A WALK IN DENTDALE with a story about the "TERRIBLE KNITTERS OF DENT"

Posted by Ann Cruickshanks on

SUNDAY 22nd SEPTEMBER 2019.

Visiting the MEGGER STONES of DENTDALE, CUMBRIA to explore them and DALESFOLK FROM THE PAST.

Our walk began from Dent`s main pay and display car park (with toilets). Then up the cobbled street passed the church and along Deepdale Lane, following the road to Nun House Outrake.

 

 From here it changes to a rough limestone pebbled track which slopes gently upwards through the moors to meet Green Lane Track.

 

Turning right and a short walk along this track until reaching a gate, through the gate, then a short farmers bike track climb to the Megger Stones on the Northern Flank of Great Coum.

 

A collection of Cairns are built from the loose rock around them.

 

Sitting there with a brew from our flask and eating our lunch we enjoyed the full length view of Dentdale valley which looks across to the Howgills with the Lake District in the distance on one side and Whernside on the other.  It is a magnificent view point.

 

On our way down and back to the car Flintergill was to be explored. Here we discovered a couple of waterfalls in the gill.

 

The Tale of the "Terrible Knitters of Dent".

I only found out about these knitters today. It is very intriguing for me, being a knitter myself, that these ladies, children as well, knitted all day long to earn extra money for the family.

Knitting continually all day can injure your joints but these people had a special tool attached to their waist which enabled them to knit for long periods of time with only one hand and their amazing dexterity.

Dentdale was a veritable power-house of hand knitting and the knitting boom was in its peak during the Napoleonic Wars, when the government needed endless supplies for the fighting armies.

To the rescue came these people knitting endless supplies of warm clothing such as pullovers, jerkins, socks, gloves, and caps. 

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