named Router, Bradley, Cratcliff, Graned, and Durwood Tors. All these rocks are supposed to have been the resort of the Druids, by whom it is said they were much modified; some conceiving it possible that the immense piles of stones on Robin Hood's Stride were reared by them. That the Druids chose such elevated and remarkable positions as the most impressive and suitable to perform their religious rites is most probable, being in perfect accordance with the general practice of the Heathen world, and in unison with the feelings and habits of a rude and dark age; but that they piled up these tremendous masses of stone, or formed the rocking ones is most absurd, as their positions and structure can easily be accounted for on natural principles.--All the rock basins, as they are called, as well as the rocking stones, being merely the effect of the elements for so many ages, which rage with immense fury on such elevated and exposed points-the Grit stone being particularly soft and inadhesive in part, and that very unequally-the softer are easily fretted away by the action of every tempest, hence the rounded, rent, and desiccated appearance of the rocks; and hence also the existence of such numerous oval and circular basins which occupy the summits (frequently filled with water). From the same cause, the dome-like cavities arise (forming caves, &c.) by the line of separation, being curvelinear. These are facts that may be easily proved by any one acquainted with Geology, on an attentive examination of the Grit which is purely a mechanical deposite.-The effects of the weather in destroying the softer and more prominent points of these measures is striking in the rounded and rent masses forming the loftiest peaks of "Graned Tor," and by the serrated or furrowed character of the other, and also many of the extreme edges of Cratcliff Rocks are so singularly weatherworn that they *See Numbers, 22d chap. and 41st verse-also 23d chap. and 3d, 9th, 14th and 28th verses. The great number of Barrows and Druidical circles occurring on Stanton Moor, and in the neighbourhood, called the "Nine Ladies," ""The Nine-stone Close," &c. serve considerably to strengthen the idea of these being frequented by an ancient priesthood. are more comparable to the frets or ornamental works on gothic buildings, than to any thing else. Having made these remarks, we must proceed to the Rocks. At Eagle-Stone we left the carriage, and crossed the road and the stream, following a narrow tract pointed out to us up the Moor, amongst abundance of ferns with a sprinkling of ash and birch, our first point was Graned Tor (called also Mock-Beggar's Hall, from the two lofty masses* at each end appearing like chimneys), which we reached in a quarter of an hour,--and certainly a more extraordinary group of rocks no where exists.A lofty group occupies the top of an eminence which is fenced round by broken and rounded masses of huge dimensions and have the appearance of rocks still exposed to the action of water and the rolling in of heavy seas which frets and foams through their rents and hollows by every tide, and dashing their spray over their loftiest pinnacles. This allusion would be complete but for the dwarf oaks and hazel bushes which beautifully mantle their southern side.-But the supposition is not simply conjectural as to their original condition, when viewed geologically, which supposes all our present continents to have been at one time under water. And the rolling in of these tides may have scoop'd out the hollow basins supposed by Mr. Rooke and others to be artificial. We next paid a visit to Cratcliff or Carcliff Tors, which are less elevated, and appear a plain at the top, but on approaching them they are found to be fissured and broken, bold and craggy to the south-on the top are rock basins, and near the bottom on the west side is a small cave, called the Hermitage; at the east end of which is a rude figure of a crucifix, more than three feet high, sculptured in relief in the solid rock. In the inner part is å seat and a recess, perhaps intended as a sleeping place. The north-east of these rocks are not unlike some parts of the romantic rocks at Matlock. There are huge masses, clothed with oaks, Spanish chesnuts, &c. * These are about 18 feet high, and 20 yards apart, and called Robin Hood's Stride. On the south, viewed from the grove below, they are magnificent, presenting overhanging portions and perpendicular faces as smooth as rub'd ashler, and fretted at the top as a sort of Gothic finish. We omitted to visit the Durwood Tors, on the top of which "there are three artificial rock basins, (which we very much doubt,) and an impending crag or rocky canopy which overhangs what has been denominated an augurial seat. At Durwood, on removing a large stone, an urn was discovered half full of burnt bones, and near it two ancient querns or hand-mill stones, flat at the top, and somewhat convex on the under side, about 4 inches thick, and nearly a foot in diameter; the upper stone so much less than the under that being placed on it, it could be turned round within its rim.