There is a wealth of hidden history in the Peak District, with so much more than first meets the eye to almost every hill, moor and quiet village lane. At Let’s Go Peak District we love sharing the mysterious tales of this area with you, so we’re delighted to be collaborating with community heritage group Peak in the Past to bring you fascinating accounts from the region’s history.
Wardlow Mires: Shadows of the Gallows
Our friends at Peak in the Past have really pulled out all the stops with this fascinating tale of Peak District history. Not a written article this time, but a compelling short film, expertly produced, to tell the story of murderous events in the little rural hamlets of Litton and Wardlow Mires … where historical fact really is stranger than fiction!
Those who have wandered around the pretty White Peak villages of Litton and Wardlow Mires might be forgiven for thinking that they’ve always been the sleepy, peaceful places they are today, but oh how wrong they’d be!
This film recounts the tale of not one but two murders in this unassuming part of the Peak District. The first murder was that of a local toll-house keeper in Wardlow Mires, who was strangled in January 1815 by a young man from Litton for her money and, bizarrely, her shoes.
The murderer, Antony Lingard, was hanged for his crimes and his body was gibbeted at the nearby landmark of Peter’s Stone, suspended in an iron cage for all to see (and hear) for over 11 years.
The second murder was that of a young woman, poisoned by eating a cake laced with arsenic, right underneath the very same gibbet where Lingard’s bones still rattled. She was murdered in September 1818 by a girl aged only 16, also of Litton, out of good old-fashioned jealousy.
Full of intriguing details, meticulous research and thought-provoking interviews, we know you’ll enjoy this short film (28 mins) about these scandalous events in Peak District history.
So grab a cuppa, pull up a chair, and find out more about the Shadows of the Gallows…
Peak District History : Peak in the Past
Peak in the Past is a community heritage group dedicated to exploring and sharing Peak District history through the provision of documentary film footage, historical images and information resources, and conducting reminiscence and educational activities.
For more short films, fascinating articles and archive photography from the Peak District, please do take a look at the Peak in the Past website.
