Spirit Lights

Cauldon Lowe can be found on the Leek to Ashbourne road just outside the small village of Waterhouses. The word Lowe is derived from the term burial mound, and the burial mounds or barrows which could be found on the top of this hill are said to have some sort of connection with the Fairy Folk. Over the years strange moving lights have been observed around the summit of this hill and seem to dance around the barrows. The rapid, playful movements of the lights that people see, and there longevity, suggest that they possess some sort of low order of intelligence.

This however may be some sort of natural phenomena which may have been triggered by the extensive quarrying which has taken place over the years, however it doesn’t fully explain the sightings that have been reported before the quarrying started.

Cauldon Lowe in the background.

Not much farther past Waterhouses can be found the beautiful Dovedale valley, however at the end of the day when all the tourists have departed and darkness has fallen, strange lights have been reported where the stepping stones cross the river Dove. Two students back in 1993 witnessed two bright lights playing cat and mouse in this area, they were seen rising and falling from between 10ft to 100ft. The students became scared and fled the scene, but one of them did return at a later date with a different friend. This time they ventured further into the valley not really expecting to see something a second time, however again they were fortunate in that they saw a large bright sphere. Are these lights the same ones that are said to lead and light the way for travellers passing through the Manifold valley which starts at Waterhouses?

This was the area at the stepping stones which cross the river Dove, where two students saw spirit lights in 1993.