THE LEGEND

by Roger T. Eubank

The ancient family legend recounted to this day in the Vale of Eden and on the fells of Stainmore is that soon after the Norman occupiers took over, Baron Fitz-Barnard was installed in adjacent western Durham country and there built Barnard Castle. Lord de Ewbank’s family guarded the pass over the high Stainmore from Westmorland into Durham. While hunting in the moors for stag and boar, Lord Ewbank’s party ran into a hunting party from Fitz-Barnard’s family. A heated dispute immediately arose, and in the insuing fracus Lord Ewbank kidnapped lovely Ethel, the daughter of Baron Fitz-Barnard.

Lord Eubank led Ethel’s horse to High Ewbank and kept her captive. He treated her kindly, and over the months he fell in love with her and asked her to marry him. But Ethel spurned all his attentions and continually refused his pleads of marriage. One day, on which Ethel was wearing a blue satin dress, she saw a chance to escape from the house. She stole one of the Lord’s bay chargers and galloped up Stainmore towards home. Lord Eubank in his blind fury at her loss went charging after her, and when he overtook her he severed her beautiful head with a single sweep of his broadsword.

The legend continues, that to this very day those who travel over high Stainmore in the wee hours sometimes catch a glimpse of Ethel’s ghost. It is written, "Ethel Fitz-Barnard is still seen at the midnight hour, dressed in blue, and mounted on a bay charger galloping towards her home."