On this week's episode of Three Ravens, we are chatting all about the history and folklore of Gloucestershire, a county of three halves...

We start off discussing the strange tradition of Penny Loaf Day, born out of premonitory nightmares and 13th century standards of measurement, after which we gallop over to Gloucestershire!

After chatting through some amazing aspects of the county's history, from the Iron Age grave believed to be that of Queen Boadicea to the invention of the lawnmower, the underground tunnels of Gloucester to the terrifying Cotswold Lion, Eleanor throws aside any thoughts of lactose intolerance and gives us perhaps the cheesiest array of County Dish options on record...

Next, we chew over some folklore, including the Coombe Hill Sea Serpent, the county's three giantesses Ystwyth, Hafren, and Gwy, and Pig Face Day, along with some weird cures - all supplemented by some excerpts from next Saturday's Local Legends interview with author, folklorist and storyteller Dr Anthony Nanson, who offers up a spooky Civil War-era ghost story to shiver your timbers...

Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's story "The Fairy Inn of Cam Long Down" in which the path of illicit love risks being knocked off course by a fae maiden in a place out of time...

We really hope you enjoy it, will be back on Thursday with a new Three Ravens Bestiary bonus episode about Trolls and this month's Patreon Exclusive episode - a new Spenser & Associates mystery - all before the full interview with Anthony comes out on Saturday!

The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...

Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.

With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?

Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

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