Eagles' Crag is a gothic horror, set like Helen of Four Gates on an isolated farm, though this time the location has shifted from the brooding Pendle Hill with its associated history of witchcraft, to West Yorkshire.
Eagle's Crag is the name of a rocky promontory high above a steep-sided valley, about one mile west of Todmorden. In profile it resembles an eagle, its wings partly outstretched and its beak jutting skyward.
Rarely marked on modern maps, it is familiar to rock climbers in the area and also to locals because of a supernatural legend associated with the landmark.
It seems clear that Carnie Holdsworth knew of the legend given the similarities in theme and plot between the story and her own text; she was very familiar with this area of West Yorkshire having lived at Slack Top, Heptonstall from 1922 to 1927.
It is easy to see why Carnie Holdsworth made good use of the fable, since it provided an excellent narrative bridge between Helen of Four Gates and Eagles' Crag. -From the Introduction
