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Troutbeck hills, as any one may see who will climb the
mountain called, for this reason, High Street. What a sight
it must have been - the pioneers felling the trees, and
paving the way, and the soldiers following, with their
armour and weapons gleaming in the sun, while the trembling
natives cowered in the forest below,- listening now to the
blows of the workmen, and now to the warlike music of the
troops, marching up from Kendal! After Romans and Saxons
were gone, the valley was a great park, and the inhabitants
were virtually serfs, in danger of the gallows, (which had a
hill to itself, named after it to this day) at the will and
pleasure of the one great man. In course of time,- that is,
a good many centuries ago,- the valley was disparked, and
divided among the inhabitants,- only one very large estate
being left,- the new park, containing 2,000 acres. This was
the estate given by Charles I, to Huddlestone Phillipson,
for his services in the civil wars. The valley now contains
a string of hamlets,- Town End, Town Head, High Green, Crag,
and High Fold; and its farmsteads and outbuildings show some
of the most curious specimens of ancient edifices that are
to be seen in the district. Josiah Brown, whom we mentioned
in connexion with Orrest Head, found nearly his match in
oddity in this vale. A "rum fellow" in Troutbeck had a
prodigious bull; and so had Josiah: and what must they do
but meet half-way, and have a bull-fight; the terms being
that the winner should have the fallen animal. Josiah
actually came riding his bull. The battle was tremendous and
the Troutbeck animal went down before Josiah's, and
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