The Cornish Bird

In this episode we discover the incredible archaeological dig the tiny hamlet of Saveock Water near Chacewater that has revealed bizarre witchcraft/fertility rituals that have been taking place on that site for hundreds of years.

In my 40th episode I uncover the truth behind the secretive religious sect of Jericho Valley, the Brotherhood of the Essenes, who buried their 'King Dog' there in 1969.

Victorian Britain seems to have been a time particularly prone to unusual fads and crazes. One of these, pedestrianism, seems to have led to 'wheelbarrow mania' - that is lots of men pushing barrows for great distances. Meet the Cornishmen taking part (or trying to take part!) in these bonkers endurance walks across the country.

With so many saints in Cornwall to choose from why is St Piran our patron saint and why do we celebrate him on the 5th March each year?

Up until 1923 a granite cross stood beside the road between Mousehole and Paul. This episode looks into the story behind this monument, sketched by the artist Turner, dedicated to an elderly fishwife called Martha Blewett. Why was it erected in the 1790s? And what were the strange circumstances that led to its removal so many years later?

In 1947 John Edward Allen, the "Mad Parson", escaped from Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital and went on the run. Discover how this convicted murderer ended up working as a waiter in a secluded Cornish hotel and how he then remained at large for almost two years . . .

As we head towards Halloween I explore two of my favourite ghost stories from Cornwall, one from Penzance, which is in many ways more of a murder mystery than a spooky tale, and one from Falmouth which is . . . well, just plain bizarre!

In this episode I take you to one of my favourite places on the Cornish coast, a place of beauty and legend and many mysterious tales.

In 1721 the Royal Anne set sail for the Caribbean loaded with wealthy passengers and crew. Sadly however on 10th November she was wrecked near Lizard Point and in the days that followed hundreds of bodies washed up on the coast near Pistil Cove. Since that time dark tales of the events that followed have kept local people away from the spot. But just how true are these macabre tales? . . .

Near the little village of Crowan is Hangman's Barrow, in this episode I uncover how this prehistoric monument came by this unusual name. But be warning it's a dark tale of murder and the cruel consequences of crime!