There is an abundance of nocturnal wildlife, so it’s no wonder autumn and winter stir up a swirling cauldron of myths, legends, and folklore.
For Halloween 2022, the National Park’s very own storyteller Dawn Nelson shares ten intriguing tales.
Dawn, who is place and interpretation officer for the National Park, said: “Beneath the rolling downs, misty woods and ancient barrows are layers of voices. Humans are storytelling animals and the history of the landscape is woven into some really weird and wonderful stories.
“Our brains are geared to recognise the patterns and rhythms within stories and folktales which can help us to connect with the amazing heritage and nature in the South Downs.
“A big part of our work at the National Park Authority is connecting people to place and folklore is a great place to start. These local legends certainly add to the magic of the beautiful landscape, so I would encourage people to get out and explore this autumn and winter.”
1. South Downs storyteller
Dawn Nelson Photo: contrib
2. Kingley Vale, West Sussex
Who or what lies beneath Kingley Vale? A special place of Bronze Age burial mounds and Iron Age camps, tales of hauntings in the dark and silent grove of ancient yews will come as no surprise to those who know this spot. Stories tell of the Kings’ Graves or Devil’s Humps as the tombs of Viking leaders buried in 894, with the yews marking the battlefield site, stained red with the blood of dead warriors. Legend has it that the woods are haunted by these Vikings, while one story suggests that the gnarled trees transform into human forms at moonlight. Photo: Chris Doyle Prints
3. Owslebury, Hampshire
Marwell Hall is one of the locations of the “Mistletoe Bride” legend. A bride goes missing on her wedding night while playing hide and seek and when the wedding guests could not find her they thought she must have run away, fleeing her new husband. In truth she became stuck in a chest and could not get out, starved to death and died. She now haunts the hall. Photo: contrib
4. Racton Ruins, West Sussex
Completed in the 1770s, and arguably one of the “spookiest” places in Sussex, there have been reports of paranormal activity at the isolated folly, including bricks being thrown from the top of the tower. According to local legend, , there is a "ghost tractor" in the fields that comes right up to you then disappears. Photo: contrib