Folklore - Horror in the Ancient Woodland.

The Beast reveals itself….

The United Kingdom classifies Ancient Woodland as: Any that has existed continuously since before the 15th Century.  Woodland planting was not done prior to that date, so a wood that was present in the 1600’s was more than likely to have developed naturally.

The Forest of Dean is one of the few surviving areas of ancient woodland in England, it is located in the county of Gloucestershire, in the South West of the country, and was the second largest Royal Forest (or Kingswood) in the land. A Royal Forest was a special area set aside for the hunting privileges of royalty during the medieval period. But there was one beast in The Forest that struck terror into knight and commoner alike.

The Beast of Dean.

The first reports of the beast can be traced back in folklore to the 18th and 19th century, with local people describing it as a cross between a giant boar and a moose, it was believed to possess great tusks and huge branching antlers, and is alleged to have been so powerful that it was more than capable of toppling trees and forcing passage through the thickest of hedgerows.

There have been several attempts to hunt and capture this terrifying beastie, the first of which occurred in the early 19th Century, when folk from the local village of Parkend bravely undertook an expedition into the woodland to track down, and capture, or kill the monster. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately from the creatures point of view, they were unsuccessful, and the beast managed to elude them.

Modern Encounters

There are still strange encounters reported in the forest. Back in 1995 a group of ramblers reported encountering a large three toed foot print, found in the wet ground. It was claimed to be 8 inches in length and 6 inches in width. The ramblers took photographs of the print and reported their discovery to the local authorities and newspapers. Copies of these photographs have sadly been lost.

In 2019 a group of teenagers reported encountering the monster while on a camping trip, they described the beast as being over 6 feet in length and with dark brown shaggy fur, it so scared them that they abandoned their trip and fled the area.

In modern times boars have been reintroduced into the forest and can be seen scavenging for food, particularly in the autumn time, and whilst British boars can be dangerous, and thus should not be approached, they do not grow over 6 feet in length.

I would urge you not to be deterred by the this terribly beastie or even it smaller cousins the wild boar. The Forest of Dean is a beautiful area, and definitely worth a visit, just remember to keep your eyes peeled for anything… unusual.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog my friend.

 Until next time, stay spooky.