Croglin is a quiet picturesque fellside village between the Pennines and the River Eden, about 14 miles (23 km) south-east of Carlisle.

There has been a church on the current site since the Norman period, but the present building, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, was erected in 1878 to a design by J. Hewison of Edinburgh.

[6] Though the location of Croglin favours this explanation,[7] also possible is derivation from Brittonic crǖg, "abrupt/isolated hill"[7] and lïnn, "a pool" is also possible (c.f.

However, though the story is alleged to have occurred in 1874, there is no mention or evidence in historical records about the supposed event from before 1900.

The entire story is likely a complete fiction, an anecdote by a relative that was taken far too seriously by the later author, or a heavily embellished version of an unrelated assault by a local (later exaggerated as a lurid tale of a vampire attack).