Troller's Gill
OS grid reference:- SE068619
Dramatic Troller's Gill is an isolated narrow limestone ravine at the head of Trollerdale near Skyreholme and the village of Appletreewick in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It lies to the rear of Perceval Hall Gardens, together the two make for a great day out in the Dales.
Legend relates that the gorge is the haunt of the "Barquest" or "Barguest" - the spectral hound of Craven, which may have provided the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holme's story "The Hound of the Baskervilles". A story tells that a local man bravely decided to spend a night in the Gill to see the barguest for himself. One moonlit night he set off down the ravine, as he crept into the dark depths of the ravine he heard the shout" Forbear". However this did not deter the man and he continued until he came to a huge Yew tree, where no light penetrated. Under the tree he drew a circle on the ground, chanted charms of protection and kissed the damp ground three times. He then called on the fearsome beast to appear. At once a howling wind blew up and fire flashed from the rocks as the barguest appeared and attacked him. His body was discovered later by a shepherd with mysterious marks on his breast that had not come from the hand of man.
The caves of Troller's Gill are also said to be the home of Scandinavian trolls, evil gnomes, flesh-eating boggarts, hideous gargoyle-like rock sprites, deranged goblins, predatory pixies and maliciously twisted imps.
Near the head of the gill there are a series of disused mine workings as well as natural caves and potholes - including the ominously named "Hell Hole".
Images courtesy of Paul Johnson