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Twisleton Dale, North Yorkshire
Twisleton Dale
site name:-   Doe, River
county:-   North Yorkshire
locality type:-   valley
coordinates:-   SD71847585 (etc) 
1Km square:-   SD7175
10Km square:-   SD77

evidence:-   descriptive text:- West 1778 (11th edn 1821) 
source data:-   Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778 to 1821.
image WS21P253, button  goto source
Tour to the Caves in the West Riding of Yorkshire, late 18th century 
Page 253:-  "..."
"Early next morning we set off [from Ingleton] for Ingleton-fells, or Chapel-in-the-Dale, along the turnpike-road leading to Askrig and Richmond. We had not travelled much above a mile before we came into the dale, which is about three quarters of a"
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Page 254:-  "mile broad. For near three miles it had something in its appearance very striking to the naturalist: there were high precipices of limestone rock on each side; and the intermediate vale, to a lively imagination, would seem once to have been of the same height, but sunk down by the breaking of pillars, which had supported the roof of an enormous vault.- About three miles from Ingleton is the head of the river Wease, or Greta, on the left hand side of the road, only a few yards distant from it."
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Page 266:-  "..."
"... As we proceeded [Chapel-le-Dale to Gatekirk], the curate entertained us with an account of some singular properties observable in the black earth, which composes the soil in the higher parts of the vale, in various morassy places. It is a kind of igneum lutum, or rather a sort of putrified earth, which in the night resembles fire, when it is agitated by being trodden upon. The effect it produces in a dark evening are truly curious and amazing, Strangers are always surprised, and often frightened, to see their own and horses' legs be-"
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Page 267:-  "sprinkled to all appearance with fire, and sparks of it flying in every direction, as if struck out of the ground from under their feet. They are as much alarmed with it, as the country people are with the will-with-a-wisp, or mariners with the luminous vapour of the delapsed Castor and Pollux. Though the dark and dreary moor is broken into thousands of luminous particles, like so many glow-worms, when troubled by the benighted traveller, yet if any of this natural phosphorous is brought before a lighted candle, its splendour immediately vanishes, and shrinks back into its original dull and dark state of sordid dirt. While we were endeavouring to account for this curious phenomenon on the principles of putrefaction and electricity, ..."

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