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In the olden times spinning and weaving were some of the 

 principal occupations of the dalesfolk; and there is a tradition 

 that when the plague raged in the year 1665 and a few years 

 afterwards, as no market was held in towns for fear of infection, 

 the people of the dales carried their webs and yarn to a large 

 stone which is very conspicuous on one of the lower elevations of 

 Armboth Fell, and there periodically met and did business with 

 the traders. This stone, which still goes by the name of " Web 

 Stone," is a little over a mile distant from the "Cop Stone" before 

 mentioned, and is perched on a hill just above Lanchy Tarn. 



Close to the road between Wythburn and Armboth, and a few 

 hundred yards south of Deer Garth Gill, is a part of the fell called 

 Deer Garth Bottom, and here may be seen a large grey stone 

 having a sloping flat top. Around this stone, called the "Steading 

 Stone," tradition says manorial courts were formerly held, and 

 other parish business transacted. Whether they were framed here 

 or elsewhere I have no means of ascertaining ; but there is still in 

 existence a copy of the bye-laws of that ancient parish parliament, 

 which is entitled the "Pains and Penalties of Wythburn." This 

 gives a list of small penalties to be paid by anyone who turns out 

 more sheep on the fell than he is justly entitled to from the number 

 of stints he possesses on farms. There are penalties for allowing 

 horses and cattle to stray on the road and for defiling the beck by 

 throwing dead carcases into it, etc. A copy of this document is 

 at present in the possession of Mr. Graves, ex-mayor of Man- 

 chester. 



During the summer of 1877 the late Mr. Alfred Pettitt executed 

 six magnificent pictures of Thirlmere and its surroundings. One 

 of the pictures, taken when the artist has been seated under the 

 shadow of Raven Crag, embraces the whole length of the lake. 

 Another gives a view of the old Celtic bridge. The other pictures 

 represent the lake from various aspects, and the artist was careful 

 to introduce in the foregrounds of his pictures objects which are 

 expected to be forever submerged when the lake is enlarged. If 

 these pictures are carefully preserved they will possess special 

 interest to future generations who may be connected with Thirlmere 



