Hidden East Anglia:

Landscape Legends of Norfolk & Suffolk

Home

Gazetteer

Landscape Features

Themes

Dilham:

Seagar-ma-hole

Somewhere in or near the village is said to be a large and very deep pit known locally as ' Seagar-ma-hole', which swallowed up several oxen. Centuries ago, a church which stood here is supposed to have sunk into the hole, for which another name is the ' Fairies' Bay'.

Source:

'Norfolk Archaeology' Vol.2 (1849), p.305.

Diss:

Diss Mere

There was an old tradition that the six acre Diss Mere (TM116798) is the crater of an extinct volcano. It was said to be bottomless, and purged itself once a year, stinking horribly (though actually it's about 60 feet deep and mostly mud).

Source:

W. B. Gerish: 'Norfolk Folklore Collections', Vol.4 (unpublished, 1916-18, compiled by William de Castre), p.66.

Drayton:

Bloods Dale

Between the A1067 and the 'B' road from Drayton to Hellesdon, the land slopes down towards the river Wensum for a short distance, and here, not far from Drayton Lodge, is an area known as Bloods Dale (TG185130 area). There are now no obvious earthworks here, but the Danes are said to have fought the Saxons on these slopes. The names of those who fell are buried here with the urns containing the ashes of the slain, some of which are said to have been unearthed in a nearby meadow.

Source: