The Girt Clog Climbing Club
was named after this
World Famous Clog.
Haaksid’s Girt Clog was specially made for John Waterson of Outgate, the local mole catcher, who contracted a form of elephantiasis that greatly enlarged his left foot. The Clog measures 20” long (50 cm) and 16” wide (40 cm), and has been conserved in a glass case inside the Queen’s Head in Hawkshead. (Interestingly records have been found saying that it was on display at the Brown Cow Inn, Hawkshead!)
The Clog was made by John Rigg, a Master Cobbler also of Outgate, Fieldhead, near Hawkshead.
A descendent of John Rigg has made contact with us and we are pleased that he and his family have agreed for a copy of the original apprentice indenture between John Rigg and his father James Rigg to be re-produced here together with a transcript for those of us who find the original document to be challenging.
Some of you will be wondering where the name ‘Girt’ came from, well it merely refers to the size of the Clog, here is an extract from the Oxford English Dictionary:
GIRT : An old-fashioned term for girth
Here are some clippings just to add to the history.
