This is the story of the mystery of Sollom Cross, which is not yet quite solved after 150 years.
Tradition relates that 150 years ago, Tarleton village and Sollom, one of its hamlets, each possessed a cross, standing on a base in a prominent spot.
One day Tarleton awakened to find its cross missing, and as there was deadly rivalry between the villagers and the people of Sollom, the former naturally thought that Sollom folk had taken their cross.
So they went and took Sollom's cross and put it up on their own base in Tarleton. Sollom objected, and late one night recovered their property. Three nights later Tarleton raided Sollom, and after a pitched battle, at which there were several casualties, they recaptured the cross and base, brought it back to the village, and, continues tradition, threw the lot in a pond in Hesketh Lane.

Something Found
And there the matter rested - until a month ago.
Then Mr. Herbert Barron, of Green Bank poultry farm, Tarleton, was cleaning out the pond on his property, and struck what he took to be a huge stone.
Recalling the old legend he immediately informed the Rector (Rev. L. N. Forse), and steps were taken to salvage the stone.
News spread like wildfire all round the district, and Sollom, with their inherited spirit of revenge, turned up to see what was going to happen.
But the mystery thickened. It was discovered that there was a base in both Sollom and Tarleton - so what exactly the stone in t1ie pond was remained to be seen.
"Whatever it is," said Sollom, “is ours. You would not have thrown it in if it belonged to you.”
At all events last night Tarleton decided to solve the mystery of the pond once and for all. Unfortunately Sollom decided to do the same and got there early with waggons, motors, chains, anchors - and a diver.
The diver donned a bathing costume and went into the filthy water up to his neck and, walking up and down, said he could feel something like a cross.
Dragging operations were begun, but after struggling from three o'clock until eight Sollom had to give up the job, beaten, and they decided to come again to-day.
Meanwhile, Tarleton men were looking on, some stating that they would not take the cross to Sollom even if they got it out. After the Sollom men had gone, Tarleton had a committee meeting and decided to try and get it out themselves.

Strong Words
Electric light was fixed up, hoisting tackle was obtained, and the local blacksmith was set to work making grappling irons at nine o'clock.
All arrangements had practically been made at ten o'clock when, to the surprise of the Tarleton men, Sollom reappeared with another diver to put a chain around the cross and pull it out.
The situation became rather ugly, and after some strong words had been spoken by both parties the owner of the land intervened, and said that Sollom had had a good chance to get the cross out. It was now Tarleton's turn.
The opportunity was accepted and Tarleton immediately set to work before hundreds of spectators. They got the grappling irons around the stone, the guy ropes strained, pulleys creaked - but the cross refused to come out,
After further tugging the grappling irons buckled and broke away, much to the delight of the Sollom contingent, who celebrated the failure by turning out all the lights.
Thinking that no further step would be taken that night Sollom went away.
Tarleton, however, with the assistance of a local contractor and foreman of the Douglas Catchment Board, stuck to their task, and at midnight the grapples got a good hold and the stone was raised to the surface.
Amid terrific cheers the grapples were made still firmer and about 25 men and 12 women got hold of the hoisting rope and a large stone weighing about 12 cwt., was dragged to the bank.
Cheer after cheer was given for the gangers and the local blacksmith, and the party went to bed at one o'clock, leaving what proved to be a stone base on the bank.

Where is the Cross?
But what of the cross: Is it still there?
Sounding operations have been made, and according to one of the divers there is "something like a cross" still in six feet of water.
An old villager has come forward with an interesting reminiscence.
He says in days of old there was an iron post on the bank of the pond where people hung their buckets when they went to get water. The post has been missing for years, and he thinks it may be in the pond.

I visited the spot this morning - (writes a “Lancashire Daily Post” reporter) - and found matters at a deadlock. The base of the cross is there all right, and there is no doubt of its genuiness. But what of the cross?
The Rector told me that if they get it out - and he is prepared to finance any such endeavour - he thinks the only way to settle the ownership will be to hold a leet court and let independent judges decide.
In the meantime Sollom and Tarleton are awaiting each other's next move.

Published by kind permission of the "Lancashire Evening Post"
formerly the "Lancashire Daily Post".