Elsdon Church

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The High Shaw bastle near Elson.

There are cut marks made in the stone of Elsdon’s St. Cuthbert’s Church that are said to come from the blades of the Redesdale riders as they prepared to set out on their raids, the place of worship reckoned to be the muster point for the men from the desolate and barren valley. The Vicarage is built into an old pele tower.

Redesdale is a wild and lonely place with a good part of the dale containing the Military Ranges of Otterburn camp, so watch out for the red flag flying on the roads into the upper reaches as it denotes that live firing is taking place and DO NOT PASS THEM.

A large number of skeletons were found buried piled up against the church during renovations in 1877 and were believed to be the remains of men who fell at the battle of Otterburn.

On the hill above Elsdon is Winter’s Gibbet, a gruesome reminder of the hanging of William Winter in 1792 for the murder of Margaret Crozier.

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