The mother of all Blackett parties

Submitted by alkirtley on Fri, 11/22/2019 - 11:24
The Devil's Punchbowl
The Devil's Punchbowl

When Sir William Blackett (1690-1728) married Lady Barbara Villiers in 1725 he laid on so much alcoholic refreshment for the inhabitants of Newcastle and surrounding areas that much of the county was drunk for several days. The Devil’s Punchbowl, a natural basin in a rock at the highest point of Shaftoe Crag, was enlarged, before being filled with wine for the celebrations.
As can be seen from the photograph above, it does not seem the safest of places for imbibing large quantities of wine, but there is no record of any fatalities marring the celebrations.