Gilpin Mill

This was the site of Gilpin Mill that made bobbins for the wool and cotton trades for most of the 1800s. Over 50% of the national demand for wooden bobbins was satisfied by mills all over South Lakeland. The mill building here fell down in 1979 and in its place is a modern building just outside the photo. The old building you can see is the old coppice timber drying shed. 

I was on a 2 mile circular walk with a history leaflet from the Wild Boar Inn, which explains how come I know so much!

There are a lot of Gilpin named places round here. All because of Sir Richard de Gilpin who killed the last boar in England (well certainly in Westmorland) in 1206. There is a hamlet near here called Latterbarrow- which which is derived from the Old English for The Lair of the Beast. Bound to be the same animal,  which was said to prey on pilgrims travelling to a shrine on an island in Lake Windermere.