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Page 116:-
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Helvellyn
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From hence to the bridge extends the vale of St John, and
not as West and our other Tourists have described it: the
chapel stands upon Naddle Fell, just at the
separation between St John's Vale and Wanthwaite Vale, and
these two vales lye on one side of the mountain, and the
other on the other. St Johns is a pretty valley, with a good
road through it, and a fine prosect; and full in front we
have a view of the highest of our northern Alps, Helvellyn.
Cambden speaking of Helvellyn calls it Lauvellin, and
says that the country people had a proverb concerning it.
"Skiddow, Lauvellin, and Casticand,
Are the highest hills in all England."
"But the bye-word (as he calls it,) that he was taught when
a child, and which continues the same still, is,
"Kidstowpike, Castycam, Helveyllin and Skiddow-man
*,
Are the highest hills ever clumb by Englishmen."
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flood, St John's in the
Vale
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We now arrive at the bridge which crosses the river that
runs from Thyrill-mere, or Leathes water: here
we see Legberthwaite-mill, which with many other buildings
was driven away by the violence of the water-spout A.D.
1749, of which we gave some account before. The second house
above, called Lame John's, escaped by the water breaking on
a rock above it called Green Cragg; hither were the
inhabitants carried from the tops of their houses, which
were found, after the inundation ceased, filled with sand
and mud. The mountains above were covered with water, which
flowed down their sides in an awful and irresistible
torrent, leaving not a trace of vegetation behind it: in
many parts it even carried away the soil, leaving the naked
rocks like an immense ruin to testify its violence. Green
Cragg alone shewed any signs of verdure, and there were very
small, as it is almost a naked rock: the contrast, however,
must have been extremely striking between this and the dark
red soil of the adjacent mountains: at this time the hills
have almost recovered their vegetation, and probably in a
few years the only marks of this dreadful devastation will
be the enormous heaps of great stones which the water tore
from the mountains, hurried away with its impetuous current,
and then left upon the more level valleys.
This Lame John's has been kept as a public house many years;
but is so distant from the residence of the gauger, that he
only visits it once a month, when the inhabitants give him
notice at what time they intend to brew next: at one of
these visits he found an old woman brewing so very small a
quantity, that he was vexed at being summoned upon so
fruitless an errand: she told him he might stay at home, for
she brewed as she could afford. Small indeed was the
quantity she could afford; - it was half-a-peck!
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CHAP.
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* Upon the highest part of Skiddow is a little round
hill called the Man.
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gazetteer links
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-- "Green Cragg" -- Castle Rock
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-- "Casticand" -- Catstye Cam
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-- "Lauvellin" -- Helvellyn
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-- "Kidstow Pike" -- Kidsty Pike
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-- "Lame John's" -- Lame John's
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-- "Legberthwaite Mill" -- Legburthwaite Mill
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-- "Skiddow" -- (Skiddaw, Underskiddaw (CL13inc)2)
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