Saddleworth Sketches

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1871 edition. Excerpt: ... See, Greenfield opens to the wondering eye, With a grand picture of antiquity! Hills thrown on hills, and rocks on rocks are piled, In hoary grandeur through this rural wild. Bottomley. The waters of the Chaw, which wind their way through this delightful vale, add an additional charm to the beauties that are here disclosed: --From the moist meadow to the withered hill, Led by the breeze, the vivid verdure runs, And swells and deepens to the cherished eye. The hawthorn whitens; and the" juicy groves Put forth their buds, unfolding by degrees, Till the whole leafy forest stands displayed In full luxuriance to the sighing gales; Where the kine rustle through the twining brake, And the birds sing concealed. Thomson. Description and language, though of the most luxurious kind, possess not the power of fully displaying the picturesque scenery which presents itself on approaching nearer to Greenfield, the most romantic part of which is seen on approaching the mill. The summits of the hills on each side stretch into extensive moorlands, while at their feet is disclosed a luxuriance of highly cultivated lands. The beautiful mansion of Holly Ville is situated on the declivity of Aldermans, overlooking the valley of Greenfield, and at a short distance from Boarshurst (the wood of the boar). In front of the mansion is an elegant portico of freestone, corresponding with the majestic appearance of the house, which is situated amongst extensive plantations of perennials; the sloping lawns, the flowery walks, and the gloomy, though pleasing shades, inspire the mind to contemplation. The prospect from hence is splendid: the rugged mountain of Aldermans impending above in hoary grandeur, with the woody expanse of Greenfield, and the opposite barren...

In this deeply personal journey across our nation's most forbidding and most mysterious terrain, William Atkins takes the reader from south to north, in search of the heart of this elusive landscape. His account is both travelogue and natural history, and an exploration of moorland's uniquely captivating position in our literature, history and psyche. Atkins may be a solitary wanderer across these vast expanses, but his journey is full of encounters, busy with the voices of the moors, past and present: murderers and monks, smugglers and priests, gamekeepers and ramblers, miners and poets, developers and environmentalists. As he travels, he shows us that the fierce landscapes we associate with Wuthering Heights and The Hound of the Baskervilles are far from being untouched wildernesses. Daunting and defiant, the moors echo with tales of a country and the people who live in it - a mighty, age-old landscape standing steadfast against the passage of time.

First published in 1982, this book is concerned with the tensions between continuity and change in customs, rituals, beliefs of artisans, factory workers and sections of the lower middle classes in the nineteenth century. It explores a range of factors which contributed to changes in custom, including the effects of urbanisation, conflict over the use of public land, new conceptions of public order, the decline of the oral tradition and the growth of a new recreational nexus in the larger cities. Drawing on material from all parts of the British Isles, the book demonstrates the enormous variety and diversity of popular tradition. This book will be of interest to those studying Victorian history.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Many of our old customs are fading away into the dim mists of antiquity, and all but the name will soon be forgotten. This is much to be regretted, because they were attended with a great deal of pure enjoyment, and were looked forward to by the people for weeks before the event. One of these is the old custom of strewing rushes, and its attendant ceremony of the rush-bearing, with its quaint rush-cart and fantastic morris-dancers. Once common to the whole country, it now lingers only in a few isolated places, principally in the hill districts of Lancashire and Yorkshire.