Whilst writing last week on Camden Town Underground station, I remembered one of the most notorious residents of Camden who happened to live almost on top of where the Underground station is today. The Old Mother Red Cap, Camden. since renamed ‘The World’s End’ in 1985. There has been an inn on this site since… Continue reading Old Mother Red Cap… when the Devil came to Camden.
Tag: Legends
The Devils Bridge in Spooky Lane, Hertfordshire
Not far from me out in the Hertfordshire countryside is a sunken Roman road, now sided by old trees with tentacle-like roots that top the high brick and flint walls as if they are climbing out of the road. Along the old holloway is a hidden bridge known by locals as the “Devil’s Bridge on… Continue reading The Devils Bridge in Spooky Lane, Hertfordshire
Visiting the table of King Arthur and his Knights at the Great Hall in Winchester
Have you ever wanted to visit Camelot? It can be rather tricky given no-one is quite sure where it existed or even if it existed at all. One of the contenders for Camelot is Winchester to whatever degree King Arthur can be said to be an historical figure or a mythical legend, a visit to… Continue reading Visiting the table of King Arthur and his Knights at the Great Hall in Winchester
The death and resurrection of Margorie McCall
If you’re anything like me then there is nothing that quite tickles your fancy like a historic ‘resurrection’ story. This one took place in Ireland in 1705 when after succumbing to a fever Margorie McCall was hastily buried to prevent the spread of whatever had sent her to her maker. Margorie was buried with… Continue reading The death and resurrection of Margorie McCall
The Legend of Mary Overie
Everyone knows of that famous old miser Ebenezer Scrooge in the the literature of Charles Dickens but right in the heart of one the most Dickensian feeling part of Central London there is a story that predates Ebenezer by 1,000 years and is largely unknown by everyone except for a few hardy visitors to explore… Continue reading The Legend of Mary Overie
Dragons Hill – Where Saint George killed that dragon!
We’re nearing the end of my series of posts set on and around Whitehorse Hill and the Ridgeway. It would be easy to think that surely there is nothing else to see within the short walk of the car park here but incredibly there is still more and if we have already visited the smith… Continue reading Dragons Hill – Where Saint George killed that dragon!
The Legend of Jack O’ Legs – Hertfordshire’s answer to Robin Hood!
We all know the story of Robin Hood, Little John and the others in Sherwood Forest but where I live we have a similarly motivated though perhaps less successful and well-know figure and his name is Jack O’Legs who also stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Jack lived in a cave near the… Continue reading The Legend of Jack O’ Legs – Hertfordshire’s answer to Robin Hood!
The Fig Tree Tomb of Watford
Last week whilst on a little diversion in my local town, I took the time to visit the beautiful and ancient St Marys Church. It is the oldest building in Watford and in truth following decades of wanton destruction by the local authorities, one of only a handful of interesting buildings in town. Whilst walking… Continue reading The Fig Tree Tomb of Watford
The Tintagel Bridge over the troubled waters of King Arthur
There are few places in the world where history and legend intermix so thoroughly and so naturally as at Tintagel in Cornwall. Following the retreat of the Romans from Britannia, from about the 5th to the 7th century AD it was an important stronghold, and probably a residence of rulers of Cornwall. Many fragments of… Continue reading The Tintagel Bridge over the troubled waters of King Arthur
The tragic tale of Gelert the trusted hound of King Llwelyn The Great
These days people travel to Snowdonia in North West Wales for the incredible old castles and villages and particularly the rugged, wild landscapes and outdoor pursuits. It was a lot different in the thirteen-century when as with much of Britain and indeed the world, anywhere outside the city walls was seen to be a devilishly… Continue reading The tragic tale of Gelert the trusted hound of King Llwelyn The Great
Stephen Liddell 