Somerset's Mysterious Sites -------------Hauntings------------ Sedgemoor The Caractacus Stone Taunton Castle Chilton Cantelo Curry Mallet ---------------Folklore----------- Croydon Hill, Rodhuish Black Down Hills Minehead Creech Hill Nether Stowey Muchelney Abbey Wookey Hole, Somerset Combe Sydenham Shervage Wood ---------------Major Sites----------- Glastonbury ---------------Legends----------- Cadbury Castle Brent Knoll Home Site Map Somerset Map England Map Scotland Map Wales Map Creech Hill The Creech Hill Bullbegger is said to haunt the area, as a tall apparition who laughs manically from the hillside. A Bullbeggar is the local name for a boggart or mischievous spirit. The story goes that a farmer was returning home late one night - no doubt full of local ale - when he came upon a prone figure in the road, being the helping kind he bent down to see what was the matter with the poor chap, but was startled when figure rose up to tower above him. The creature chased the terrified man all the way home. A bullbeggar is another word used for a bogey or boggart in Somerset, those mischievous spirits which were thought to cause mishaps and frighten lonely travellers. The story may be an invention of the 1880's when two crossed bodies were discovered during quarrying activity. The tradition grew up that the area was then haunted by a black dog and by the sound of footsteps following those who walked near the hill. Some sources also suggest that the hill was the site of a pagan temple, which became a Christian shrine during the Dark Age. Map ref: ST 6636 Muchelney Abbey The abbey is associated with a folk tale that has many variations around the country, most notably at Borley, on the site of an old monastery. Basically the tale runs that a man fell in love with the daughter of an important knight, who was against their union and forbade the marriage. The man was heartbroken and became a monk, eventually finding his way to Muchelney, where he became prior. He found that his love had become a nun there, they renewed their relationship and planned to elope together but were betrayed. The prior was sent away to a far off abbey, and the luckless nun was walled up in a secret passage somewhere within the abbey. It is perhaps surprising that there has not been talk of a ghostly nun. Map ref:ST 4325 Directions:On a minor road from the A378, to the North-west of Martock Nether Stowey Nether Stowey has a number of holy wells, and the crossroads at Overstowey is traditionally haunted by a creature known as the Galley Beggar, who laughs demonically at passers by. A Galley Begger is the local name for a frightening spirit.