When you have a county that’s peppered with wild, moody moors, ancient market towns, crumbling castles and rugged coastlines, it’s not surprising that Devon comes jam-packed with tales of hauntings, eerie events, and downright odd traditions.
From the north coast to the south, from deepest Dartmoor to the swirling River Exe, you can’t move for strange tales, whether it’s vengeful ghosts, magical creatures running amok, or the Devil himself turning up to cause mayhem. Here’s a selection of our favourite magical myths and legends from around Devon – best to be read on a dark, stormy night…
The Beast of Exmoor
More of a modern-day myth, sightings of this huge, dark cat-like creature roaming Exmoor only date back as far as the 1970s. Spotted by lots of witnesses who reported seeing an agile, feline shape jumping fences over two meters high, it became more well-known after a farmer in South Molton lost over 100 sheep in a relatively short time during the 1980s, and he claimed that it was the beast that killed them. One of those fascinating cryptozoological stories, there’s never been any concrete proof of this mythical, panther-like beast, which is said to have roamed across the whole of Exmoor, through Devon and neighbouring Somerset. Of course, the rumour mill suggested it was an escaped exotic pet (such as a cougar or black leopard), but the average lifespan of such a creature is just 14 years, so it’s unlikely to be a single, escaped pet. Whatever you think, there are over 250 miles of Exmoor to hide in…
Devonshire pixies
Said to live primarily in the region of Devon and Cornwall, pixies are generally considered to be very small and harmless, as long as you treat them with respect. If you don’t? Well, expect mischief and mayhem as they don’t deal very well with being offended. They’re good at leading unwary folks astray (especially on the wild and woolly moors), and enjoy getting people lost. Bizarrely, the cure-all for repelling a pixie’s mischief is to turn your coat inside out! In the market town of Tavistock, pixies are held in high regard, and they even hold an annual Pixie Day in honour of when the little folk helped to hide a family from the parliamentarians during the Civil War. Meanwhile, in Ottery St Mary, it's said that the town was once occupied by pixies, who were only driven out by Christian folk moving in.
The Devil's footprints
After a snowy night, the residents of either side of the River Exe woke up on the 8th of February 1855 to a most peculiar, spine-chilling sight. Stepping outside, people discovered cloven hoof prints blighting the otherwise pristine snow. Not unusual, you may think, being home to sheep and cattle. These footprints, however, travelled over haystacks, through walls, across the river and strangest of all over rooftops and up drainpipes and even up to people’s front doors. Odder still, the cloven prints were more like something on two feet rather than four, and ranged from an inch to two and a half inches across, and also passed down completely through the snow to the ground, leaving religious folk believing that it was the Devil’s red-hot hooves branding the snow as he passed through. Contemplated and discussed for centuries, with theories ranging from an errant air balloon trailing its mooring behind it to an escaped kangaroo from a private zoo near Sidmouth, no conclusive answer has ever been found, leaving it a mystery forever.
Devil’s Rock, Dartmoor
Naughty Old Nick is at it again, disrupting the lives of the good people of Devon, this time at the Dewerstone, or Devil’s Rock, which overlooks the River Plym on the southwestern edge of Dartmoor. The site of an Iron Age fort, ‘Dewer’ is an old Celtic word meaning devil, and it was believed that the Devil would jump on his big black steed and gallop around the moors with his pack of hounds, looking for unaware and lost travellers to chase down and torment, before pushing them over the Dewerstone. Were the cloven tracks that of the devil, or did they belong to the many grazing cattle across Dartmoor… we may never know…
Brentor Church and the Devil, Dartmoor
Possibly, one of the most iconic silhouettes in Devon, the pretty church of St Michael perches high atop the craggy outcrop of Brentor in West Devon. What is actually an extinct volcano, the legend goes that the devil lived beneath the great rock, and was furious when a church was planned to be built on top. Once building commenced, it was said that Old Nick popped up every night to take down the foundations, only for the devout locals to start building again the next day. Eventually, the church was completed and out popped the Devil, furiously stamping his hooves at the Bishop of Exeter, who had come to open the church. At that moment, the Archangel Michael appeared and threw a huge boulder onto the Devil, crushing him instantly. The boulder is still visible today as you make your way up to the church. Unsurprisingly, the church was named after the angel in his honour.
