The Winnats Pass, a limestone gorge near Castleton in the Derbyshire
Peak District, is famed for its picturesque beauty. But in the middle of
the eighteenth century, when the Peak District was remote and dangerous,
two runaway lovers were robbed and murdered there - or so the story
goes. The tale was recorded within living memory of the alleged
incident. Over the succeeding two and a quarter centuries, numerous
other versions have been recorded, so the legend of the Murders in the
Winnats Pass has been transformed through a long chain of storytellers.
How has the story changed since its 'original version', why did those
changes come about, and how does the legend as we have it today relate
to the historical facts of the case - if there really was a case? The
story of the Murders in the Winnats Pass provides a unique insight into
the ways in which legends grow in the telling: few, if any, other
folktales exist in so many versions, recorded and preserved over such an
extended period. This book explores how and why the story has changed
and examines the evidence for a historical basis, using numerous primary
sources and original research evidence.
