John Litt was aged 48 when he died on March 9th 1880. He was a labourer who lived with his wife and two sons in Keswick. He had been following the Blencathra Foxhounds whilst they were hunting in the area of Castlerigg Fell. When he had failed to return home by the following morning, his wife raised the alarm. A search was mounted and his body quickly found. It seems he died from a heart condition, very close to where he had last been seen. His body was quickly returned to Keswick and he was buried at Crosthwaite Church on the 13th of March. The memorial was erected by his friends at the spot were he died. There are two pillars. One bears a simple plaque.
‘In memory of J.Litt who died March 9, 1880’.
The other pillar bears the inscription
‘We found this stone in Mere Gill
That steep and beautiful mountain rill
To mark the spot were his spirit fled
To the glorious home where no tears are shed.’
- although you would be hard pressed to decipher it nowadays. John Adamson spent sometime, with his sister Christine, in 1963 working it out by touch. The results of their labour, and subsequent correspondence with Wainwright were the subject of an article in the January 2011 issue of ‘Cumbria’ magazine. There is a short paragraph on the memorial on 'High Seat 6' in Wainwright's Central Fells.
Nowadays the memorial is rarely visited. There is but the thinnest of paths leading away from it. The cache itself is located under a small flat boulder about 10 metres from the memorial, slightly lower and towards Thirlmere. As ever with me it is a simple box, containing nothing more than a log book and pencil. Please see the spoiler photos as I wouldn’t want anyone to DNF or spend too long looking in poor weather conditions.
A pleasant, if somewhat occasionally soggy round, could be had from Shoulthwaite on the A591, taking in Raven Crag, Castle Crag Fort, High Tove, High Seat and Bleaberry Fell. That would give about 8 caches and four Wainwrights (and a pair of wet socks !) You could also add the final couple of caches from the UTR series, but they are probably best done as part of that round. The Barrowers, in their epic FTF attempt, have pointed out a flaw in my route suggestion – and even more helpfully, a solution. There is a thick forest, a rocky gill and deer fence, all of which will impede progress to any attempt on a direct route between Castle Crag Fort and the John Litt memorial caches. The Barrowers found a ladder stile at N54 33.350 W003 05.096, which will now be named in their honour, ‘The Barrowers Stile’. Just follow the main forest road south. Further on there is also a gate – which would give a much more gentle approach to the cache site across the hillside. I noticed another ladder stile over the deer fence to the north of Mere Gill, but no evidence of a track leading to or from it. Roughnecks only.
The cache is placed with the permission of United Utilities.