In England no fewer than three saviours lie waiting for our hour of peril, the Duke of Monmouth, King Harold and inevitably King Arthur.
Somewhat confusingly King Arthur lies in three different places; In Cornwall as well as the Eildon hills and under Alderley Edge in Cheshire, U.K.
This photo is a view from Castle Rock, so called because the foundations of a castle still exist which was partially built but never completed. photo by Gary Tacagni.
The story goes that a farmer was on his way to Macclesfield market to sell a white stallion, when he was approached by a srange old man who offered to buy it. When the farmer refused, the old man said he would be unable to sell it at the market and they would meet again later to complete the deal. Much to the farmers suprise for it was a fine horse he was unable to sell it. On his way home he was once more approached by the old man and was told to follow him. The farmer followed him patiently and a little nervously, the old man took him past a place called the Seven Firs (no longer exists) then past a place called Stormy Point
This is a photo of Stormy Point which the old man took the farmer past. Photo by Gary Tacagni.
then the old man took the farmer down a hill known as Hareshill before reaching a place known as Saddlebole at the base of the hill.
This is a photo of Saddlebole where the old man took the farmer. Photo by Gary Tacagni.
The two men then came to a rock face which the old man proceeded to strike with his staff, a vast door then appeared in the rock face. The two men then entered the now open door and found themselves in a huge cave, the old man instructed the farmer to take what payment he wanted for the horse from the gold lying around in piles within the cave.
Before the farmer left he had time to see the bodies of King Arthur and his knights, together with their chargers as if they were in some sort of suspended animation. Neither the old man or the door was ever seen again. The story was told in at least a traceable form by one Parson Shrigley, who was curate in Alderley Edge in 1753 and who died in 1776. He dated the appearance of the old man, presumably the Wizard Merlin at about 80 years before his time which would have put the episode somewhere about 1696.
I have retraced the steps taken by the two men and have been able to identify the places they would have passed on their journey to the rock face, I also believe that I have found the rock face which is mentioned in the legend, it is the last rock face that you come to in the wood at its most Notherly point.
This is I believe the rock face that Merlin struck causing the hidden door to appear.
Photo by Gary Tacagni.
