A small village on the east bank of the River Eden, halfway between Appleby and Carlisle...six miles east of Penrith.
Two small village greens separated by the approach road to Salkeld Hall, one time seat of the ancient family of Salkeld, built prior to the Civil War. The story goes that Colonel Lacy who purchased the Hall in 1790 had a batman who deserted the army and came here, so rather than give his servant in to the military, the Colonel instead gave him the task of hewing out of the sold rock some caves on the river bank...about a mile north of the village, and which to this day is known as Lacy's Caves...and consequently somewhat of a tourist attraction in itself.
This faithful servant also built a bridge (in his spare time?) over a rivulet which divides the parishes of Hunsonby and Glassonby.
In 1725 an attempt was made by Colonel Lacy to use the stones of Long Meg and her daughters nearby...as mile posts. However just as work was about to begin a great storm blew up and the workmen fled believing the Druid were angry at the desecration of their temple.
On the opposite bank of the river is St Michael's Well near the supposed site of a village called Addingham, which was 'drowned' when the river changed its course in the 12th century.
Look for the village smithy under the oak tree on the village green. and which is still in use today.
Near Sunny Gill is the old corn mill...in existence on the same site since 1345, and up until 1974 had been in the ownership of the Atkinson family for over 300 years. Today it is still water powered and produces wholemeal flour.
Here on a hill is a famous family perhaps twice as old as Christianity itself; Long Meg and her Daughters, Cumbria's Stonehenge, they make up a stone circle 400 yards round, the biggest in the land after Stonehenge.
High above the village they stand, at a magnificent viewpoint where many of the Cumbria mountains are in sight. There are 67 in the family circle, many of the stones being exceptionally large and almost all shapeless. Some are higher than man, and are 10 to 15 feet round. A few are now level with the ground.Some are rocks of greenstone, others are limestone or granite. Long Meg herself stands alone a few yards away 18 feet high and 15 feet round, and weighing it is thought about 17 tons. She is roughly tapering and slightly round-shouldered, and facing here are her four big daughters, making a sort of crude gateway.
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