Richard Atkinson's Grave (1884)
Extract from The Dale that Died Barry Cockcroft p24-25
Perhaps the last major mission Dick ever undertook was also his greatest. It happened at Sedbergh, which had not had a revival for many years and the elders of the chapel were worried at the lack of support in the town. They went, as so many did to Grouse Hall to ask his advice and he is supposed to have said: 'Give me three days and then I'll tell you what God says 'He then went to look down upon the old market town which marks the place where the two great northern regions of beauty, the Dales and The Lakes, reach over to each other. He saw a mist coming out of the Public Hall, spreading around the town and penetrating up an adjoining dale. When the elders came back he told them to hire the Public Hall, nominated another evangelist and promised to help personally. When he did finally present himself after walking the eight miles from Grouse Hall they turned on him angrily and declared:'You don't appear to be much concerned about the sinners of Sedbergh'What they did not know(and apparently he did not tell them) was that he had spent the week in prayer, again without much sleep.
But he turned their rebukes into a mute apology by climbing into the pulpit and weaving the Atkinson spell once again. The Sedbergh mission went on for sixteen consecutive and tumultuous weeks and went down in local history as 'The Great Revival'..........