The Ship Inn at Wincle

The Ship Inn at the small village of Wincle dates back many hundreds of years, this is a place that Bonnie Prince Charlie passed through with his troops. Some of their weapons were left here accidently and they had used to be on display in the Ship Inn behind the bar.

Legend has it that some of the locals fought with some of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s troops in revenge for mistreatment they received from them, it is thought that some of them were hung from the Hanging Stone which can be found nearby at the end of the rocky escarpment known as the Roaches.

Danebridge by the Ship Inn at Wincle

There is a legend that a headless horseman is said to ride down the road on a misty night, past the Ship Inn and on down to the river which is crossed by Danebridge, whether or not it is one of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s men is not known.

Also to be found in the small village of Wincle is Abraham Day’s grave which is buried in the churchyard here, Abraham Day’s ghost is said to haunt the nearby ruins of Folly Mill, which he rebuilt three times in his lifetime, having been washed away by the Tor brook which was used to power the mill.

On the main Leek to Buxton road past the Winking Man pub can be found an old building on the side of the road which carries the name Royal Cottage. The reason it has been given this name is due to the fact that Bonnie Prince Charlie stopped here on his retreat from Derby to Manchester, it was at that time a public house and it is believed he stopped here for a drink and possibly slept overnight here.

Royal Cottage

Behind the Royal Cottage is a field known as Bareleg hill, it is thought that Bonnie Prince Charlie’s troops camped upon this hill. The reason this is called Bareleg hill is due to the fact that the soldiers being Scottish would have been wearing kilts and would have been bare legged.

Bare Leg Hill