Lacy's Caves - Izeria

Lacy's Caves are a series of five chambers in the red sandstone cliff of the River Eden, just north of Little Salkeld, Cumbria, England, near Nunnery, Cumbria, at grid reference NY564383. They are named after Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Lacy of nearby Salkeld Hall, who commissioned their carving in the 18th century. The reason for their creation is unknown; however, they were used by Lacy for entertaining guests, and the area was originally planted with ornamental gardens. The site is a listed Regionally Important Geological Site by Eden District Council and public footpaths to the site are well maintained. Some of the path follows the line of a former tramway connecting Long Meg Mine with the nearby Settle–Carlisle line. The site is close to the ancient stone circle Long Meg and Her Daughters, and is on a popular circular walk.

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Long Meg Mine

Long Meg Mine is a disused gypsum mine just north of Little Salkeld, Cumbria in the area known as Cave Wood Valley. It was operated between 1880 and 1976.

Long Meg and Her Daughters

Long Meg and Her Daughters is a Neolithic stone circle situated north-east of Penrith near Little Salkeld in Cumbria, North West England. One of around 1,300 stone circles in the British Isles and Brittany, it was constructed as a part of a megalithic tradition that emerged during Neolithic, and continued into the Early Bronze Age (c. 3200 - 2500 BC). The stone circle is the third widest in England, behind Avebury in Wiltshire and Stanton Drew in Somerset. It consists of 66 stones (of which 27 remain upright) set in an east / west oval configuration measuring 380 ft (120 m) on its long axis. There may originally have been as many as 77 stones, as this was mentioned by William Camden in the 16th century. Long Meg herself is a 12 ft (3.7 m) high monolith of red sandstone 80 ft (24 m), standing to the southwest of the circle. The stone is marked with examples of megalithic art including a cup and ring mark, a spiral, and rings of concentric circles. This art mirrors examples from Neolithic Ireland, including the contemporary Newgrange. The composition and position of the stone is similar to that of the Altar Stone, at Stonehenge, and may be part of a similar tradition of using red sandstone to mark the solstice. Infra-red aerial photography has identified several Early Neolithic enclosures. These include a so-called 'super henge', a possible cursus monument, and a henge similar to examples found near Millom to the far west of Cumbria. These appear to pre-date the stone circle, and its northern edge dips to avoid the lost ditch. There is also the smaller kerbed burial mound of Little Meg to the north.

Little Meg

Little Meg (also known as the Maughanby circle) is a small circle of large kerb stones which probably surrounded a Bronze Age kerb cairn. It is close to the village of Langwathby to the north-east of Penrith in the English county of Cumbria and is 650 metres north-east of the more famous stone circle of Long Meg and Her Daughters. It forms part of a complex of stone circles and cairns around the Long Meg site that includes the circle at Glassonby, Old Parks, and other sites since lost. Two of the stones (only one remaining) were decorated in antiquity with a series of concentric circles and a spiral.

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Little Salkeld rail accident

The Little Salkeld rail accident occurred on 19 January 1918 in Long Meg cutting, between Little Salkeld and Lazonby railway stations (about 15 miles (24 km) south of Carlisle on the Settle-Carlisle Line). As the 11 carriage 08:50 London St Pancras to Glasgow St Enoch express approached the cutting, a heavy landslip caused by a sudden thaw blocked both tracks ahead of the train. Just five minutes earlier a platelayer had walked past the spot and seen nothing amiss. The engine, a Midland Railway 1000 Class No. 1010, ploughed into the mass of clay at a speed of 50–60 mph (80–100 km/h), telescoping the front two carriages. 6 passengers were killed immediately and another fatally injured, whilst 37 passengers and 9 railway staff received non-fatal injuries. The more seriously injured were taken either to the Cumberland Infirmary or Fusehill Military Hospital, both in Carlisle.