Devon Folklore - Wistman’s Wood.

The Wisht Hounds…

In the southern English county of Devon lies the mysterious Wistman’s Wood. It is a rare example of a stunted oak forest. With their twisted, moss-covered branches, the trees look like something out of a grim fairy tale. It is thought to date back to the prehistoric era.

Wistman’s Wood lies deep within Dartmoor, a place simply teeming with strange and fearful tales. It is believed that once the woodland spread all over Dartmoor, making it a substantial forest. But the years have seen it greatly reduced in size, and now it covers just over 8 acres of land.

There are a few possible origins for the name Wistman’s Wood. Because of its supposed links to the ancient Druids, its name could come from the Saxon word Witan, which means “wise man” – so it would be “Wise Man’s Wood”. Alternatively, it may derive from the dialect word wisht, meaning eerie/uncanny or pixie-led/haunted.

The Wisht Hounds

Though a lovely place to visit during the hours of daylight, much of the wood’s charm vanishes with the coming of darkness, for it is said that the trees conceal the kennels of the diabolic Wisht Hounds – the very spectral hounds that can be heard running with the Wild Hunt over the lonely moors. Exactly who leads this hunt cannot be agreed upon: some say it is the Devil himself, chasing down lost souls, while others claim it is a spirit of the land called ‘Old Crockern’, who lives nearby on Crockern Tor. Even today, nocturnal travellers report the sounds of baying hounds running through the mist.

Druids

As previously mentioned, Wistman’s Wood has long been associated with the ancient Druids – a class of prehistoric priests who held much sway in ancient Britain. It is thought that they once held their rituals beneath the wood’s moss-covered trees. In a central grove is a large boulder called the Buller Stone (named after 19th-century botanist Wentworth Buller). It is also known as the Druid’s Stone, and folk claim it is where the old-time priests held their most important rituals. Indeed, ghostly figures seen walking amongst the trees are thought to be the restless spirits of Druids – or their sacrificial victims.

Ghosts

Near to the northern side of the wood is the ancient Lych Way, or ‘Way of the Dead’ – a track that was used to carry corpses for burial at Lydford. There have been reports of a ghostly procession of monastic-looking men, dressed in habits, slowly walking past the trees in sombre silence. There is also said to be the ghost of a little dog called ‘Jumbo’ that died when it was bitten by a nesting adder. He has been seen and heard scurrying about the in valley.

Normally, I would encourage people to visit such a beautiful area, but sadly an increase in tourists has seen much damage done to the woodland. It is now advised that people admire the trees from afar and not risk venturing beneath their venerable boughs.

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Stay Spooky my friend.