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Dartmoor myths and legends

Dartmoor Myths And Legends

There are many legends about Dartmoor, often specific to a particular location. Below are a few of the popular ones summarised. There are countless more, in greater length, and much interesting additional information, at: Legendary Dartmoor

Jay's Grave
Kitty Jay was a quiet, shy girl, a scullery maid at a farm near Manaton, and having been raped by an itinerant labourer, became pregnant. The custom of the time laid the blame firmly on Kitty, and for shame she committed suicide. Suicides were not permitted burial in consecrated ground so Kitty was buried at a cross roads on the edge of the three local parishes. Her grave can be seen to this day, and legend has it that the fresh wild flowers that always adorn it are a gift of the pixies.

The Hounds of the Baskervilles
It is said that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, was inspired to write "The Hound of the Baskervilles" having been told of a seventeenth century local squire from Buckfastleigh called Cabell, whose evil existence was marked at his death by a pack of black hounds running howling across the moor. Cabell is buried in Buckfastleigh, with a precautionary "house" around his coffin, to stop him from riding out with his hounds post mortem!

Bowerman's Nose
'Bowerman the Hunter' was a strong man with a pack of hounds on Dartmoor, who was much liked by the folk but hated by the witches as he mocked them. The witches became enraged and one of the witches turned herself into a hare and led Bowerman and his pack of hounds into a trap. A large group of witches cast a spell of petrification, and Bowerman and his hounds were turned to stone. It is said they come to life on moonless nights!