Lacy’s Caves, Little Salkeld, Cumbria

Early in 1789 Samuel Lacy, a military man, bought Salkeld Lodge near the village of Little Salkeld and not far from a very beautiful stretch of the River Eden. In the 1830s he built a new home across the river, which he called Eden Lacy. On both banks of the river he created caves and seats, all carved out of solid rock – the lovely red sandstone so characteristic of the Eden valley.

Little is known about Lacy (1766-1847) other than that he was born in Northumberland to what must have been a family of some wealth, for he was admitted to Queens’ College Cambridge as a Fellow-Commoner in 1785. After Cambridge he joined the army, ending his career as Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Cumberland Militia.

Records don’t seem to survive to give an exact date for the creation of the caves on the bank of the river, of which there are five in total. They were described as ‘lately scooped out and formed’ in 1836 and a map of 1841 shows ‘The Grotto’ in ‘Grotto Plantation’. Across the river from the caves, and also on Lacy’s land, is another curiosity – a table, and seats all carved out of the solid rock and known in the 19th century as ‘Benson’s Chairs’. There is no explanation for this name, although the Benson family were quarrymen in the Salkeld area, and may have worked the stone for Lacy.

The only early history of the caves discovered is anecdotal: the story is told that Lacy’s former batman was a deserter who came to Lacy for refuge. Instead of turning him in Lacy is said to have set him to work hollowing out the caves. More likely (but sadly without evidence) the projects might have provided work for men from Lacy’s regiment when they returned home from war, and were unable to find employment: such ‘job-creation’ schemes led to the Druid’s Temple on the Swinton estate, and the Three Stoops at Pateley Bridge, both in North Yorkshire. In 1883 it was admitted that no-one knew for ‘what purpose’ Lacy had the rock carved in such a way, and it was concluded that it must have been to ‘satisfy a mere whim’. Although marked on maps as the ‘Grotto’, the rocky chambers soon became know as the Lacy Caves, or Lacy’s Caves, after their creator.

The chambers are made all the more mysterious by the curious markings on the stone. These are apparently an ‘intense network of highly inclined veins of secondary silica in which the sand grains are bleached’ (thanks to the Cumbria GeoConservation website for that enlightenment).

Oh to have been by the Eden in March 1847 when the Kirkoswald Choir of Singers were rowed over to sing hymns in the sublime and sonorous setting of the caves. Colonel Lacy died only two months later, but hopefully he was present to hear the performance. Lacy’s heirs, his natural daughter Caroline Sanderson and later her son Samuel Lacy William Sanderson, continued to allow access to the estate on special occasions, although trespassers were not tolerated at other times. Throughout the 19th century Lacy Caves and Benson’s Chairs were the location of many a picnic party frequented by ‘young men and women with light hearts and smiling faces’. Brass bands played and there was dancing, refreshments and boating.

Also on Lacy’s land was the ancient stone circle called Long Meg and her Daughters, a site which in Lacy’s time was believed to be the work of Druids. A tale told in an 1857 guide to the county is that Lacy planned to blow up Long Meg, but just as the blast was about to be detonated ‘the slumbering powers of Druidism rose in arms against this violation of their sanctuary’ and a violent storm broke. The labourers fled for their lives and, as the story goes, Lacy never again meddled with Meg.

What makes this story seem unlikely is that Lacy appears to have had great respect for the ancient Druids. He incorporated acorns and a sprig of mistletoe into a reworked family crest, writing that he had chosen the design ‘from my being in possession of Long Meg’.

…and in 1832 he commissioned the artist Jacob Thompson (1806-1879) to paint a work called The Druids cutting down the Mistletoe, with Long Meg and her Daughters in the background.

Today Lacy’s Caves are a popular attraction and can be visited from the riverside path on walks from Little Salkeld or Long Meg (but see below). Benson’s Chairs are on private land and there is no public access.

The Eden valley is full of treats. Even the road signs were perfectly picturesque when the Folly Flâneuse visited in May 2023. At that date the footpath to Lacy’s Caves was closed because of flood damage, and the Flâneuse was unable to visit. Two years on, she decided to see what was happening: the footpath closed signs are still up, but the footpath closure notice has long since expired. Taking advice from the folly-spotter’s greatest resource – a friendly local walking their dog – the Flâneuse set off and the footpath is fine (in dry Spring conditions, at least) and there were plenty of walkers enjoying the route.

Thank you for reading. There’s a comments box at the foot of the page – the Flâneuse is always delighted to receive your thoughts and any further information.