HISTORY OF KIRKBY-MOOR61DE. 



SLEIGHTHOLME-DALE. 



Sleigh tholme-dale, is a hamlet, in the township 

 of Fad- moor, and parish of Kirkby-Moorside. Jt is 

 situated about three miles N. W. of the latter place, 

 in a situation extremely romantic and soothing. The 

 northern extremity of it opens to the sable moors ; 

 on the west side of which are abrupt and winding 

 cliffs, which vary the prospect, and heighten the 

 pleasure of the inquisitive visitor. The valley, 

 which lies north and south, having the Hodge-beck 

 winding through it, is beautified by sloping woods, 

 and frequented by birds ; whose melody, in suitable 

 seasons, increases the pleasure of the place. Here 

 you may roam, perhaps unobserved by human eye : 

 here you have the advantage of retiring from the 

 circles of detraction, and of listening to the voices 

 of the feathered tribes, eloquent in their Maker's 

 praise; they sound unstudied notes; they chaunt 

 their melody by instinctive influence ; they pour 

 their bold notes upon the ear, and then lower and 

 soften them, leading the imagination captive ; till 

 the mind catching the sympathy, loses all its un- 

 pleasant feelings in the spontaneous effusion. A 

 person in this situation, acquainted with the hea- 

 then my thology, might assimilate it to the fabled 

 Elysium ; which is represented as abounding with 

 all Ihe delights, that pleasant fields, shaded groves, 

 and temperate air, can produce. Not that the sit- 

 uation has really such charms as are represented 

 in that description ; but it may have enough to re- 

 mind him of it. Soothing Solitude ! may I ever 



