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

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Page 3:-

BOOK FIRST.


book 1
  chapter 1

  Westmorland
WESTMORLAND.


CHAP. I.

Harts-horn Tree, -- Countess's Pillar, -- Brougham Castle, -- the Hospital, -- View of Carleton Hall, -- Brougham Hall, -- Lowther Bridge, -- Clifton, -- Ancient customary service at Clifton, -- the Battle of Clifton-Moor, -- the Village of Lowther, -- the Lowther Family, -- Arthur's Round Table, -- General Sketch of Westmorland, -- Mayburgh.
  Hart Horn Tree
I SHALL begin my observations at the Countess's Pillar, where likewise my plans commence: I shall, however, exceed this bound, to take notice of a very large Oak Tree in Whinfield-Park, called the Harts-horn Tree. Concerning this tree there is a tradition, confirmed by Anne Countess of Pembroke in her memoirs, that an hart was run by a single dog from this place to Red-Kirk in Scotland and back again: when they came near this tree the hart leaped the wall but the dog, worn out with fatigue, was unable to follow him, and died there; the hart, equally fatigued, could proceed no farther, and in this situation they were found by the hunters, the dog dead on one side of the wall, and the deer on the other. In memory of this remarkable chace, the hart's horns were fixed upon this tree, whence it obtained its name; and as all extraordinary events were in those days recorded in rhymes we find the following popular one upon this occasion, from which we learn the dog's name likewise:

"Hercules kill'd Hart of Greece,
"And Hart of Greece kill'd Hercules."
This story appears to have been literally true, as the Scots preserve it without any variation, and add, that it happened in the year 1333 or 1334, when Edward Baliol King of Scots came to hunt with Robert de Clifford in his domains at Appleby and Brougham. I cannot, however, help thinking the Countess is mistaken in calling the dog a Grey-Hound, as he must have run upwards of 80 miles, even supposing the deer to have taken the direct road; and this no one, who is acquainted with the nature of dogs, can suppose a grey-hound capable of performing.
  Countess Pillar
We come now to the Countess's Pillar, which is twelve feet high, and built of hewn stone: it has a large quadrangular capital, each of whose faces answers to one of the cardinal points. On the East, West, and South, are dials, and on the North, the following inscription:

"This Pillar was erected A.D. 1656, by the Right Honourable Anne Countess of Pembroke, and sole heir of the Right Honourable George Earl of Cumberland, for a memorial of her last parting, in this place, with her good and pious mother the Right Honourable Margaret Countess Dowager of Cumberland, the 2d of April 1616. In memory whereof she has left an annuity of L.4 to be distributed to the poor within the Parish of Brougham, every 2d day of April for ever, upon the stone hereby. Laus Deo."
This money was secured to be paid out of certain lands at Brougham; but afterwards when those lands came into the possession of James Bird, he transferred the security to some lands at Yanwath.
  Brougham Castle
  roman fort, Brougham

The next place worthy the traveller's notice is Brougham Castle; a fine old ruin, built
of
gazetteer links
button -- "Brougham Castle" -- Brougham Castle
button -- "Countess's Pillar" -- Countess Pillar
button -- "Hartshorn Tree" -- Hart Horn Tree
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