Latest Folklore

People have said that they have heard the fairies patting butter on the hill as they passed at night. Once a man heard them say “mend that peel!” (a peel was a long-handled shovel used to remove bread from the oven.) Passing by the next day, he found the broken shovel and took it home to be mended. The following day a piece of bread and butter was lying on a stone where he had found the peel. The man was afraid to eat the bread or give it to his horses, fearing the consequences. Unfortunately, unaware that he had offended the fairies, his horses dropped dead before they reached the top of the hill.

Myth and Magic of Northumbria
Coquet Editions
1992

This stone is thought to be either a Bronze Age standing stone or an anvil stone from a later period (Roman or Medieval). It could conceivably be a standing stone that was later used as an anvil stone.

The stone stands next to the Pumpsaint Gold Mines, which were originally mined by the Romans (or so most people believe). Chris Barber alludes to the stone in his book Mysterious Wales:

Near the entrance to the area containing the Roman gold mines is a strange stone in which the five saints [Ceitho, Celynnen, Gwyn, Gwynog and Gwynaro] are alleged to have left their footprints.

There are other legends relating to these five saints and their activities in the area. There are five pools in the river, which were used by these saints, and later became places of pilgrimage. I’m not sure whether the pools are in Afon Cothi or Twrch, as they both converge at Pumpsaint (another possible indication of prehistoric sanctity).

Of course the village’s name means Five Saints in Welsh.

Wistman’s Wood is the place where the Devil (known as Dewer or Old Crockern in these parts) kennels his Wisht hounds. On Midsummer’s night he takes them hunting across the moor. Some stories say this is to look for babies who have not been baptised. If you see him and his hounds I’m afraid it’s not a very good omen for you. Also, apparently no ordinary dog will ever enter the wood. But I have to say I did see one do this myself. Perhaps it was just foolhardy and never made it out the other side.

As well as being the legendary grave of Boudica, legend says that this barrow (like many others) contained buried treasure in the form of a golden coffin or table.

There was a belief that a gold chair was buried in the ramparts. Another old story says that Upavon village was originally sited at Casterley Camp.

This tree-covered hilltop includes a fort, dykes, and a now-destroyed burial mound. The Romans also built a temple here. Numerous traditions have grown up such as that the Devil will appear if you run backwards seven times around the clump of trees at midnight on Midsummer Eve and he will offer you a bowl of milk, soup, or porridge. Although you may have worked up an appetite with all the exertion I would advise you to refuse – it’s really payment for your soul.

The trees are said to be uncountable (although the 1987 hurricane did apparently thin them out); but anyone who does count the right number will raise the ghosts of Julius Caesar and his army. The ghost of an old white-bearded man is said to search for the treasure buried in the hill; and the hooves of invisible horses have been heard.

Considering its age and fame, very little folklore seems to exist. The only reference I can find is that the ghost of a priest enters the barrow at sunrise on Midsummer Day followed by a ghostly white dog with red ears, which is pretty similar to what Rhiannon found.

The legend I’ve read about the Marston Moretaine church is that the division of the tower happened when the Devil was trying to steal it; it was too heavy for him so he put it down and left it. Great story!

Said to be the resting place of a giant. And if you run around it seven times the giant is supposed to come out (and say ‘why the hell did you wake me up’ I guess)

Also said to be a named after a Civil War general called Hoar, but that sounds a bit pony to me.

Another ‘cadbury’ and another Arthurian legend! There is rumoured to be a cavern in this hillfort where King Arthur and his knights lie sleeping, waiting to be called out to help England face her enemies. Black magic and witchcraft were said to have been practiced here, plus dancing around a thorn tree on May Eve and Midsummer Eve

I’m no expert on these things but I read that ‘Grim’ is a nickname given to Woden, who was held in awe by many Anglo-Saxons and had many sites thus named after him including this hill fort. Somewhere in the nearby woods there is supposed to be a bottomless pond in which lies a golden calf.