* We left this fine group of rocks and proceeded again through a beautiful grove to Eaglestone, and from thence to Router which is scarcely half a mile distant. We entered these by a deserted cottage, first through a gate and then a door. This extraordinary and massy pile of rocks, which range east and west, extends in length nearly 80 yards, and in height about 40, quite isolated from any other part of the moor, and derive their name from the term "roos," "to rock." A provincialism applied to the rocking stones which are found on the summit, hence, "Roo-tor" or Router.+ Near the east end is a vast block, weighing about 50 tons, of irregular shape, which could be shook with ease till the mischievous efforts of fourteen young men moved it from its position in 1799. A little to the north is a huge oblate or oval stone, so nicely poised that the application of the finger and thumb will move it, and at the west end there is a round broken group piled up of six or seven stones, which move in a remarkable manner on being touched with some force at several points. Beyond this are several chairs cut out of the rock, commanding the most extensive and beautiful prospects of the fertile vales and lofty * Gough's additions to the Britannia. Such stones have been found in Yorkshire and Wiltshire, and are still in common use in the Hebrides. † Archælogia, Vol. VI. page 110. eminences of the Peak. There is a considerable deal of artificial work about these rocks, such as benches chiselled out of the rock, caves and passages, in the largest one of which there is a fine echo, but these cannot be of ancient date, as the marks of the pick are very visible and fresh. The caves were probably formed about the time of the chairs, which are said to have been executed by the direction of Mr. Thomas Eyre, who inhabited the ancient manor called "Router Hall," near the foot of the hill on the south, about eighty years ago, and who used frequently to entertain company on this elevated spot. Here are still the remains of a summer house, and the fine terraces have been artificially formed by being built up where required to obtain sufficient breadth for the purpose. About a quarter of a mile on the west of these is another group, called Bradley Tors, which we did not visit. In the neighbourhood there are also numerous remains. -Druidical circles, an ancient British encampment, &c. which as they are only of sufficient interest to the antiquary to induce a visit, we also passed them over and having previously sent the carriage on to Winster we walked through the village of Birchover, and over the fields to this place, which is only a mile distant,—and from thence taking the road to Grange Mill, (about 1 miles,) we had a beautiful run down through the fine dells of the Limestone. The entire line is on the descent from Winster to Cromford (4 miles) and passes through the wildest and most beautiful scenery-near Grange Mill a dark and blistered mass of the Toadstone is seen cropping out close by the road from under the Lime stone measures. EXCURSION TO BUXTON, BY HADDON, BAKEWELL, ASHFORD, AND TADDINGTON. The line of rout being already given as far as Ashford,* and also an ample notice both of that place and Bakewell, nothing remains but the drive between the latter town and Buxton; but it should be again observed that parties who have not visited Monsal Dale might do so from Ashford (only a quarter of an hour's drive) and if time permitted they would find it an agreeable walk from the top of the Dale proceeding down through it to the south end, where the carriage might be ordered round to meet them, at a point considerably advanced on the Buxton road. But the Marble Works should not be omitted in the first instance. Proceeding from thence the country becomes still more bold; the lofty side of the Great Finn bounds the read on the north, and a beautiful sharp ridge, covered with copse, and the rippling Wye is on the south. Nearly a mile from Ashford a bold angle of the Great Finn, where it recedes northward, exposes an immense mass of the Toadstone always easily distinguishable by its dark colour. Here we cross the Wye, and soon come upon the fine south opening into Monsal Dale. The Peak of the Finn rising proudly to the right† and Taddington Moors to the left. From this point diverge two of the most interesting Dales in Derbyshire, Taddington and Monsal. The latter is already described, and we shall now have the pleasure of pointing out the former. The road is here considerably on the ascent, and continues to rise rapidly till nearing Taddington village, bounded by richly wooded and • See page 114. On the summit of this eminence that overlooks Mongal Dale, was a large barrow, about 160 feet in circumference, composed of broken limestone, to obtain which the barrow was destroyed. Within this tumulus various skeletons, rude urns, arrow and spear heads of flint, some memorials of ancient customs, and a piece of black dressed marble were found,—all these relics are indications that this barrow is of a very remote age, and belong to a primitive and barbarous people. See page 111. |