Outside view of The Giant's Cave, Cumbria, engraved by James Lowes of Carlisle 1790
Outside view of The Giant's Cave, Cumbria, engraved by James Lowes (circa 1774-1834), of Carlisle Published in "History of the County of Cumberland and Some Places Adjacent from the Earliest Accounts to the Present Time" , by William Hutchinson. Published by Printed By J Jollie, Carlisle, 1794 In Eamont Bridge in Cumbria, by the river, is a cave known as Giant's Cave, a place associated with two giants called Tarquin and Isir. The pair lived on a diet of human flesh, a practice which might have lost its appeal when Sir Lancelot slew Tarquin in battle. A similar tale comes from another Cumbria cave system, the Isis Parlis system. This cave system was once the home to a giant named Hugh Cesario, who either fought on the side of good, or took local men, women and farm animals back to the cave to snack on. Described thus in this publication: "Three natural caves which appear to have been artificially altered, located in a cliff on the Cumberland bank of the River Eamont near Honeypot Farm. Some excavation was undertaken in 1913, although no stratification or evidence for continued occupation was found. Tradition sees them as the hermitage of St Ninian. The alternative name of Isis (Isa) Parlis is of obscure origin, while the name Maiden's Step apparently belongs to a short stretch of precipitous river bank, over which a maiden is said to have leaped in order to escape the giant. This may well be legend rather than fact.
Size: 3543px × 4641px
Photo credit: © Chris Howes/Wild Places Photography / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: britain, cave, cumbria, district, england, engraving, giants, lake, uk
