Chinley Churn (Chinley)

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Chinley Churn

[[File:|thumb|right|500px|Chinley Churn / Rude Health, 19 Jan. 2011, Creative Commons via Geograph.]]

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2019-02-21. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2019-02-21.

According to early 19th century tradition, Robin Hood shot an arrow from the Dipping Stone at Whaley Moor to Chinley Churn.

William Marriott's account in his Antiquities of Lyme and its Vicinity, published in 1810 (see Allusions), is the only known source for this tradition. Unfortunately he was more interested in developing elaborate hypotheses about the origins of various stone monuments in Lyme Handley and its vicinity than in giving a detailed account of the popular traditions on which his speculation was largely based. On Chinley he says among other things:

 Tradition states, that other stones [than the Bowstones at Whaley Moor] exist upon Chinley, a high hill opposite Whalley Moor, on the other side of the river Goyt, forming the boundary of Derbyshire, in Taylor's Pieces. But, upon searching the ground, which is covered with infinite stones, the lusi naturæ, none appeared which might safely become the subject of comment. The most likely were two of pyramidical form, which might some time have been erect. Of the existence of a monument here once, however, there can be no doubt, both from the source of the information, and the eminence of the ground. This district went of old by the name of Main Stone Field. There appears indeed on its top a pyramidical erection of loose stones, called Chinley Churn; but this commemorates a recent and private event [...][1]

Tradition, information from someone he trusted, the elevation of the ground and the belief that the area had formerly been known as 'Main Stone Field' thus led him to the conclusion that there had once been a monument there. He felt there were traces of an ancient encampment in the vicinity (see image gallery below). He takes "Chinley Churn" as the name of a cairn on the top of the hill to which he refers as Chinley tout court but which is now known as Chinley Churn.

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