Commentary

When we met Ken Wilson, the part-retired tenant farmer of the National Trust, I remembered that Longshaw has been the site of famous sheepdog trials for over a hundred years. Ken reminded us of the sheepdog commands – come bye, stand etc – used to direct dogs. I pounced upon these as just the words I was looking for, and quickly made a short poem. I have never been fond of so-called ‘found’ poems – but the forcefulness of the words, the sound and rhythm, the appropriateness for the place and their relevance to walkers were an irresistible combination. I looked up further commands, played with them for a while, and settled on:

Come bye
Look back
Take time
Walk on
as the text for my stone. - Jo Bell

Come bye

Look back

Take time

Walk on

grid reference  SK 26503 80141

This
Companion Stone

Other
Companion Stones

Other
Guide Stoops

Site numbering
taken from
Howard Smith's
Guide Stoops
of Derbyshire