It has taken a long time to track down where this photographic
postcard was taken. Was it anything to do with the Heights
of Jacob in Matlock Bath, for example? Or Jacob's Ladder at
Devil's Bridge Aberystwyth? Or even the one at Edale? The short
answer is no, it isn't any of them. I eventually discovered
the location when I was searching for postcards by A. E. Shaw & Co.
of Blackburn and came across the same scene, minus the dog
and the infant child, on a card published by Shaw that had
been posted in the first decade on the twentieth century. The
photograph here is difficult to date but was possibly taken
shortly after 1900. The initials P. T. can be seen on the stones,
probably indicating who the photographer was. The only name
found so far is of a Frank Peirt Tillotson who lived in Burnley
in 1911.
The young child in the picture is wearing what looks to be
a baby dress with probably lace around the sleeves and on the
bodice. Whilst we can't see the detail here, such dresses were
beautifully and lovingly made. The photograph was taken on
a dry sunny day in the early autumn as there are some fallen
leaves on the stone paving slabs and steps.
This Jacob's Ladder seems to have been quite a well kept secret
as newspaper searches have only found one reference - in 1905.
The short article was discussing possible routes and giving
advice for walkers visiting the area - it was recommended that
the route more elderly walkers could take a should include
going "up
the picturesque Jacob's Ladder from Nuttall Lane to Grant's
Tower"[1].
The original Jacob's Ladder can be found in the Bible, when
Jacob flees from his brother Esau. Here we have a "ladder"
of stone steps, with an infant child in front of it and trees
beside it instead of angels described in the Book of Genesis
(below). Flights of steps like these were usually used by workers
in years gone by.
Genesis Chapter 28: verses 10-19
The vision of Jacob's ladder
10 And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward
Haran.
11 And he lighted upon the place, and tarried there all
night, because the sun was set ; and he took of the stones
of the place, and put them for his pillows, and
lay down in that place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the
earth, and the top of it reached to heaven ; and behold
the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said I am the
LORD, God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac :
the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and
to thy seed ;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and
thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east,
and to the north, and to the south. And in thee and in
thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee whithersoever
thou goest, and will bring thee back into this land ;
for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which
I have spoken to thee of. ...
16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said Surely
the LORD is in this place ; and I knew it not.
17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this
place! this is none other than the house of God, and
this is the gate of heaven. ... |
Interesting external links:
 John
Ireland's page for walkers describes the ladder.
John
Crossthwaite took this lovely winter scene in March 2018.
The metal handrails, which are on a bridge, shown in the photograph
above are still in use but the rustic fencing must have been
replaced a number of times. |
