The Storyteller: Fancy gallivanting with a ghoul?

Regular readers of this column will know that, as part of my Moors and More Tours business, I set up a series of Ghost Walks last year, around various Dartmoor towns and villages.

I started with Princetown, Okehampton, Chagford and Bovey Tracey, and then, last Halloween, I launched one in Ashburton with the help of a local author of murder mysteries, Stephanie Austin.

Earlier this year I set up my own version of the Brixham Harbour Ghost Walk, boldly stepping into the long vacant shoes of Dastardly Dave, who successfully ran it for many years, ably assisted by Loopy Liz and the Black Widow.

Already this has proven to be quite popular, so much so that the plan is to run one a month, alongside my itinerary of Dartmoor walks. With these already under my belt, I’m always looking to expand my repertoire, having my eye on the possibilities that Buckfastleigh, Moretonhampstead and Tavistock have to offer, whilst I’m just starting to put together one for Ivybridge, which will be slightly different from the others, as it involves a walk along the River Erme...

My efforts have caught the imagination of many, some having already attended several different ones throughout my first year of trading. I’ve even got a pair of “Super Fans/stalkers” (sorry Dawn, I couldn’t resist, but I’m very grateful for your continued support!), who have joined me in each location and are looking forward to seeing what tales I’ve uncovered to share in Ivybridge. This new project has been inspired by another couple, Leigh and Ashley (thank you!), who have attended walks in Princetown, the Halloween special in Ashburton, and, more recently, Okehampton.

It was on this walk that they told me they had lived in Ivybridge for many years and were aware of some spooky tales attached to the area. Leigh shared with me details of those he could remember, which straightaway got me interested, as, up to then, the town hadn’t registered on my radar as a possibility, with not many obvious entries in my research books. Inspired by Leigh’s stories, I went home and proceeded to dive deeper into my collection and online, confirming the details already shared and coming up with some others, which nicely illustrates how folklore is ever evolving, even today, depending on which source material you consult.

Thanks to having gathered together such a vast library to dip into, I’ve got the luxury of cherry-picking the best bits so that I can piece together a version that I think my audience will appreciate. This is one of the favourite parts of my job! I can now proceed to whet your appetite with some of the stories I’ve uncovered thus far...

Rising above the Ivybridge skyline is the iconic chimney from Stowford Paper Mill, which has had an interesting history, passing through the hands of many different owners. One of which was John Allen, whose family ran it for over 60 years in the 1800s.

Owning the Stowford estate meant he had the choice of living in the lodge or the magnificent manor house, which, I’ve discovered, has an interesting feature, hopefully still present: a stained glass window depicting Francis Drake being knighted on the deck of the Golden Hind by Elizabeth I after his round-the-world exploits. This begs the question, what’s the connection between previous owners and this piece of history?

Sadly, John’s ownership of the estate ended quite tragically with the untimely death of his beloved wife in 1875, something he never really got over, leading to a steady decline in his health. Further tragedy struck the family in January 1877, when John’s daughter drowned in the mill pond whilst out walking alone. After suffering an epileptic fit, she fell in, with no one around to rescue her. This was too much for John, and he died shortly afterwards.

My research into the house doesn’t suggest that any of the Allen family still haunt the property, but I have unearthed some interesting folkloric anomalies, with some overlapping stories, concerning the estate and, more especially, the stretch of the River Erme below...

It is said that Stowford House was once haunted by a wicked ogre, who was eventually cast out by local priests and condemned to spinning rope out of the sand along the riverbank, where it flows into Stowford Cleeve. On certain nights of the year, when the Erme is in full spate, the sound of the ogre crying “More Rope! More Rope!” can be heard, expressing his frustration with his endless task. As I’ve suggested before, folklore is full of such tales, where particularly wicked people in life are condemned to such eternal tasks in death...and this is where I’ve uncovered a bit of an anomaly in one of my research books.

Finding an entry for Stowford House, I started to add it to my Ivybridge notes when I realised it was referring to a house in the parish of Stowford, which is to the northwest of Dartmoor, but I was intrigued by some of the similarities in the tales...

This Stowford House is allegedly haunted by the ghost of a young heir to the estate who, having been orphaned by the untimely deaths of both his parents in a tragic accident, is subsequently murdered by his wicked uncle in an attempt to claim his inheritance. This terrified spirit has often been witnessed running through the property, fleeing from the murderous clutches of his assassin, screaming “More Rope! More Rope!”...presumably an instruction for how his uncle was to be punished for his evil act!

The same entry suggests the uncle went to wash his hands, after completing the deed, in the woods at Stowford Cleeve, which is definitely along the River Erme, below Ivybridge’s Stowford House...you see the confusion between the two entries? You will be pleased to know that the uncle was eventually brought to justice and spent the rest of his life in an asylum.

One of the stories that Leigh intrigued me with refers to a place called Treneman’s Pool, also situated along the Erme. This takes its name from Tom Treneman (or was it John Trinnaman?), who was one time lord of Stowford Manor, or was he a butler, jealous of the attention a young serving boy was getting from the lady of the house?

Whatever his status, this convoluted story involves the ghost of Tom Treneman, haunting the pool on the Erme that takes his name, condemned to spin rope from sand, and heard to cry...guess what? ”More Rope! More Rope!” Once I’ve unravelled all the facts behind the various stories concerning Stowford and the Erme, I will present them as part of my ghost walk along the river.

Having completed my preliminary research and armed with several intriguing stories, I met up with Leigh and Ashley for Sunday lunch at The Sportsmans Inn in Ivybridge, and afterwards we set off to plot a suitable route for the walk.

Before I launch any of my events, I like to hold a free Evening of Storytelling in a local pub, where, in return for listening to my stories, I encourage the locals to share theirs, in the hope that I might pick up some gems I can use along the planned route.

So, please put this date in your diary: Monday, 23rd June, Midsummer’s Eve, an auspicious day for fairies and pixies and all things folkloric, when I’m inviting people to come and join me at The Sportsmans from 8pm onwards.

Once my research is complete and final route plotted, my Ivybridge Ghost Walk will be launched just before the start of the summer holidays...so please come and join me for that too...if you dare!