GRACE'S GAMBOLS
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Grace Sloan writes frequently to the Whithaven News on various topics about her views, in particular, to the issues of importance to Lamplugh Parish and other reflections on her own life. This is why a special webpage has been created to record her recollections of Parish life during her lifetime and tales told to her as a child.
As a starter she has written a brief account of her life spent in the Fell Dyke area of the Parish. I am sure Grace will recall many events and characters to entertain us and give an insight of life within Lamplugh Parish.
An introduction to Grace Sloan
I was born in December 1934 at Water Board Cottages, High Fell
Dyke. There were two cottages beside the Old Pumphouse. Mr and Mrs Ernie Norman
and their two daughters lived in the largest and, despite us having the largest
family, we lived in the smaller one,
nearest to Fell Dyke. I was born when my late mother was forty-two years of age
and my dad a bit younger. My mother already had four girls from her first marriage
to Bill Stevens, who was fatally injured whilst working in Dean Moor Pit, leaving
her with the four girls, all under five years old.
It was then that we moved down to Fell Dyke into a cottage rented from Ted Blacklock,
which dad bought, along with No.4, around 1948 for £100 each. We have lived here
ever since and let out for rent No.4 to several people since, the last being
Marjorie and John Frears. When my son, John, was about 18 months old, the rather unstable gable end of
our cottage caved in, being unable to afford to rebuild it, we just did enough remedial work
on the top half to make it safe until we could afford to build it back up. When
it was renovated to half way up we used it as a garage for the our Mini and a
store for coal and wood for the fire. It has since been modernised as a present
from my son and now it is a sitting room, with a room at the back being a utilities and
walk-in shower. I went to Lamplugh Parochial School, now replaced by a house next to the W.I.
Hall. It was a good school and my first infants teacher was Isobelle Wood, who
later married Sydney Bruce,the builder. My next teacher was Miss Evans, now
Mrs Wright and at 85 years young, still active in Hensingham. At the age of 5 or 6 I was treasurer of the schools Red Cross fundraising, making and selling
various articles out of felt, such as buttonholes to pin on lappels or blouses and I would send
the money to the Red Cross. I received a letter from their Patron, Princess Alice, later to become
Duchess of Glouster. I was also runner up in a handwriting competition set up
by Hovis and still have the certificate. On progressing to the senior school
I was taught by Mr.Fred Spedding and later by Mr.Alan Morton before leaving
at the age of 15. My working life was mainly at Kangol where I spent about 25 years and was
Union Delegate. I am now retired and write for the Whitehaven News.
WALKS AROUND LAMPLUGH Lamplugh Church to Fell Dyke Follow the well worn footpath for a few hundred yards, turning right crossing the beck
near Lamplugh Hall Dam and continue behind the long stone wall to Dockray Nook Farm,
passing underneath “The Howes”. Go through the Gate into the farmyard and continue
straight on down the hill through the fir tree lined lonning and over Dockray Beck,
being the effluent of Cogra Moss Reservoir, by a bridge built by Adam and Bill Litt
together with my father, Jimmy Sloan. Climb the steepish hill past North Fell Dyke Farm,
which is now Kirbeck Fell Ponies. On your left you will pass a stand of huge Beech trees,
planted to form a wind break, whilst on your right at the top of the incline is a derelict
building, formerly the water treatment and pumping station. It is presently being
considered for conversion as a “Camping Barn”. I consider it an eyesore and it should be
demolished sooner rather than later. From this part of the lonning you can see Whitehaven
and on a clear day, the Isle Of Man, the Solway Firth and Criffel in Dumfrieshire, Scotland. Nearer to Fell Dyke, a small hamlet of some ten houses, a gate on the left leads you to
Cogra Moss Reservoir, which is a beauty spot nestled in the surrounding hills of
Blake Fell, Saddlers Knott and Knock Murton and is well worth the visit. This reservoir
was used to supply the local area with drinking water but is now is left for fishing and is
stocked regularly with rainbow trout by Cockermouth Angling Club. WALKS AROUND LAMPLUGH 2 Fell Dyke to Kirkland, (Longest footpath in Lamplugh).
Start from the car park at Fell Dyke turning left on the road to Croasdale with Knock Murton on your left, pass South Fell Dyke through two gates and across the fields to Crocket Ghyll Farm, crossing a small beck beside the second gate. During spring and summer primroses, violets and other small flowers may be seen along the banks of this beck, which is the effluent of The Red Hole, this being drainage from Knock Murton Fell. Circa 1939 I was at my Grandmother’s South Fell Dyke home and we had to be evacuated in case of flooding. I would be about five years old and can remember seeing barrels and other debris being swept down the swollen beck.
Pass over the beck, hopefully not in flood, following the path alongside the dyke to Cockleygill Farm, pass through the farmyard and over a narrow bridge followed by a short very steep stretch, passing through gaps in the wall, with some difficulty, to Smaithwaite. Pass the first house and then the bigger farmhouse, Turning right, follow the path to the next gate and turn left following the path by the wall to Cockan. There used to be two cottages and a farm at Cockan, but now there are a few new houses in the cluster. From this viewpoint you can see over the Solway Firth and the Isle of Man, on a good day. Not far now until you reach the Teathes, then carry on and under the old railway bridge, which carried the iron ore from the old Knock Murton Mines. Pass down the lonning passing the new bungalows, which leads you to Kirkland village, having completed the longest footpath in Lamplugh.
Enjoy your walks
Grace Sloan
