A Map of Sussex and South Downs Folklore By the Sussex Centre for Folklore, Fairy Tales and Fantasy. With 130+ folktales Based on research by Prof. Jacqueline Simpson. and links to 60+ local walks! APR 11 APR 13 87 89 31 CT DEC JUN O 25 2 27 32 41 MAY MAY JUL 25 35 MAR 16 19 32 27 92 JUL 54 9 NOV JAN 28 JAN 33 DEC 36 3 NOV 3 45 91 86 62 59 38 90 JAN 74 FEB APR OCT 3 5 MAY f OV MAY DEC 11 31 N MAY 24 36 60 21 39 44 DEC 38 22 16 43 88 JAN 30 APR APR 40 29 3 64 JAN 11 15 50 JAN 80 79 3 OCT 71 83 38 3 31 82 1 PR48 APR 49 5 20 A 57 APR MAY NOV EC 11 11 11 D DEC 58 47 85 23 35 d b NOV 42 40 45 52 7 21 11 38 53 77 e DEC 4 41 10 37 MAY 68 APR 76 8 56 NOV MAR 45 65 73 70 12 18 MAR 18 34 69 66 JAN 8 3 15 61 g DEC NOV 13 10 63 1 DEC 28 APR 55 DEC 46 JAN 67 51 DEC 46 33 12 42 45 6 12 39 14 JUN APR JAN 4 NOV MAY 81 45 26 FEB 26 11 2 38 17 19 22 6 FEB 17 24 APR AUG MAY 75 84 9 MAY APR 7 SEP DEC APR c 14 29 20 22 30 23 45 MAY 12 11 78 72 43 a 20 NOV 37 APR 44 DEC 11 APR 45 12 34 Key Bell tale Church foundation Devil Black dogs tales & other beasts How to use this map: 1. Zoom in and click on an icon to be taken Dragons Fairies Gallows and Ghosts other ends to its folktale. Giants and King Arthur National Trail QR Code 2. Clicking on place-names in the folktales ogres scan point APR take you to the location on the map (at Stones Treasure Witches The Turning the top left of your screen). 11 Year Who lived here? APR 11 31 OCT DEC 27 32 41 West Sussex 2 35 MAY 25 32 JUL 19 28 JAN 33 NOV 3 36 APR OCT MAY 11 31 36 DEC JAN 39 24 44 3 16 JAN 40 30 29 JAN 3 JAN 3 OCT 38 3 31 27 Nowhurst: see Alfoldean. Nowhurst Lane, RH12 3PJ, on the West Sussex Literary Trail. 5 1 28 Poling: at the former Preceptory of the Knights Hospitallers, you might hear ghostly 20 organ music and Gregorian chant. (Simpson 2002, 46) Suggested walk. DEC 29 Pulborough: Toat Tower is said to contain a man buried with his horse, both upside d b NOV down. (Simpson 2002, 42) Start at Black Gate Lane. 42 40 7 21 11 38 30 Pulborough Mount/Park Mound: treasure is said to be buried here. (Simpson 2002, 23) A fairy funeral was once seen at this spot. (Simpson 2002, 56) Start at Stopham Road. e DEC 4 41 10 37 31 Rudgwick: see Alfoldean. Suggested walk. MAR 45 8 32 St Leonard’s Forest, nr Horsham: St Leonard lived here and killed a dragon. Wild 18 lilies sprang up where the saint’s blood had dripped, and the nightingales, who had 8 3 15 DEC NOV 13 interrupted his prayers, were silenced. It was believed the woods were full of monstrous DEC 28 snakes, and a nine-foot dragon, or serpent, was seen here in 1614. (Simpson 2002, 31-4) 46 33 JAN 16 East Harting: Mother Digby was a third witch who could turn into a hare. As above, ‘Squire Paulett’ is a headless ghost who would cling to passing horse riders until they 12 39 JUN PR JAN 6 14 A 4 one day a huntsman’s hound bit a hare’s leg, and the next day she was seen with a reached the other side of the forest. (Simpson 2002, 46) 26 26 2 19 11 wounded leg. (Simpson 2002, 67) She lived in Hog’s Lane, now no more. Suggested 33 At Mike Mills’ Race, noted smuggler Mike Mills raced the devil in return for his condemned c PR 22 soul, won and became immortal. (Simpson 2002, 65; Westwood & Simpson 2005, 737) 17 PR 24 A walk. 9 A Suggested walk. DEC 14 17 East Preston: The Roundstone Pub is named after a criminal or suicide who was buried 12 NOV 34 Selsey Bill: the bells of the sunken cathedral of St Wilfred still ring underwater. (Simpson 23 45 MAY at a crossroads under a millstone with the stake put through the millstone’s hole. a 37 (Simpson 2002, 44) 2002, 20) Start at East Beach car park. 20 18 Harrow Hill, nr Patching: the last home of the fairies in England. (Simpson 2002, 56) 35 Slinfold bell: see Alfoldean. Suggested walk. Suggested walk. 36 Stedham: An old woman here could stop carters’ wagons, until the carters cut or 19 Highdown Hill, nr Worthing: John Oliver built his tomb, the Miller’s Tomb, while he was flogged the wheels, which cut the