Giant
The Giants' Key
Two giants, one key, one very bad throw.
See it clearly
- What's there
- Medieval fortified manor with timber gatehouse
- Legend from
- Folk tale, recorded 1880s
- Tone
- Light-hearted
Two giants threw the treasure key between their hills. One day somebody missed.
Stokesay Castle is a fortified medieval manor house near Craven Arms, built for a wool merchant. Local legend says it belonged to two giants, one living on View Edge and the other on Norton Camp, on hills either side. They kept their treasure in a great oak chest in the castle vaults and threw the key back and forth across the valley whenever one needed it. One day it fell short into the moat, or a pool, and was never found. Burne says a great raven still sits on the chest; Wikipedia says the giants died of grief. The castle was besieged and surrendered in 1645.