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| Six of the best National Trust walks | Six of the best National Trust walks |
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| Walk anywhere in the British Isles and you're never far away from a place of legend. Stop to look and you may notice that hunched outcrop on the hilltop, those ancient stones in the valley below or that ruined building on the promontory ahead. You may not know it, but you'll sense it. There's more to this place than meets the eye. The land has memories to share – if only you knew what they were. | Walk anywhere in the British Isles and you're never far away from a place of legend. Stop to look and you may notice that hunched outcrop on the hilltop, those ancient stones in the valley below or that ruined building on the promontory ahead. You may not know it, but you'll sense it. There's more to this place than meets the eye. The land has memories to share – if only you knew what they were. |
| Now, across different parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you can discover some of these memories through stories. Myths and local legends are many and varied but they all help to bring the landscape to life – by connecting us with the deep or recent past, by seeking to explain natural and man-made features or conveying to us the customs and concerns of our forebears. Whether entertaining, enlightening, frivolous or frightening, such stories are imaginative pathways from past to present, into the future. | Now, across different parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you can discover some of these memories through stories. Myths and local legends are many and varied but they all help to bring the landscape to life – by connecting us with the deep or recent past, by seeking to explain natural and man-made features or conveying to us the customs and concerns of our forebears. Whether entertaining, enlightening, frivolous or frightening, such stories are imaginative pathways from past to present, into the future. |
| Many myths and legends are centuries old, passed on from one generation to the next by word of mouth before taking on a later, literary guise. Stories are living things, changing with each new transmission between teller and listener, fitting new contexts and making a renewed sense of place, people and events. After you hear a memorable story about a place, you'll view it differently, and in turn you can help to keep that story alive by telling it to your family and friends. | Many myths and legends are centuries old, passed on from one generation to the next by word of mouth before taking on a later, literary guise. Stories are living things, changing with each new transmission between teller and listener, fitting new contexts and making a renewed sense of place, people and events. After you hear a memorable story about a place, you'll view it differently, and in turn you can help to keep that story alive by telling it to your family and friends. |
| The walks listed below are just a few selected by the National Trust to give you a sense of the folklore you can discover while enjoying their properties. And, of course, whether myth or legend, history or memory, at some deep level and in some poetic way, all these stories are true. | The walks listed below are just a few selected by the National Trust to give you a sense of the folklore you can discover while enjoying their properties. And, of course, whether myth or legend, history or memory, at some deep level and in some poetic way, all these stories are true. |
| 1. Discover Devil's Dyke histories and mysteries walk | 1. Discover Devil's Dyke histories and mysteries walk |
| Devil's Dyke is in West Sussex, just outside of Brighton. Legend has it that the devil got so annoyed at all the churches springing up in the Weald of Sussex that he decided to dig a channel (dyke) through the South Downs to let in the sea water and drown the population of the Weald. One night he started digging near Poynings, throwing clumps of earth around that landed and became such features as Chanctonbury Ring, Cissbury Ring, Rackham Hill, Mount Caburn. Fortunately, an old woman saw the devil in his work and held up a candle and in doing so knocked a cockerel off his perch. The devil hearing the cockerel crowing and seeing the light, which he mistook for the sun rising, fled the scene, and the job of digging a huge dyke was left half done. The ditch he managed to dig in the South Downs is now known as Devil's Dyke. Two ancient earthworks at the northern entrance to the dyke, most probably ox stalls like those found north of Mount Caburn, are known as the Devil's Grave and the Devil's Wife's Grave. Some say that the devil was buried there when the fake light caused him to perish. And if you run around the Devil's Grave seven times holding your breath, the devil is said to appear. | Devil's Dyke is in West Sussex, just outside of Brighton. Legend has it that the devil got so annoyed at all the churches springing up in the Weald of Sussex that he decided to dig a channel (dyke) through the South Downs to let in the sea water and drown the population of the Weald. One night he started digging near Poynings, throwing clumps of earth around that landed and became such features as Chanctonbury Ring, Cissbury Ring, Rackham Hill, Mount Caburn. Fortunately, an old woman saw the devil in his work and held up a candle and in doing so knocked a cockerel off his perch. The devil hearing the cockerel crowing and seeing the light, which he mistook for the sun rising, fled the scene, and the job of digging a huge dyke was left half done. The ditch he managed to dig in the South Downs is now known as Devil's Dyke. Two ancient earthworks at the northern entrance to the dyke, most probably ox stalls like those found north of Mount Caburn, are known as the Devil's Grave and the Devil's Wife's Grave. Some say that the devil was buried there when the fake light caused him to perish. And if you run around the Devil's Grave seven times holding your breath, the devil is said to appear. |
