A Carlisle history blogger is on a mission to uncover 'centuries of crack and scandal' in the border city. 

Mike Grierson from Denton Holme runs the blog 'Carlisle Times & Crimes' which specialises in uncovering the untold stories of the city. 

In this blog, Mike has covered several historical stories, from a 'considerable commotion' caused in Denton Holme by a swarm of bees in 1896 and the ring discovered near Kingmoor in June 1817 - which potentially inspired J.R.R Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'.

Mike started the blog in January, and it's gone from strength to strength in the months since. The local history buff was on hand to explain more.

He said: "About 18 months ago I started doing a family tree and doing that I found out that one of my great grandfathers had a couple of newspaper articles written about him which led me to purchase a pass to the British Newspaper Archive.

"It was as I was searching through the archive that I started to see these little stories and I thought they were really interesting.

"It was on January 2 I set up the blog and I have gone from there."

Mike also discussed one of the first major stories he investigated, which focused on a grizzly discovery at Carlisle Castle.

He said: "I have always been interested in history and Carlisle's history but there were so many things that I wasn't aware of like random deaths and 'Deerfoot', who was a Victorian celebrity runner who competed in Carlisle.

"The first big story I investigated was the bones in Carlisle Castle. As a kid, I always heard the stories about the bones that had been discovered in the castle of the mother and the baby that had been built into the walls. 

"However, a Dr Thomas Barnes had inspected them and smashed the myth but that led to a more paranormal story about the ghost of a woman who was haunting the castle after the bones had been exhumed but that doesn't appear to have happened either.

"It is a shame, busting these myths, but I am enjoying writing stories about what I find."

For Mike, delving into Carlisle's storied history has contextualised the city for him and he has been pleased with the response to his work.

He said: "There has been a great response and I have just passed 1,000 followers... I never thought it would get to that level.

"I work nights so I walk my dogs early in the morning when there is nobody around and I am able to look at the city in a different light.

"Even being from Denton Holme, every time I walk past Sheffield Street I think about the West Wall Murders."