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Old Rothbury

Hillfort

Folklore

[From] the lucid notes of Capt. Hedley [...]

"A fine entrance to this camp may be seen at the S.E. corner, where a ledge of rock forms an excellent passage to the hill face overhanging Rothbury. This gateway may have had some connection with a rampart and ditch, which, first seen near the County Hotel, run up the hill face towards the camp, and join in a portion of their course a deep gully known as Anton's Letch, which once used to harbour a ghost [..]"

"A large oblong rock, jutting out from the southern face of the hill on which the camp stands, is known as "Kate's Kist." It has a horizontal cleft near its top. Whether this curious name is a freak of modern local nomenclature, or whether it enjoyed a more extended use, going back to pre-Roman times, it is not for us to suggest [..]"

Below the camp also is Cartington Cove, a recess or cave which, local tradition says, is connected by a subterranean passage with Cartington Castle, three miles distant! The rock at Cartington Cove had at one time a series of incised concentric circles and central hollows, which were called in the locality "Cups and Saucers."
Captain Hedley's words were originally in Arch. Aeliana vol 13. Quote from 'Upper Coquetdale, Northumberland: its history, traditions, folk-lore and scenery', by D D Dixon, 1903.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
21st September 2010ce
Edited 21st September 2010ce

Comments (1)

Dixon's article in AA-13 is here:
http://www.archive.org/stream/uppercoquetdalen00dixo#page/n3/mode/2up
rockartuk Posted by rockartuk
27th September 2010ce
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