The Devil's Den

For other uses, see Devil's Den (disambiguation).
The Devil's Den
Location Fyfield, Wiltshire
Coordinates 51°25′32″N 1°46′58″W / 51.425678°N 1.782651°W / 51.425678; -1.782651Coordinates: 51°25′32″N 1°46′58″W / 51.425678°N 1.782651°W / 51.425678; -1.782651
Architectural style(s) British pre-Roman Architecture
The Devil's Den shown within Wiltshire

The Devil's Den or Devil's Den is a burial chamber located on Fyfield Hill near Marlborough, Wiltshire, England.

Description

The Devil's Den is what is left of a neolithic passage grave on Fyfield Down. Two standing stones, a capstone and two fallen stones are all that remain of what was the entrance to a long mound, described in the 1920s as being around 230 ft long.[1] The capstone is believed to weigh 17 tons.[2] The burial chamber was reconstructed in 1921.[1][3]

Folklore

The dolmen was named after the devil, along with many other prehistoric remains after the coming of Christianity.[4] A local tradition said that if water was poured into hollows on the capstone, a demon would come in the night and drink it.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Devils Den - Burial Chamber (Dolmen) in England". Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  2. 1 2 Westwood & Simpson (2006). The Lore of the Land: A Guide To England's Legends. Penguin Books Ltd. p. 928. ISBN 0141021039.
  3. ↑ The Antiquaries Journal, January 1922, Volume 2, Issue 1. Cambridge University Press. 1922. p. 60.
  4. ↑ Ayto & Crofton (2005). Brewer's Britain and Ireland. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 318. ISBN 030435385X.
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