Legend gives us a pretty traditional and widespread ‘earth from the spade’ story. The story goes that a giant called Gorm (uuuum, Gorm? Gormless?) was wandering around with aload of earth on his spade. Not remembering what it was for he dumped it and made the tump on Maes Knoll.

The camp is an Iron Age hillfort sited in woodland and the course of the Roman Road known as the Devil’s Highway runs Eat-West half a mile to the South. This might be the source of the phantom footsteps heard at the Camp one night during WWII by two women who lived in a house that has now been demolished. They were aware of what sounded like voices and soldiers marching, but nothing could be seen. On another occasion, one of the women also saw the ghost of a red-haired man standing by her bed.

Beedon Barrow (on Burrow Hill). Legend has it that a man named Burrow was buried here in a gold or silver coffin. It is also supposed to be a fairy dwelling, and ploughman who broke his ploughshare found it had been mended by them while he was away fetching tools. It was believed that the barrow could not be ploughed away; it would always remain the same. Desecration of the barrow by digging was said to bring on a thunderstorm; this apparently happened in the 19th Century.

The Fairy’s Toot is a damaged burial chamber which was said to be the home of fairies and goblins, and to be haunted – strange noises have been heard here.

I’ve not been to the site but it is still shown on the OS Explorer map.

The healing properties of Bath’s mineral springs were said to have been discovered by Prince Bladud around 900BC. Banished from court because of his leprosy, he became a swineherd. When the pigs were suffering from cracked skins he took them done to a marsh where the warm water gave off steam which healed them so completely that Bladud immersed himself and cured his leprosy.

You will find Bladud references dotted around Bath (e.g. the Bladud Arms pub and Bladud Buildings)

From A Gazetteer of Arthurian Topographic Folklore:

Ashe [quoted in Grooms, 1993, p.115] writes that ‘Legend has it that when Arthur was walking through Carmarthenshire on his way to Camlann, he felt a pebble in his shoe and tossed it away. It flew seven miles over Burry Inlet and landed in Gower, on top of the smaller stones of Maen Cetti.‘

A deep channel in the hillside was said to have been dug by the Devil, who was trying to drown the local people in anger at their religious enthusiasm. He was hurrying to dig as far as the sea before daybreak, but a cock crowed – the Devil, hearing that sound and seeing an old woman’s candle, thought the sun was rising and abandoned his task. He is said to be buried along with his wife in two mounds on the hill. Apparently this is rare because the Devil’s wife rarely appears in British legend! Interesting marriage.

Note earthworks, fort, barrows etc in the general area.

An underground passage at least a mile long is said to lead from Montacute House to Ham Hill. Ham Hill is the site of a huge 210-acre hillfort, one of the largest in Britain. Although it is now much damaged by quarrying there are apparently still some very impressive ramparts to be seen.

As is often the case, there are alternative versions of the tales below – other versions say the Devil was throwing it at Blindon Abbey or Salisbury Cathedral. Another name for it is the Devil’s Anvil.

It was believed that the fairies would dance on this hill at midnight on Midsummer Eve. Gold was supposed to be hidden underground. Little trace apparently remains of the Iron Age hillfort on the summit.

There have been many suggestions as to what the Long man represents, including a warrior, a god, or the giant who was killed by the Firle Beacon giant. Another legend has it that the long man fell and broke his neck, his body being outlined in chalk where he lay before it was buried in a long barrow on the hilltop. A Roman in a golden coffin is said to lie buried beneath the Long man.

The long barrow on the hill was said to be the burial place of a giant who lived up here. he regularly quarrelled with another giant on Windover Hill and they would throw boulders at one another; one of them struck and killed the Windover giant, who can still be seen on the hillside (cf The Long man of Wilmington). there is also said to be a silver coffin buried somewhere on Firle Beacon.

An Iron Age hillfort crowns this hill, traditionally formed from a clod of earth thrown here by the Devil while feverishly digging out the Devil’s Dyke. Another legend says that a giant called Gill who reputedly lived on the Downs would throw his hammer from the summit of the Caburn. Somewhere in the hill a silver coffin and a knight in golden armour are said to be buried.