X-Files from the Bog: Derwentwater

Lady's Leap

Derwentwater is a lake in northern Cumbria, but unlike most of its companions in the Lake District it is comparatively shallow, and never really exceeds 72 feet in depth. Some 3 miles long by a mile wide, it lies immediately to the south of the market town of Keswick. The lake is both fed and drained by the River Derwent. There are several islands which break the surface and one of them, known as "Lord's Island", once held a castle. This was the ancient seat of the Lords of Derwentwater.

According to legend, in ages past there was a lord of the island who robbed and pillaged the local area, stuffing the castle with the booty he plundered. His sister, a lady of the castle, took a dim view of this behaviour and vowed to put an end to it. So it was that one day, while her brother was away robbing the folk of Kendal to the south, she set the castle keep ablaze. Her brother's ill gotten gains went up in smoke.

When he returned he soon found out who had caused the blaze, and his sister fled in terror of his wrath. She waded out across the shallow lake to the nearby shore, and climbed up the slopes by a track known to this day as "Lady's Rake" or "Lady's Leap". She made her way to London where she found safety with friends and relatives.

Lady Derwentwater and the Jacobite Treasure

There is another quite different version of the legend. This version relates to the last Earl of Derwentwater, who sided with the Jacobites during the rising of 1715. Captured and sentenced to death, his wife pleaded unsuccessfully for his release. That much is known to be true.

However, the legend adds that the Countess collected all the plate and jewels from the castle with the intention of bribing government Whigs so as to secure her husband's release. She fled up the Rake and onwards to London...but lost many of the valuables by the way.

The lake is said to contain, variously: a chest of plate, an apron full of money, or the jewels of the lady herself...