The Packwoman's grave Langdale Cumbria
N 54° 27.336 W 003° 09.465
30U E 489772 N 6034225
A remote little known grave from over 200 years ago. High on a hill side, isolated amongst dramatic crags. Mentioned in popular Wainwright walking guide. Directions below are correct and coordinates are accurate.
Waymark Code: WMTK8
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/08/2006
Views: 143
This waymark would not be possible without the generous help of Paul Grantham, who kindly sent a photo to help find and identify the grave in such a remote place. He has also allowed me to quote him.
Quoting from Paul's own page.
"Folk tales handed down, say that this is the grave of an elderly hawker who travelled the hills towards the latter part of the 18th century. Peddling general wares at Lakeland farms, she would have been a well known visitor and no doubt her local knowledge would have enabled her to plan her itinerary to ensure that she reached shelter before nightfall.
Unfortunately, one morning she was discovered still surrounded by her wares, having apparently frozen to death in the remote hills. As it would be known that no claims would be made upon the corpse an immediate rudimentary burial was expedited." Paul Grantham source: (
visit link)
Alfred W. Wainwright, the prolific, definitive guide writer to Lakeland fell walking, mentions the Packwoman's grave when writing about Rossett Pike in his 'A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells: Book Four - The Southern Fells'. He thinks she died around 1790. Wainwright does not give the exact location, asking people to respect her grave. He worries that it would be desecrated, if he revealed the grave's location, although he gives a line drawing of the "simple cross of stones". Knowing how few people read this site, and log waymarks, I am not worried to reveal the exact location. I challenge anyone to find this grave and log their visit.
Directions
This grave is marked with a simple cross of stones, and was extremely difficult to find without Paul's photo. The stone at the head is the most distinctive, when viewed from above. 200 years ago the path would have been along the edge of Rossett Gill or in the gill itself clambering over the loose boulders. An old path is discernible despite being covered by regrown moss and grass. The modern path is paved with local stone and the zigzags take you away from the gill and grave. The grave is clear of bracken and moss, on a small platform below the main crags near the top of Rossett Gill pass. Altitude around 450 meter for the grave. Valley bottom, Mickleden, is around 150 meter. Top of pass, around 610 meter. Grave is on south side of Rossett Gill.
There are several distinctive boulders around. See Gallery.
See author's log for route description.
Parking
Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park. N 54 26.718 W 003 06.148 Pay and Display
Streetmap.co.uk OS map (
visit link)
source: (
visit link)
List of Unconsecrated graves in UK (
visit link)
Another account and poem (
visit link)
Mentioned in The Mountains of England and Wales: Volume 2 England from Cicerone.co.uk
(
visit link)
A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells: Book Four - The Southern Fells by Alfred W Wainwright (
visit link)