A long time ago, on a cold and misty autumn morning, a farmer from Mobberley was crossing the Edge in order to sell his beautiful milk-white mare at Macclesfield market. Upon reaching the Thieves' Hole the horse stopped and refused to move forward for, out of nowhere it seemed, appeared an old man dressed in a dark flowing gown and with long hair and beard. The old man offered to buy the horse but the farmer rudely refused believing he would receive a better price at the market. "Go then" said the old man "but mark my words, although your horse will be much admired, no buyer will come forth and I will await your return and buy the animal".
To the farmer's surprise and disappointment the horse was admired by all at the market but nobody was willing to buy. Leaving the market behind him the farmer once again crossed over the Edge in low spirits and cursing his luck. When the farmer reached the Thieves' Hole he was amazed to see the old man waiting for him although he was an old man no more but a tall, proud wizard holding a staff in his hand. The wizard bade the farmer to follow and led both farmer and beast past Seven Firs, the Golden Stone, Stormy Point and Saddlebole until he reached a large rock embedded in the hillside.
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The wizard touched the rock with his staff and with a
sound like thunder the rock split in two and revealed a pair of Iron Gates. With
this the horse reared and the farmer fell to h
is knees begging for mercy. The
wizard told the farmer not to be afraid and led both man and beast along a cave
and into a large cavern full of sleeping knights. Beside all but one knight was
a milk-white mare which was also in enchanted sleep. The wizard led the farmer
into another cavern full of jewels and bade him to take his share as payment for
the horse as it was needed for the last knight. He then went on to explain that
one day during the reign of George the son of George both man and horse will awake
and fight a decisive battle on the plain below which will save the country. With
that the wizard told the astonished farmer to leave who lost no time in obeying
and heard the Iron Gates close behind him with the same thunderous noise.
The farmer returned on many occasions to search for the
Iron Gates but his efforts were in vain. From that day to this people have scoured
the Edge trying to locate the Gates. Ellen Beck swore she once found them but
was said to be mad and the tale of her life is a sad one [4]. It is generally
believed that the gates lie somewhere near the Holy Well and Stormy Point.
Alan Garner used a tooth-shaped rock as the location of the Iron Gates for his
fictional books on the Edge, which can be found on the path between Stormy Point
and Saddlebole.
The legend was first printed in the Manchester Mail in 1805 but was first told by Parson Shrigley, rector of Nether Alderley, in 1753 [5]. The reference to the milk-white mare is significant as this was a sacred animal to the Celts who had a strong horse-cult and believed Celtic kings were born from a white mare at their coronation. Therefore perhaps the legend originates from Celtic times. The form of the goddess Rhiannon was a white horse [2].
The Legend of the Wizard
Who is he?-He
Who, beneath the Holy Well
Where secrets dwell,
Can tell
Where the Iron Gates are hid:
Who, when the time is ripe, will bid
Them to expand and show
Their treasure heap,
And, striking with his wand,
Awake from sleep
Steeds and an armed band,
The which for England's safety 'tis decreed
Will issue forth when in her utmost need:
He, who on the heights of Alderley awaits
The coming of the day:
He, who is seldom seen by mortal sight,
And seen, seen only in the gloom of night
On Milk-white steed:
He is the Wizard, whom the Fates
Have bid to do the deed,
Strike with his wand the Iron Gates,
And wake the armed band!
Ellen Beck
Ellen Beck was a servant at Fallows Hall and, as already mentioned, she claimed that she had found the Iron Gates. She described them as two large folding iron gates located near the Holy Well. When Ellen returned with company to the spot where she claimed to have witnessed the Gates nothing could be seen [7].
Ellen went on to live at the Old Hall where she had a lover. Driven by jealousy of another young woman Ellen pressed for marriage but her lover refused. Upon doing so Ellen asked him to supply poison to which he refused. Sadly Ellen acquired the poison and killed herself as her happiness had been destroyed. Ellen Beck's body lies under a hollow bank in a field near Brindlow Wood. The grave was once marked by three standing stones but these have since been removed [7].