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Explore - 'folklore'

A map showing the Devil's Churchyard, 1912

The Devil's Churchyard at Checkendon

22 October 2023

Woodland Northeast of Checkendon, South Oxfordshire

Buried in woodland in South Oxfordshire is a heart-shaped earthwork enclosure that for hundreds of years has been known as the Devil's Churchyard.

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Travellers in the snow

Christmas ghosts and talking cats at Idbury Woods

3 February 2023

Unknown woodland near Idbury

Folklorist Katherine Briggs records a strange tale of travellers lost in the snow and harassed by ghosts, who receive assistance from an unusual source!

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A map from 1944 showing Black Jack's Hole

The Legend of Black Jack's Hole

10 January 2023

River Thames between Godstow and Binsey

This bend in the River Thames between Binsey and Godstow is named for a legendary goblin-like figure who was said to lure swimmers to a watery grave!

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The Burford Dragon Ceremony (1980)

Dragon Ceremony at Burford

8 October 2021

Burford

Every midsummer a dragon puppet is paraded through the streets of Burford in a ceremony that dates back over 1200 years.

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Whitsun Ale at Woodstock illustration

Whitsun Ale at Woodstock

19 August 2021

Woodstock

Chaotic scenes and drunken revelry were par for the course on this particularly boozy religious holiday.

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St Mary's Church, Witney

A Monkey at St. Mary's Church

6 August 2021

St. Mary's Church, The Green, Witney

An escaped monkey during a fair inspired this unusual addition to the spire at St. Mary's Church, Witney.

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Gargoyle at St. Mary's Church, Bloxham

The Devil at Bloxham, Adderbury and King's Sutton

2 July 2021

St. Mary's Church, Church Street, Bloxham

The devil is said to have played a part in building the church spires in these three Oxfordshire villages.

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Bampton, Oxfordshire

The Story of Moonraker Lane, Bampton

1 July 2021

Moonraker Lane, Bampton

The curiously named Moonraker Lane harks back to a running joke from the past about mistaking the moon's reflection for a cheese!

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Dorchester Abbey

Saints, Snakes and Bones at Dorchester Abbey

30 May 2021

Dorchester Abbey, High St, Dorchester

After St Birinus was killed by a snake bite, a local legend states that no snake can live within earshot of the bell at Dorchester Abbey.

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The Sandpit, Shotover Country Park

The Giant of Shotover Hill

23 May 2021

Shotover Country Park, Shotover, Oxford

Was Shotover Hill once home to a hill carving fit to rival the Cerne Abbas giant?

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