Ellen Strange and Robin Hood's Well

This was a flying visit! Halfway through the "Peelers" challenge walk I stopped at the cairn of Ellen Strange, the standing stone, and Robin Hood's well. My next checkpoint was the White Horse pub. I used to live on the opposite end of Holcombe hill and rarely ventured even as a nipper beyond Pilgrims Cross. I knew the stone existed but I had never visited before. However a few pictures and then off down to the Irwell valley. There is plenty of investigation about these two places on the Internet. Perhaps this site has the best information.

The Ellen Strange cairn next to the standing stone.
The path to the right continues towards Bull Hill, but skirt round the north side. The left side goes to the Well and then down to the white horse.

Close up of the standing stone and the carving there.

When I was there someone had pressed a crumb of bread above her neck

Robin Hood's Well, below the Ellen Strange Stone/Cairn

I do have some thoughts however and some doubts. None about the story - that has been well researched. Obviously the lady in question had been returning home. I believe that this may have been quite a busy pack horse route. The standing stone was probably a stoop. Maybe its too small. It is in the right place however. I feel that a packhorse way or a really well defined footpath would have led across the moor via Pilgrims Cross. The Peelers route although never mentioned follows almost a direct line from Affetside to Haslingden, via Peel Tower. It goes right over Bull Hill. A Polish Pilot, H Noga  crashed his Mustang there. He is buried in Layton Cemetery.

I feel that there must be more to add to this page at some point. I will be revisiting in spring.