The legend of Black Mere Pool (Mermaid Pool)

 

The Mermaid Pool

For those of us living in Britain, especially Staffordshire, has probably heard of the ‘Mermaid pool’.

It is between Leek and Buxton. It is a small irregular shaped pond, lying in a hollow on the high hill of Morridge.

Strangely enough, even in the coldest of winters, the pool never freezes. The water level never changes, and animals refuse to drink from it, there are no fish to be found in it, and birds refuse to fly over it.

It was said to be bottomless, this has been proved wrong. It measure nothing more 6ft in the deepest parts. Not far from the pool, is the appropriately names Mermaid Inn.

The pool, is naturally dark, and it appears, as black as night. This is because of the peat rich soil that gives it, its dark colour.

It is said that the pool is inhabited by a mermaid/siren.

Who, according to legend, lure unwary travelers into the watery depths – apparently only single men.

So what does she look like? There isn’t much on record, apart from that she is extremely beautiful with dark green eyes.

It is said that the mermaid, was originally accused of witchcraft by a man named Joshua Linnet in the medieval times. It is said that after refusing his advances, he convinced the town folk that she was a witch, and they drowned her in the pool.

With her last breath she cursed that she would haunt the pool forevermore and drown Joshua Linnet. Three days later he was found floating in the pool, dead with strange slashes across his face.

The pool has had many drownings here, and even a murder. In 1676 a woman peddler was dumped in the pool by a local serial killer. This can be in conjunction with anther story that apparently took place in 1979. A woman was overheard by a man names Andrew Simpson who worked in a local Inn, he heard of her talking about how much money she had made from selling her lace and wool. He followed her home and drowned her in the pool, for her money. A few days later he corpse was found and he was hung.

There has been many stories of people seeing a white hand luring them into the lake, a woman with dark green eyes enticing them towards the waters edge and strange mist the appears above the lake.

A fire engine once pumped the water from the pool for hours, during a moorland fire, but the water level did not change. There was talk of a tunnel linking this pool, and another pool not far from it, Doxey pool. This was proved improbable because of the geometry.

The pool itself is 50 meters wide, but apparently it was much bigger in medieval times. It is 1600ft above sea level, and is home to the only inland mermaid on record.

I’m not sure what to believe,it does however sound very creepy, I hope I one day will get to pay it a visit.

Tell me what you think :)