ClimberMayJune2020

Pete Bridgwood sets up for

the slab to the lip of the

bulge on the super classic

Staffordshire Flyer (Font 6b)

at the left-hand end of the

Doxey’s Pool boulders.

http://www.climber.co.uk may–jun 2020 65

the top of the hill, has no water coming
into it and never dries out. Some say it is
bottomless, whilst others are convinced
it is linked to the nearby tarn of Blake
Mere via a subterranean passage. This
links to the first of two tales surrounding
the pool; that Doxey’s Pool and Blake
Mere are home to the mermaid, Jenny
Greenteeth, who uses the passage to
swim between them both. Apparently, ‘In
1949, a Miss Florence Pettit claimed to
have witnessed a weird creature (a blue

nymph) emerge from the water just

before she was about to take a morning

swim’.

The second, and most sinister story, is

how it derived its name. According to the

BMC Roaches guidebook, ‘The pool is

named after Doxey, the daughter of Bess

of Rock Hall, who was renowned for her

singing, which was said to be foreign

and melancholy. She was taken one

night by men sheltering in the caves,

was raped and then drowned in the

pool.’ Chilling indeed. I much prefer to

think it’s inhabited by a mermaid.

GUIDEBOOKS

Currently there are three guidebooks

available so Doxey’s is well catered for

and any of these will serve you right. All

three contain all of the problems so the

choice is yours: Peak Bouldering (Rockfax

2014), Peak District Bouldering (Verte-

brate Publishing 2011), The Roaches

(BMC 2009). 6