Devonshire Folk Tales

Michael Dacre’s collection brings together thirty tales rooted in Devonshire folklore, local tradition and the county’s long history. Some were gathered from residents, while others have developed through repeated tellings, giving the book the feel of an orally shared tradition rather than a formal catalogue of belief.

The stories range widely, from the legendary founding of Totnes by Brute the Trojan to reports of haunted roads and phantom hairy hands. Giants, devils, witches, ghosts, fairies and spectral black dogs all appear, alongside accounts shaped by Devon’s places, landscapes and memories. Together, the tales present a lively record of how the county’s stories have been told, adapted and preserved.