The Tale of Dunmail - Or, how a King lost his crown.

And now, a little historical intrigue amongst the Lake District fells. One of my favourite walks visits Grisedale Tarn, a moderately large spread of water that sits in the depression between Seat Sandal and Dollywaggon Pike. The tarn is on a six and a half mile long bridleway linking Grasmere with Patterdale. It's modest height, at just under 1,800ft, is in direct comparison to the high fells that surround it. The tarn adds to the bridleway's attraction as an early transport route, providing a ready supply of both fresh water, and fish.

On the Grasmere side, the tarn is usually reached by following the old bridleway beside Tongue Gill. But those who like a bit of historical intrigue might like to take an alternative route by following a path that skirts the northern flanks of Seat Sandal, via Raise Beck. The common start point for this route is the top of Dunmail Raise, which is on the A591 road between Grasmere and Thirlmere.

At the top of the Raise the road is a dual carriageway, and in the middle of the central reservation is a cairn, a large pile of stones. In fact, the term Dunmail Raise actually refers to the cairn and not the road. A "Raise" is an old name for a cairn, a construction which has been "raised up" by depositing stones.

The pass of Dunmail Raise, ie: the road that goes over the hill upon which the cairn stands, connects the Vale of Grasmere to the Thirlmere valley. It is the lowest route between the northern and southern parts of the Lake District, and as such has great significance in the history of the region.

Beneath the stones are reputed to be the remains of Dunmail, the last King of Cumbria, who was reputedly killed in battle on the very spot upon which the cairn is situated, in 945 ad.  To add to the intrigue, Dunmail's golden crown was salvaged by his warriors, who escaped into the mountains up the path beside Raise Beck, and threw it into the dark grey waters of Grisedale Tarn.

So, fact or fiction? Or a mix of the two? Was there a battle? Did the last King of Cumbria meet his end? Does he lie under that pile of stones? What of his crown? Is it still at the bottom of Grisedale Tarn, waiting to be rightfully claimed?

There is no definitive history written at the time of the alleged battle, however, subsequent writings  suggest that there is more than a smidgeon of truth in the story. There may well have been a battle in the region at some point in 945. It is known that Edmund I of England spent much of that year at war in an attempt to unify England and Scotland. Cumbria, then part of the kingdom of Strathclyde, was one of his main targets. 

However, if there was a decisive battle on what we now know as Dunmail Raise, then King Dunmail, or to give him his proper title, Dyfnwal ab Owain, probably didn't die in it. In fact, it is possible that he lived another 30 years, outliving both his aggressors, Edmund I of England, who was killed in 946, and King Malcolm I of Scotland, who died in battle in 954. To further muddy the waters, King Malcolm was known by the name of Máel Coluim mac Domnaill, and the top of Dunmail Raise appears to the southern boundary of the land gifted to him by Edmund I after the battle. All of which begs the question, who created the legend regarding the pile of stones, and what really happened to the golden crown?

Fast forward a little over 800 years, to the dawn of the age of tourism. The early guide book writers had very few reliable historical sources available to them. However, this minor detail did not put them off. They were very well aware that, when it came to history, a good amount of local folk lore could both fill in the gaps, and lift a boring historical story. The tale of the King who lost his crown, and whose remains lie buried beneath the large pile of stones on Dunmail Raise, had existed via word of mouth for 800 years. In the latter part of the 18thC, it was finally committed to print. The rich Georgian and early Victorian guide book readers were certainly enthralled by the legend, and since the early guide book writers were highly trusted for the quality of the information their books contained, they tended to believe every word.

In reality, the low pass between Grasmere and Thirlmere is more likely to have been territory where peace was negotiated, rather than a battlefield. Edmund I was determined to depose King Dunmail, as he suspected him of being in collusion with the Viking rulers of Northumberland, who had reneged on an agreement with Edmund not to invade his territories in the Midlands. There is evidence of a battle taking place close to Orrest Head, near Windermere. The word 'Orrest' is Old Norse for battle. The Cumbrians then retreated to what is now Dunmail Raise, pursued by the combined forces of Edmund and Malcolm I of Scotland.  With his force heavily outnumbered, Dunmail then took the decision to surrender. Edmund I accepted his capitulation, ceding the territory to King Malcolm I of Scotland. By doing so, Edmund achieved his aim of creating both safe borders, and harbouring peaceful relationships with his neighbours in Scotland. 

The terms of the surrender are not known, however, it is clear that by 950 King Dunmail had been granted power once again, this time in alliance with Edmund I's successor, Eadred. It was a move that had the approval of Malcolm I, and clearly part of what was a very dynamic political landscape, the aim of which was to rid both England and Scotland of Scandinavian influence. 

Modern folk lore confirms that there are definitely are no human remains beneath the pile of stones on Dunmail Raise. When the road was widened and the dual carriageway put in place, the cairn was actually moved from it's position close to what is now the northbound carriageway, onto the central reservation. The trouble is, knowing that spoils the story, so it is not something that you will tend to read in any 21stC tourist guide. 

But what of Dunmail's golden crown? If he was deposed, was he forced to hand it over as part of the peace agreement, or did some of his warriors dispose of it in the tarn before Edmund could get his hands on it? Once again, the folk lore is so much more entertaining than the truth, which is probably that Dunmail didn't actually have a crown, and certainly not one made of solid gold. The story is symbolic. Dunmail may have lost his position as King, but his true influence and power lay not in the hands of Edmund or Malcolm, but amongst the mountains and tarns of the region. Indeed, Dunmail's knowledge and influence amongst the people who lived and farmed in the mountains of Cumbria may have been the reason why he was allowed back into power so quickly.