be full of water, the vast number of grand cascades will here regale the eye of the beholder: these fall in innumerable gradations, over hollow craggy rocks, till the brook precipitates itself into the Lake. The noise of these falls is very considerable, and may be heard at the distance of two miles, and is reverberated from rock to rock in a thousand different tones. These sounds are the barometer of the neighbourhood. Traditions handed won from father to son have formed a set of rules, by which the farmer is enabled to predict with tolerable certainty the weather of the day from the sound these cascades emit the preceding evening.
It might perhaps puzzle even a philosopher to assign a reason why the different state of the atmosphere should thus affect the sound: the peasants think not of the cause, but are seldom mistaken in the event: this I know for certain, that in a squally south wind, which blows in gusts from the mountains, the noise and bellowing of these cataracts emit a variety of notes, which I cannot better explain than by comparing them to an AEolian Harp.
Also look at the black, barren, and almost perpendicular mountain called Swarth-Fell: here your boatman will shew you the rock down which the late Edward Hassel, Esq; led his horse, that he might be in at the death of a fox; so steep and dangerous is the descent, that no one since that time durst ever attempt it, nor would any one give credit to it, were there not at this day many living witnesses of the desperate enterprize.
  fish, Ullswater
  char
  skelly

By this time the fishermen will be ready with their boats and nets, if ordered, to attend the travellers in their return; I shall therefore say a few words concerning the fishing, and the species of fish here found.
The fisheries of Ulswater belong to many different persons, and pay to the lord of the adjoining soil a very high quit-rent. Mr Hodgkinson has by much the largest share, viz. from Stibray to Hole-Beck in Gowbarrow. The fish found in this Lake are trout, perch, eels, char, skellies; and a fish peculiar to this and buttermere, (where there are very few,) called Grey Trout. These grey trouts in form resemble the other trouts, but are much larger, weighing thirty or forty pounds: one was killed a few years ago which weighed fifty-six; but the ordinary weight is from seven to twenty pounds each. They are found chiefly in the deep water, below House-Holm island: they are, however, sometimes taken in all parts of the Lake, though but seldom, except in October, which is their spawning time. During that month the King of Patterdale usually sets a net across the foot of Coldrill-Beck, where most of them go up to spawn: a few indeed attempt getting up at Glenridding-Beck, but not one has ever been known to enter any other of the streams. Some of the trouts, however, escape the net, but are generally taken by the neighbouring farmers, who strike them at night-time with spears by the light of a torch. These unlawful practices the Gentlemen of the neighbourhood have not been able to prevent: It is indeed impossible they should, for
the
gazetteer links
button -- "How Town" -- Howtown
button -- "Knott" -- Knotts Farm
button -- "Swarthbeck" -- Swarth Beck
button -- "Swarth Fell" -- Swarth Fell
button -- "Ulswater" -- (Ullswater (CL13inc)2)
button next page

button to main menu Lakes Guides menu.