With a place as rich in history as the Peak District, it’s to be expected that it would be filled with urban tales of old. Here’s five tales that may bring a tear to your eye, or a smile to your face.
1. Winnats Pass
Winnats Pass was the backdrop to a tale of genuine evil. A couple by the names of Alan and Clara were robbed and killed by a group of mine workers, who then dumped their corpses in a nearby mineshaft. The miners did not escape from the situation scot-free, however. Two were accidentally killed at the scene, another committed suicide and another confessed his guilt 20 years later. The screams of the dead can be still be heard to this day, legend states. Photo: Google
2. Duel in Winster
Another tale of love tainted by despair, this one occurred in Winster in Matlock. William Cuddie fell in love with a woman of the Brittlebanks (Mary), a wealthy local family who disapproved of Cuddie's advances. Mary's brother tried to drive a wedge between the two, culminating in a duel where the odds were firmly stacked against the young William. They were both given pistols by members of the Brittlebank family - however, it is speculated that Cuddie's pistol was not loaded. He was shot, killed, and a young woman's heart was shattered. Photo: -
3. Hassop's Christmas Eve Murder
Christmas is a time of happiness and spreading cheer - but in 1866 in Hassop, Bakewell, it was anything but. A woman known as Harriet Wager had suffered in a physically abusive marriage for years, with this day being the punctuation of the abuse. Upon his return from the pub, her husband, Edward Wager, chased her across the fields of Hassop, as she screamed "murder!" Her body was found three months later, with Edward identified as the guilty party. He was sentenced to hang, but was later given life in prison instead. Photo: -
4. Lovers' Leap
Hannah Adderly, in 1762, was suffering from something almost all of us can relate to - unrequited love. The pain was simply too much to bear as she jumped off the steep cliffs of Stoney Middleton - she miraculously survived the fall, but died of unrelated causes just two years later. Photo: -