woman’s hands; she herself admitted this to the still alive and is said to be buried in it upside down so as to be the right way up when carters. (Simpson 2002, 69) Start at Elsted Road car park. the world ends and everything is topsy-turvy. He meditated by it every day and also 37 Steyning: St Cuthman pushed his mother in a wheelbarrow from Devon to Sussex kept a coffin under his bed. It is thought he was a smuggler: he ‘meditated’ on the hill looking for a heavenly sign to build a church; his wheelbarrow broke at this spot. 7 Bow Hill: if you run around the Devil’s Humps six times you will summon the devil. as a look-out, used his mill to send signals, and kept contraband in the coffin. If you run (Simpson 2002, 17) Suggested walk. (Simpson 2002, 63) Suggested walk. round it seven times, his ghost will jump out and chase you. The verses on the tomb are 38 Telegraph Hill, nr Compton: Bevis’s Thumb, a fine prehistoric long barrow named after 34 8 Bramber: ghostly children begging are Baron William de Braose’s grandchildren, starved a code telling where smuggler’s treasure is buried. (Simpson 2002, 41-3; Westwood & the Sussex giant, is here. (Simpson 2002, 28) Suggested walk (pdf). to death while held hostage at Windsor by King John. (Simpson 2002, 46) Suggested Simpson 2005, 731) Suggested walk. 39 Torberry/Tarberry Hill, nr South Harting: There’s treasure here: Who knows what walk. 20 Hurstpierpoint: in the 18th century Nanny Smart, a witch, could not die until she had Tarberry would bear/Would [or Must] plough it with a golden share. (Simpson 2002, 23) 9 Broadwater, Worthing: if you run around the oldest tomb in the churchyard, the devil sold her life’s secrets. A man from Cuckfield, named Old Hockland, bought them for a The fairies can be seen dancing here on Midsummer’s Eve. (Simpson 2002, 56) will jump out. (Simpson 2002, 64) ha’penny, and she died in a blue flame. (Simpson 2002, 73) Suggested walk. This hill was formed when the Devil burnt his lips supping from the Devil’s Punch Bowl 1 Albourne: Dame Prettylegs was a witch who ‘hag-rode’ horses all night, leaving them Near Broadwater, skeletons jumped up from around a certain oak tree’s roots at midnight 21 Kingley Vale: the Kings’ Graves or Devil’s Humps are claimed to be the tombs of Viking in Surrey and threw his spoon away. (Simpson 2002, 59) Start at South Harting village; exhausted. But she was married to a smuggler, so it might have been he who was on Midsummer’s Eve (see calendar) and danced around it till dawn. (Simpson 2002, leaders buried in 894; the yews mark the battlefield site. The woods are haunted by follow O.S. map to hill. borrowing them. (Simpson 2002, 70; Westwood & Westwood & Simpson 2005, 722) 124) The Worthing Heritage Alliance gives the location of the tree on its Broadwater these Vikings, or by druids, or the trees themselves come to life and move around. 40 Treyford Hill: the Devil’s Jumps were used by the devil to jump over, which annoyed Suggested walk. Heritage Trail pdf. (Simpson 2002, 45) Suggested walk. Thor, who threw his hammer at him. The devil ran away but his jumps are still there. 2 Alfoldean: a bell lies here under a swamp, and can only be raised by a team of white 10 Burpham: A plaque reading ‘J.U. 1771’ locates the gallows where Jack Upperton was hanged 22 Kingston by Sea: the tree by the old Rectory has a man buried under its roots with (Simpson 2002, 58-9) Start by Monkton House (private property). oxen in silence. (Simpson 2002, 20-1) Suggested walk (pdf). for robbing a post-boy. Said to be haunted by him still, although the only tales are of locals a dagger through his heart. If you run around the tree you can summon the devil. 41 Trundle: Aaron’s Golden Calf or a mass of Viking treasure is said to be buried here, with 3 Arundel: Bevis of Hampton was a giant who guarded the gates for the Earls of Arundel, scaring London tourists by pretending to be him. (Hare 2001, 20-3) See on map. (Simpson 2002, 63) See on Google maps.