NEARLY 400 people gathered on the West Pennine Moor above Holcombe Village on Sunday to watch a unique performance to mark the ongoing centenary of the World War One.

The free event was organised by the folk trio Harp and a Monkey and took place in a natural "amphitheatre" created by stone quarrying close to the Peel Tower.

The site was chosen because the top of Holcombe Hill provides an excellent overview of the route taken by a German Zeppelin in September 1916 that bombed along the length of the East Lancashire Railway – from Rossendale to Ramsbottom – including a diversion to Holcombe Village itself.

The enemy craft ultimately headed to Bolton where 13 men, women and children were killed and many more injured.

Band frontman Martin Purdy, who lives in Ramsbottom, said: “It was a fantastic afternoon and the turnout was amazing. It was wonderful to see such community spirit and such a wide variety of age groups present.

“We had suffered a sleepless night the evening before because of the thunderstorm, but the weather was very kind to us on the day – it didn’t start pouring down until about 30 minutes after we had finished.”

Martin explained that one of the reasons why the folk trio had chosen to perform in the stone quarry was because of a long-standing local "myth" that it had in-part been created by a bomb dropped by the Zeppelin. However, he explained that - as a result of the publicity surrounding the performance - the trio had been contacted by experts carrying out research into the attack who have now gathered compelling evidence to dispel the folklore.

Martin, who is himself a historian and author of three books on World War One, said: “We were really sad to have to have to dispel that tale, as it has probably done more to keep the story of the Zeppelin attack alive than anything else, but facts are facts.”

The show on Holcombe Hill is part of a series of performances of original songs and stories about World War One that Harp and a Monkey are undertaking in conjunction with Arts Council England and the Western Front Association. To date, they have also included shows in a prison that housed conscientious objectors and a memorial village built for disabled servicemen in 1919.

A documentary is being made of the performances that will include footage from the Holcombe show and details about the Zeppelin attack.