The Three Crowns, Chagford
Dating back to the 13th century, the ancient Three Crowns Hotel in the pretty Dartmoor town of Chagford is brimming with character. Stepping through the door is like stepping back in time with its huge fireplace, dark beams, and yes, occasional ghost. A young poet by the name of Sidney Godolphin, who was a Royalist during the Civil War, was mortally wounded by musket fire during a skirmish and passed away on the doorstep. As the years have gone on, his forlorn ghostly figure has been seen wandering the halls, handsome in full Cavalier dress, to disappear through the thick granite walls. Some witnesses have even reported that Sidney’s ghost, on startling them, fixes them with a glum look before moving on. So when you pay a visit to Chagford, maybe pop in to The Three Crowns for a drink and keep an eye out for the ghostly Cavalier.
Berry Pomeroy Castle, Totnes
Dating from the 15th century, the impressive Berry Pomeroy Castle near Totnes was the home of a powerful family who arrived in Devon during the Norman Conquest. With a rich and rather gruesome history, the castle came to a dramatic end when it was struck by lightning in 1685 and fell into ruin. With several ghosts said to reside here, its most well-known ones include the Blue Lady, who is considered a portent of death if spotted. Meanwhile, the castle’s most notorious occupant, the truly wicked Eleanor Pomeroy, is not the ghost but rather is that of her sister, the doomed Margaret Pomeroy, whom Eleanor imprisoned and starved to death due to both being in love with the same man. Forced to haunt the tower in which she was incarcerated, visitors have felt a terrible sense of foreboding when within its crumbling walls.
Cutty Dyer, Ashburton
Gruesome Cutty Dyre is known by some to be a water sprite, and to others an ogre. However you see him, his home is undoubtedly the River Yeo (or Ashburn as it’s now known). Said to lure naughty children into the icy waters, his favourite haunt was said to be the King’s Bridge in Ashburton. It could be that old Cutty Dyer was just an old tale told by parents to their children as a warning not to venture near the river after dark, but maybe it’s best not to take the chance, just in case…
Crazywell Pool, Dartmoor
Lurking beneath Cramber Tor, north of Devonport Leat, Crazywell Pool is a glimmering dark lake whose waters are said to be bottomless. Well-hidden and one of the largest pools on Dartmoor, it’s unsurprisingly surrounded by superstition. According to locals, swimming in the deep waters can turn you mad (hence the name, one supposes). It is also said that the parishioners of Walkhampton and Sheepstor, keen to know the exact depth of the lake, tied their church bells to ropes and let them drop into the pool to measure the distance, and at 500 feet, they still didn’t reach the bottom. If this wasn’t enough, Crazywell Pool is also the supposed residence of the Witch of Sheepstor, who would give bad advice to anyone who consulted her. Today, the pool is a popular spot for wild swimming, making it the perfect place to refresh during your moorland adventure.
The Ghost of Okehampton Castle
Okehampton Castle has a rather uneventful history as far as castles go, instead gaining notoriety through its deceased resident. Lady Howard (either Lady Mary, who decided to disinherit her children, or Lady Frances, who supposedly poisoned four of her husbands), in death, was made to pay penance for her crimes in life. She does this by travelling across Dartmoor every night in a horse-drawn carriage made from bones (apparently belonging to her dead husbands), accompanied by a huge black dog with red eyes, picking a single blade of grass each night from the castle grounds. Only after she’s removed all of the grass will her spirit find peace.
Feeling inspired to walk in the steps of myth and legend? Take a look at our stunning holiday cottages in Devon and start planning your next getaway today.
