From the cliffs rising above the green landscape in Shropshire, England, the Wenlock Edge houses more than one ghost story etched into the limestone of bandits, soldiers and buried treasures.
A limestone escarpment draped in deciduous woodlands in Shropshire in England and holds the secrets of centuries past—the infamous Wenlock Edge. It is an 18 mile escarpment of grasslands and woodlands with old quarries and lime kilns from the past along the way and is considered one of the wonders of the English midlands because of its important geology as remains to when the midlands had a warmer climate near the Seychelles.
The Wenlock Edge has also been the site of many legends and ghost stories. Immortalized in A. E. Housman’s poetic verses and steeped in legends, this enchanting forest conceals tales of bandits, lost treasures, and spectral echoes that beckon intrepid visitors to tread with caution through its shadowed glades.
Ippikin’s Stolen Fortune
One of the legends told about this place is a ghost who is rumored to guard the buried treasures of a notorious bandit named Ippikin and one of the outcrops of the cliff is called Ippikin’s Rock.
Apparently he was a 13th century knight, and he spent his days raping and pillaging had a base in a cave on Wenlock Edge. A character etched into local lore, Ippikins stolen wealth of gold and precious stones is said to lie concealed beneath the earth, waiting for those bold enough to seek it out.
The Ghostly Warning of Ippikin
For those who dare to tempt fate, a chilling encounter with Ippikins ghost awaits. Some of the legends also claim that he had the ability to renew his youth every 70 years as well. But one fateful day a bolt of lightning struck the cave and both him, his band of bandits and his treasure came crashing down, trapping their spirit for an eternity. Other versions says it was a rock that came tumbling down and blocking the entrance to the cave.
A local superstition warns that if a traveler stands upon Wenlock Edge, repeating the incantation “Ippikin, Ippikin, keep away with your long chin,” they risk the spectral intervention of the outlaw. The consequence? A forceful push off the escarpment by the unseen hand of Ippikin himself, ensuring that visitors tread cautiously in this woodland realm.
Major Thomas Smallman’s Fateful Leap
Wenlock Edge is not only shrouded in the legend of Ippikin but also bears witness to the ghostly presence of Major Thomas Smallman. A Royalist officer during the English Civil War between 1642 to 1651, Smallman faced a dire predicament as Parliamentarian troops closed in while he carried a crucial dispatch to Shrewsbury.
Rather than surrender, he made a daring choice—to ride his horse off a cliff. The horse met its demise, but miraculously, Smallman survived, caught by the branches of an apple tree and he made his way on foot to Shrewsbury to deliver the despatches.
Although he survived the fall in the legend, it is said he returned to Wenlock Edge and his dead horse when he did die. The site of this audacious leap is forever known as Major’s Leap, and it resonates with the lingering spirit of a courageous officer and his steed.
The Cliffs of Wenlock Edge
Wenlock Edge stands dappled sunlight and shifting shadows, with the surrounding forest guarding its secrets, allowing the legends of Ippikin and Major Thomas Smallman to echo through the ages.
Perhaps even hiding hidden treasures as well as stones and fossils of the truly ancient past.
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References:
BBC – Shropshire – places – Legends: Ippikin, the robber knight of Wenlock Edge