| 2. Blickling Mausoleum walk | 2. Blickling Mausoleum walk |
| Come and witness Blickling Hall's ghostly goings on. It's said that Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was beheaded in 1536 as she was unable to provide Henry with a son. Unlike most ghosts who haunt a particular locality, Anne Boleyn's ghost is thought to haunt a number of locations throughout the UK, including the grounds of Blickling. She is often seen dressed all in white, seated in a ghostly carriage that is drawn by headless horses and pulled by a headless coachman. Anne is also headless, holding her head securely in her lap – so keep a look out on this walk. On arrival at Blickling Hall, the coach and driver vanish leaving the headless Anne to glide along into Blickling Hall where she roams the corridors and rooms until day break. | Come and witness Blickling Hall's ghostly goings on. It's said that Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was beheaded in 1536 as she was unable to provide Henry with a son. Unlike most ghosts who haunt a particular locality, Anne Boleyn's ghost is thought to haunt a number of locations throughout the UK, including the grounds of Blickling. She is often seen dressed all in white, seated in a ghostly carriage that is drawn by headless horses and pulled by a headless coachman. Anne is also headless, holding her head securely in her lap – so keep a look out on this walk. On arrival at Blickling Hall, the coach and driver vanish leaving the headless Anne to glide along into Blickling Hall where she roams the corridors and rooms until day break. |
| 3. Gelert's grave walk, Beddgelert | 3. Gelert's grave walk, Beddgelert |
| According to legend, in the Snowdonia national park, the stone monument in the fields marks the resting place of Gelert, the faithful hound of the Welsh prince, Llywelyn the Great. | According to legend, in the Snowdonia national park, the stone monument in the fields marks the resting place of Gelert, the faithful hound of the Welsh prince, Llywelyn the Great. |
| The story, as written on the tombstone, reads that in the 13th century, Llywelyn, prince of North Wales, had a palace at Beddgelert. One day, he went hunting without Gelert, who was unaccountably absent. On Llywelyn's return, the truant, stained and smeared with blood, joyfully sprang to meet his master. The prince, alarmed, hastened to find his son, and saw the infant's cot empty, the bedclothes and floor covered with blood. | The story, as written on the tombstone, reads that in the 13th century, Llywelyn, prince of North Wales, had a palace at Beddgelert. One day, he went hunting without Gelert, who was unaccountably absent. On Llywelyn's return, the truant, stained and smeared with blood, joyfully sprang to meet his master. The prince, alarmed, hastened to find his son, and saw the infant's cot empty, the bedclothes and floor covered with blood. |
| The frantic father plunged his sword into the hound's side, thinking it had killed his heir. The dog's dying yell was answered by a child's cry. Llywelyn searched and discovered his boy unharmed, but nearby was the body of a mighty wolf, which Gelert had slain. The prince, filled with remorse, is said never to have smiled again. Along this walk, you will see the birthplace of Gelert. | The frantic father plunged his sword into the hound's side, thinking it had killed his heir. The dog's dying yell was answered by a child's cry. Llywelyn searched and discovered his boy unharmed, but nearby was the body of a mighty wolf, which Gelert had slain. The prince, filled with remorse, is said never to have smiled again. Along this walk, you will see the birthplace of Gelert. |
| 4. Lambton Worm walk, Penshaw Monument | 4. Lambton Worm walk, Penshaw Monument |
| Once, a family named the Lambtons lived in a castle. One Sunday, the youngest Lambton went fishing. Having caught nothing all day, he cursed the river with venom. He suddenly felt a tug on his line and pulled in a strange black worm. En route back to his castle, he decided to drop the worm into the village well. | Once, a family named the Lambtons lived in a castle. One Sunday, the youngest Lambton went fishing. Having caught nothing all day, he cursed the river with venom. He suddenly felt a tug on his line and pulled in a strange black worm. En route back to his castle, he decided to drop the worm into the village well. |
