Episodes
Tuesday Mar 05, 2024
38. Who was St Piran?
Tuesday Mar 05, 2024
Tuesday Mar 05, 2024
With so many saints in Cornwall to choose from why is St Piran our patron saint and why do we celebrate him on the 5th March each year?
Friday Feb 23, 2024
37. Martha Blewett's Monument
Friday Feb 23, 2024
Friday Feb 23, 2024
Up until 1923 a granite cross stood beside the road between Mousehole and Paul. This episode looks into the story behind this monument, sketched by the artist Turner, dedicated to an elderly fishwife called Martha Blewett. Why was it erected in the 1790s? And what were the strange circumstances that led to its removal so many years later?
Monday Dec 04, 2023
36. John Edward Allen - Escaped Broadmoor Murderer hiding in Cornwall
Monday Dec 04, 2023
Monday Dec 04, 2023
In 1947 John Edward Allen, the "Mad Parson", escaped from Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital and went on the run. Discover how this convicted murderer ended up working as a waiter in a secluded Cornish hotel and how he then remained at large for almost two years . . .
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
35. A Couple of Cornish Ghost Stories
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
As we head towards Halloween I explore two of my favourite ghost stories from Cornwall, one from Penzance, which is in many ways more of a murder mystery than a spooky tale, and one from Falmouth which is . . . well, just plain bizarre!
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
34. The Sunken Treasure of Cudden Point
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
In this episode I take you to one of my favourite places on the Cornish coast, a place of beauty and legend and many mysterious tales.
Sunday Jul 23, 2023
33. Pistil Meadow & wreck of the Royal Anne
Sunday Jul 23, 2023
Sunday Jul 23, 2023
In 1721 the Royal Anne set sail for the Caribbean loaded with wealthy passengers and crew. Sadly however on 10th November she was wrecked near Lizard Point and in the days that followed hundreds of bodies washed up on the coast near Pistil Cove. Since that time dark tales of the events that followed have kept local people away from the spot. But just how true are these macabre tales? . . .
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
32. How Hangman’s Barrow got its name . . .
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Near the little village of Crowan is Hangman's Barrow, in this episode I uncover how this prehistoric monument came by this unusual name. But be warning it's a dark tale of murder and the cruel consequences of crime!
Thursday May 25, 2023
31. Rough Roads, Footpads & Highwaymen in Cornwall
Thursday May 25, 2023
Thursday May 25, 2023
In this episode I take a look at what it was like travelling in Cornwall in the past and discover the stories of some local footpads and highwaymen and women! The tale of how Bessie Beneath came by its name is unmissable!!
Monday Apr 10, 2023
30. The Siege of Skewis
Monday Apr 10, 2023
Monday Apr 10, 2023
In June 1734 Henry Rogers took unlawful possession of a house at Skewis, a tiny hamlet near Camborne. It had been his ancestral family home and he barricaded himself and his family inside and despite the efforts of the authorities refused to leave. This event became known as the Siege of Skewis, and in this podcast I detail how and why it came about, the terrible consequences that unfolded and the sad outcome that followed.
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
29. Mother Ivey’s Curse
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
There is a beautiful beach in Cornwall known as Mother Ivey's Bay but this idyllic stretch of coast hides a dark secret, the story of a witch and a powerful, ancient curse. And strangely the power of this curse was still being felt up until the 1990s . . .