“If you ever take a walk over Calderbrook you might get as far as the Black Forest. O yes, there used to be a forest until the miners strike in 1930, when the trees were cut down and used for firewood”. “You can either take the road near Handle Hall, past Far Hey Head, until you come to Deardens Pasture”. “Or take the path near Smithy Nook, past Stoney Head and Slack. Near Pasture House, where the Kershaw's farmed last, you’ll find Cuckoo Hill, and more to the left the ruins of Forest Lodge”. 

 

“Lord Dearden was Lord of the Manor. A lot of the local Gentry, Doctors MacGill and Jim amongst them, enjoyed the Grouse shoots and other sports like tail hunts …. a trail of aniseed….

 

The last Forester was Abraham Law or AB … as he was commonly known. Originally from near Halifax”. 

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“Life was very different …. Mother Law (Kate) had to cook and bake for herself and ….a large family, as well as….. for the hunt. That’s after Ab …. had fetched all the provisions from the valley on the back of his trusted donkey.” “There was no electricity or gas, no road to speak of”. (There was a well).

 

“The family had a rather tragic end. Mother (Kate) died of a heart attack while ……. baking   found by her sons returning from work. Two …. Reuban (died at Loos) and Jim (James) in Mesopotamia during WW1. Ab died …. doing the shopping. The donkey returned …… without him. They later found him slumped by the wayside. dead”. “The remaining three sons, Abraham, Bob (Robert) and Bill (William) had married three sisters from Shropshire (Note whilst marriage records show all 3 a named Hancox, two Ruth E and Louisa were actually called Hancock and were indeed from Salop but have not been able to confirm Lucy who does appear to have been called Hancocx and came from Warwickshire) and as usual had large families. This made it difficult to separate brothers from cousins”.

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“The old Forest Lodge stood empty for a number of years, still looked after by Ab’s grandchildren, mostly Jim (James W b 1904) and his brothers Jack(?) and Bob (Robert) and cousin Reuban Law. They kept the house clean and the old kitchen garden free from weeds. No doubt getting into m

mischief as well”.

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“One day they had a rather frightening experience. They were weeding the garden and Jim …… straightened up. There at the stile stood the figure of his dead grandfather (Ab) dressed in his uniform, the bandolier slung across his chest. “Reu” whispered Jim “Look there”. “Its Grandfather” he said. “They both stared at the figure too afraid to speak or move, until the spectre faded and vanished from sight. They ran down the hill…….. They met Jim’s younger brother Bob (Robert b 1908) and told him ….. Bob scoffed….. So … they crept back up”. “Jim would never sleep with his arms uncovered as he once felt a ghostly cold hand grip his wrist. For many years he re-lived  this nightmare at the Forest until his father (Abraham) died”. “Then his sons Jim, Jack and Bob scattered Ab’s ashes around the ruins of the lodge and the nightmare ceased”.

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“One more thing you may find on your travels near the Lodge, a tombstone with the name inscription “Soldier”. This is the grave of Ab’s   beloved ….. hounds, Soldier and Major. And should you meet old Ab, don’t be afraid, he is only watching over this treasured Black Forest”.