Etymology
The name may come from the local dialect for 'boulder' although a popular story is its derivation from the Norse godHistory
Balder
As stated, it is popularly said that the name equates with Balder, the second son of the godMr. Pocklington
Although the stone was visited and admired by many, such as William Sawrey Gilpin in 1772, Joseph Pocklington was the first to take practical steps to attract visitors, purchasing the site in 1798, fencing it off, clearing away all the smaller rocks and erecting 'Bowderstone Cottage' to house a guide and building a ladder to allow visitors to easily reach the top and admire the outstanding views. In addition to all this activity Joseph designed a hermitage or chapel himself as a Christian counterpoint to the 'druidical' standing stone or menhir that he had also erected. During the works a natural hollow was discovered that ran underneath the boulder and Joseph had a small hole drilled through its base, thereby creating a space that made it possible for visitors to crawl into the hollow to have a ‘hand shake for luck’ with the guide or with another visitor on the other side of the Stone. At first Joseph Pocklington took his friends by coach to admire the Bowder Stone however later it was opened up to all and large numbers of travellers were escorted around the site by the guide that he employed. In 1817 Joseph died and the Bowder Stone was sold, however it continued to be open to all visitors. It continued as a popular tourist venue throughout the Victorian era and well into the early 20th century. Broken only by the presence of John Raven, the role of guide continued being female. Mary Carradus was the guide in the 1830s, succeeded in the 1850s by her daughter who married to become Mary Thompson, acting as a guide for 25 years or more. A gate had been installed at the bottom of the ladder to ensure that visitors paid a small fee to climb to the top. Various records indicate that the guides were assiduous in their duties with comments such as "''The old dame makes money out of the stone watching for tourists like a spider.''" A seat for two and standing room for six existed on the summit of the stone. The Pepper's were the last family to live at the Bowder Stone, keeping a visitors book that recorded tourists that included "''cabinet ministers, undergraduates, professors, publicists, walkers, lawyers''", etc. amongst their number.The National Trust
Bowder Stone Cottage and the Hermitage
The cottage was for a time used as a tea room and shop, selling souvenirs such as stereoviews, Mauchline Ware with engravings of the Bowder Stone in the form of penknives, boxes, pincushions, glasses cases, etc. Numerous postcards were also issued over the years. In the 1960s the cottage was derelict, and after the National Trust purchased the site they leased it to the Northumbrian Mountaineering Club, who restored it to modern-day standards with electricity, running water, etc. The mountaineering club also lease the old Hermitage from the National Trust.Hodgson, Page 34References
;Notes ;Sources * Gilpin, William (1786). ''Observations relative chiefly to Pictureque Beauty made in the year 1772, On Several Parts of England; Particularly the Mountains, and Lakes of Cumberland, and Westmorland''. London : R. Blamire. * Hodgson, E. (2007). ''The Bowder Stone - A History.'' Carlisle : P3 Publications.External links