56 



to the promoters supplying water to towns along the route of the 

 water course, and other matters. The Bill, as we all know, was 

 eventually carried, and although, so far, little or nothing has been 

 dorie by way of commencement, the Corporation of Manchester 

 have at any rate secured the position. 



Above the bridge, and skirting the lake on the east side, is Dale 

 Head Park, and along the upper side of the park is the Ambleside 

 and Keswick turnpike road. The part of this road which leads 

 over the park is rather steep, and has for generations had the repu- 

 tation of being haunted. Mr. Richardson, in his " Cummerlan' 

 Talk," gives the story of a dalesman who alleged that he had on 

 different occasions seen the Dale Head Park Boggle. On one 

 occasion it was said to assume the very common-place form of a 

 lime and mound heap; but at another time it appeared in the form 

 of an immense fire, which extended higher than the plantation 

 above, and sparks fell in showers on all sides. Vet, strange to say, 

 this seems to have been a fire that burnt without consuming, for 

 according to the old man's account, "Theer was nowder a black 

 pleace nur a bit o' gurse swing't, nur nea udder mark o' t' fire 'at 

 I cud see, for aw," he goes on to say, " it wasn't a quarter of an 

 hoor sen I saw t' greit fire blazan away furiously." 



There is a tradition that a foul murder was once committed near 

 the place, and this circumstance probably gave rise to the boggle 

 stories. The story of the murder is as follows : — ^A labouring man 

 who lived at Dale Head had been working at a place near Wyth- 

 burn for a few days. One evening he left with the intention of 

 going home — a place he never reached alive — having at the time a 

 few weeks' wages "in his pocket. He was not missed until a few 

 days after this, when his dead body was found in the lake stark 

 naked, with a deep wound in his forehead ; and from these circum- 

 stances it was supposed that the man had been murdered for the 

 sake of his money. Various things afterwards transpired to fix the 

 guilt on a man who is described as "an ill hang-gallows of a 

 tailyer," who at that time lived at Fornside ; but no steps were 

 taken to bring him to justice, the neighbours contenting themselves 

 with giving hira hints about the occurrence, which he did not like, 



