The Devil's Claw at Runwell

Runwell church ahead, where the scorch on the old south door is said to be the Devil's own claw.

The south door of St Mary's at Runwell is an original 15th-century oak door, unusually wide, with its old hinges and ironwork. On the timber is a curious burn-like mark said to be the Devil's claw. The story goes that a priest with an unhealthy interest in the occult was preaching one Sunday when the Devil burst out of his mouth. The priest ran to the main door and slammed it shut, and the trapped Devil clawed at the wood, leaving the marks you can still see. Sceptics say the tale was made up by the Reverend Bazille-Corbin, rector from 1923, and written into his unpublished history of the parish.