Devil’s Hoofprint

Carving
TL486213
Disputed

Nearest town:

Bishop's Stortford (1km NNE)

OS reference:

TL486213

OS sheet:

167

Latitude:

51° 52' 11.84 N

Longitude:

0° 9' 31.2 E

Added to TMA by

Earthstepper

Articles

Devil’s Hoofprint

Carving

Earthstepper Sep 5, 2003

Often blind to things on our own doorstep, I revisited our local mystery with a view to seeking opinions from TMA. The Devil’s Hoofprint is carved in clunch (a soft chalky rock) and located in the south porch of St Michael’s, Bishops Stortford. What is it?

Like other churches dedicated to the warrior saint, St Michael’s is a hilltop church built on a pagan site. The church guide is coy about the carving and describes it as “possibly pagan”. Other views maintain that it is the result of someone sharpening their arrows in the porch! Now, I am not one to see vulvas in every megalithic nook and cranny, but this one look pretty explicit to me. Given the church’s pagan association, could it be a fertility symbol? Ignored and unnoticed – I’d love to bring it out of the closet and would welcome your thoughts.