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Hole of Horcum and the Giant Wade

One of the most well-known local tales surrounds the vast natural hollow of the Hole of Horcum. Legend has it that the Hole was made by a giant called Wade who scooped a lump of earth to throw at his wife Bell during an argument, creating the nearby hill of Blakey...

 Lake Gormire

Lake Gormire – the only natural lake in the North York Moors – is cloaked in mystery with some believing it to be bottomless and others that its dark depths hide a submerged town, the rooftops of which can sometimes supposedly be seen by passing walkers.

The Devil and Sutton Bank

The devil makes an appearance in many tales connected to the dramatic landscape of Sutton Bank, be it racing on horseback along the escarpment edge against a Knight, standing astride the gap between Roulston Scar and Hood Hill (known locally as the Devil’s Leap or...

Traditions of Wells

Yorkshire Legends and Traditions of Wells England Springs and wells of water have, in all lands and in all ages, been greatly valued, and in some regarded with a feeling of veneration little, if at all, short of worship. They have yielded their treasure to the...

Wells

BUTTONS, BRAS AND PINS (The Folklore of British Holy Wells) By Rowan First published at Lughnasa 1996 Our ancestors were much given to undertaking visits and pilgrimages to various wells, springs and other bodies of water which were reputed locally (and in some cases...

Henbane

Henbane is one of the legendary "witch" plants, renowned in folklore for its claimed magickal qualities and it features in many of the recipes for witches' flying ointments which have been preserved in the records of the witch trials in an various other sources. The...

Alder

The alder is a very ancient tree that has grown in the British Isles for thousands of years. The January tree is easily recognized by its regularly spaced branches and its conical shape. Like the willow, it is a water-loving tree. The timber is oily and...

Apple

All apple trees are descended from the crab apple, which was likely the tree mentioned in the tree Ogham, as it grew wild in the British Isles and across much of Europe during the time of the Druids. The apple represents choice and the letter Q (Quert) in the druidic...

Ash

N~Nuin~Ash The ash tree has deeply penetrating roots and tends to sour the soil, which makes it hard for any other plants to grow around it. Its branches are thick and strong . The ash can grow to one hundred and thirty feet high. The March tree has distinctive black...