October 31, 2024
There is barely a town or village in the UK that does not have some local legends of spooky happenings, and Exeter is no exception. Even close to Avalon’s headquarters here on the Quay there are tales of spectral residents, such as the little girl who appears on Christmas Eve at The Prospect with her rag doll.
However, many of these captivating stories appear to originate in the late 18th and 19th centuries, when there was a popular fascination with spooky tales and gothic literature was hugely popular. This also coincides with the rise of tourism and many a tall tale has been found to originate from enterprising hotel owners or inn keepers who were looking for a way to capture the imagination of prospective clients.
The story of Gelert of Beddgelert in Wales is one such story, evoking a harrowing story of a faithful dog from a by gone era when wolves still roamed Wales. The tale attracted visitors who came to see Gelerts grave which was built by the landlord of the Goat Hotel in the late 18th century. In Exeter this same desire to attract tourists is often linked to Francis Drake, who is said to have frequented Mols Coffee House, (which Avalon recently helped to renovate) & The Ship Inn. The story goes that Drake, Raleigh and others met at Mols to plan their attack on the Spanish Armada. This association however appears to have started in the mid 19th century when the then owner of Mols, Thomas Burnett Worth, wanted to attract more clients.
How many of these ghostly stories are pure constructs of the 18th/19th century is not clear, however some ghost stories have origins from much earlier. One such story which we encountered on a recent project near Buckfastleigh, concerns the Ghost of Richard Cabell (1621 – 1677) who is purported to be forever chased by the wild hunt across the surrounding Moors. The myth is supposed to have inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles. However, as with Drake, this myth seems to have developed in the 19th century and may also have been inspired by the rather unusual tomb, the Sepulchre, in Holy Trinity Church, Buckfastleigh, which looks like it was designed to keep something from getting out!
These somewhat false origins of these ghost have not dampened popular imagination and sightings of the Christmas eve girl ghost of The Prospect and Cabells baying hounds continue to this day. Perhaps have a wonder around the Cathedral Green on All Hallows Eve and you might just see the headless monk, a mysterious nun or even a three headed being!