Devil
The Devil's Spadeful
Devizes? Never heard of it.
See it clearly
- What's there
- Isolated chalk hill with hillfort
- Legend from
- Local tradition
- Tone
- Humorous
'I started for Devizes when my beard was black.' The Devil dropped his sack.
The Devil was angry with the people of Devizes, the story goes, and went into Somerset for a great load of earth to bury them. Near Warminster he met a man and asked the way to Devizes. The man said he had started for Devizes when his beard was black, and now it was grey, and he still had not got there. The Devil gave up and dropped his load where he stood. That is Cley Hill. A similar tale explains Silbury Hill.