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Page 142:-
From the bridge at the foot of the lake, ascend the road to
Brackenthwaite. At the ale-house, Scalehill, take a guide to the
top of the rock, above Mr. Bertie's woods, and have an entirely
new view of Cromack-water. The river Cocker is seen winding
through a beautiful and rich cultivated vale, spreading far to
the north, variegated with woods, groves, and hanging grounds, in
every pleasing variety. The most singular object in this vale of
Lorton and Brackenthwaite, is a high-crowned topt (sic) rock that
divides the vale, and raises a broken craggy head over hanging
woods, that skirt the sloping sides, which are cut into waving
inclosures and varied with groves and patches of coppice wood. To
the west a part of Lowes-water is seen, under a fringe of trees
at High-cross. Behind you, awful Grasmire (the Skiddaw of the
vale) frowns in all the majesty of furrowed rock, cut almost
perpendicularly to the centre by the water-falls of ages. The
swell of a cataract is here heard, but entirely concealed within
the gloomy recess of a rocky dell, formed by the rival mountains,
Grasmire and Whiteside. At their feet, lie the mighty ruins,
brought down from the mountains, by the memorable water-spout,
that deluged all the vale, in September, 1760 [1].
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[1]
I do not know whether an account of the effects of the storm have
been published; but the following description of a similar one
which happened in St. John's vale, given as the most authentic
that has yet appeared, by a native of the place, may here merit a
perusal.
In the evening of 22d of August, 1749, that day having been much
hotter that (sic) was ever known in these parts, a strange and
frightful noise was heard in the air, which continued for some
time, to the great surprise of the inhabitants, sounding over
them like a strong wind, though they could not perceive it. This
was succeeded by the most terrible claps of thunder, and
incessant flashes of lightning breaking over their heads. At the
same time the clouds poured down whole torrents of water on the
mountains to the east, which in a very little time swelled the
channels of their rivulets and brooks, so as to overflow every
bank, and overwhelm almost every obstacle in their way. In a
moment they deluged the whole valley below, and covered with
stones, earth, and sand many acres of fine cultivated ground.
Several thousands of huge fragments of broken rocks were driven
by the impetuosity of these dreadful cataracts into the fields
below, and such was their bulk, that some of them were more than
ten horses could move, and one fairly measured nineteen yards in
circumference. A corn-mill, dwelling-house, and stable, all under
one roof, lay in the tract of one of these currents, and the mill
from the one end, and the stable from the other, were both swept
away, leaving the little habitation standing in the middle, rent
open at both ends, with the miller, who was very old and infirm,
in bed, and who was ignorant of the matter till he arose in next
morning to behold nothing but ruin and desolation. His mill was
no more! and instead of seeing green ground in the vale below,
all was covered with large stones and rubbish, four yards deep,
and among which one of the mill-stones was irrecoverably lost.
The old channel of the stream too was entirely choaked up, and a
new one cut open on the other side of the building, through the
middle of a large rock, four yards wide, and nine deep. -
Something similar to this happened at several other places in the
neighbourhood, for the space of two miles, along Legberthwaite,
and Fornside, but happily, through the providence of the
Almighty, no person's life was lost.
(An account of this inundation is given in the Philosophical
Transactions, for the year 1750, No.494.)
X.
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