| Over the years, the worm grew in the well. The well made the villagers ill. One morning, they awoke to find a fully matured dragon. The young Lambton concluded that the dragon was the same worm that he had thrown into the well. He planned to summon the dragon by blowing his horn. He was informed that the price he must pay was to take the life of the first thing he saw once the dragon had been killed. Failure to do this would result in a curse on himself and his family for nine generations. | Over the years, the worm grew in the well. The well made the villagers ill. One morning, they awoke to find a fully matured dragon. The young Lambton concluded that the dragon was the same worm that he had thrown into the well. He planned to summon the dragon by blowing his horn. He was informed that the price he must pay was to take the life of the first thing he saw once the dragon had been killed. Failure to do this would result in a curse on himself and his family for nine generations. |
| At sunrise, the young lord warned villagers to stay out of sight until the task was over. He blew on his horn to summon the dragon and successfully cut off the dragon's head with his sword. His father then ran out to greet him in joy, having forgotten his son's warning that he must kill the first thing he saw. Despite the rule, the young lord found that he could not kill his father. And so the curse was not averted. For nine generations, the Lambton lords did not die quietly. | At sunrise, the young lord warned villagers to stay out of sight until the task was over. He blew on his horn to summon the dragon and successfully cut off the dragon's head with his sword. His father then ran out to greet him in joy, having forgotten his son's warning that he must kill the first thing he saw. Despite the rule, the young lord found that he could not kill his father. And so the curse was not averted. For nine generations, the Lambton lords did not die quietly. |
| 5. Black Mountain walk, Antrim, Northern Ireland | 5. Black Mountain walk, Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| A man called Patrick was brought to Antrim and sold to a local landowner as a slave who made him work as a shepherd. For six years, Patrick lived within the mountains with only sheep for company. The land was bleak and the conditions were tough, but Patrick found solace in the faith that his people had abandoned. | A man called Patrick was brought to Antrim and sold to a local landowner as a slave who made him work as a shepherd. For six years, Patrick lived within the mountains with only sheep for company. The land was bleak and the conditions were tough, but Patrick found solace in the faith that his people had abandoned. |
| One night he heard a voice calling him, informing him that the time had come for him to escape. It said, "Your ship is ready." Patrick knew he had to travel south to seek the ship the voice had told him of. He travelled for over 200 miles until he came to Wexford, where a boat heading for Britain was awaiting him. | One night he heard a voice calling him, informing him that the time had come for him to escape. It said, "Your ship is ready." Patrick knew he had to travel south to seek the ship the voice had told him of. He travelled for over 200 miles until he came to Wexford, where a boat heading for Britain was awaiting him. |
| 6. Discovering Dewerstone Wood walk, Devon | 6. Discovering Dewerstone Wood walk, Devon |
| This huge crag is named after Dewer, the dreaded Wisht Huntsman, aka satan. Not only does Dewer terrorise the moor at night as he hunts with his dreaded pack of phantom hounds, but also he haunts the lofty heights of the Dewerstone. | This huge crag is named after Dewer, the dreaded Wisht Huntsman, aka satan. Not only does Dewer terrorise the moor at night as he hunts with his dreaded pack of phantom hounds, but also he haunts the lofty heights of the Dewerstone. |
| Appearing as a tall figure dressed in satanic black, he would lure or chase poor, unsuspecting travellers to the highest crag and then disappear, leaving them to fall to their deaths straight into the waiting jaws of his spectral hounds below. It is said that following a deep snow many years ago, the traces of a cloven hoof alongside a human footprint were found leading up to the highest summit of the rock. As mentioned in the descriptions above, the crag was supposed to have been the location of a golden eagle's eerie sometime in the past, a fact borne out by the edge of the crag being known as Eagle Rock. | Appearing as a tall figure dressed in satanic black, he would lure or chase poor, unsuspecting travellers to the highest crag and then disappear, leaving them to fall to their deaths straight into the waiting jaws of his spectral hounds below. It is said that following a deep snow many years ago, the traces of a cloven hoof alongside a human footprint were found leading up to the highest summit of the rock. As mentioned in the descriptions above, the crag was supposed to have been the location of a golden eagle's eerie sometime in the past, a fact borne out by the edge of the crag being known as Eagle Rock. |
| • For details of the National Trust's Great British Walks, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/activities/walking/walking-festival | • For details of the National Trust's Great British Walks, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/activities/walking/walking-festival |
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