Lanty Slee

Lancelot “Lanty” Slee was a notorious moonshiner of Irish decent who lived in the Langdales.

Lanty was born in Borrowdale in 1800 and for a time lived at Greenbank Farm off the road to Wrynose Pass by Little Langdale tarn. He was described as a ‘stiff, fresh faced man of great endurance’.

Although he farmed by day, Lanty’s real passion was moonshining and his illicit business grew very quickly. He was constantly chased by the authorities but usually stayed one step ahead of them. As his activities prospered Lanty moved to Arnside and lived in an isolated house above his former farm and built his largest still, which became known as Lanty’s Cave, in a field there. Another still was built at Hallgarth, one was hidden above Langdale and yet another was erected in a quarry near Tilberthwaite.

Lanty had many customers, including a local magistrate and when fines were imposed they seemed to be miraculously reduced by the time payments were due. However it was not all plain sailing for Slee. He was arrested many times and even spent some time in Ambleside gaol.

William Pattinson, a supposed partner of Lanty’s, tried to bring him down after they had a bitter quarrel over the business. The outraged Patterson went straight to the magistrates and told them all about Lanty’s moonshining activities. On 9th May 1853 Lanty was convicted of illegal distribution of liquor and fined what was then the huge sum of £150. Pattinson was so worried about Slee’s reaction that he fled the district.

Lanty then moved back to his old haunts in Little Langdale, giving the authorities the impression that he was retiring. Slee, although turned sixty, was not yet finished with his whisky making and more stills appeared, one near the top of Wrynose and another close to the Three Shire Stones. He eventually died at Greenbank Farm aged 78.