DevilFamous
The Devil's Arse
Rope walks in the dark, rogues talking in cant.
See it clearly
- What's there
- A vast cave mouth under a limestone cliff
- Legend from
- Local tradition and place-name
- Tone
- Curious
Step inside the Devil's Arse, where rope makers lived and rogues invented their secret tongue.
Peak Cavern in Castleton has the largest natural cave entrance in Britain, and was long known as the Devil's Arse. Subterranea Britannica says the name was changed in 1880 to avoid offending Queen Victoria, who attended a concert in the cave. Until 1915 people lived in houses inside the cave mouth and made a living from rope making, while the depths were said to be a haven for bandits. In legend it was where thieves' cant was invented, at a meeting between Cock Lorel, leader of the rogues, and Giles Hather, King of the Gypsies.