- Devil's Jumps, Churt
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The Devil's Jumps, from the summit of the easternmost hill
The Devil's Jumps are a series of three small hills near the village of Churt in the county of Surrey in southern England.[1] In the 18th century the hills were known as the Devil's Three Jumps.[2] The Devil's Jumps are linked to a body of folklore relating to the surrounding area.[3] The highest of the three Jumps is Stony Jump.[4] Middle Devil's Jump measures 60 feet (18 m) high and once supported an observatory built by 19th century British astronomer Richard Christopher Carrington.[5]
The hills are outcrops of coarse sandstone of the Folkestone Beds of Lower Greensand set among acidic heathland.[6] The three hills are formed of an ironstone known locally as carstone, a sandstone strongly cemented with iron making it resistant to erosion by the elements.[7]
The summit of the easternmost JumpThe first mention of the Devil's Jumps appears to be on a map by John Rocque dating to 1765.[8] William Cobbett mentioned the Devil's Jumps in his Rural Rides, first published in 1830.[9] Of the hills he says:
At Churt I had, upon my left, three hills out upon the common, called the Devil's Jumps...in the shape of three rather squat sugar-loaves, along in a line upon this heath...[with] a rock-stone upon the top of one of them as big as a Church tower...—William Cobbett, Rural Rides 1830, 2001, p.116.Folklore
The Devil's Jumps are linked to a variety of local landmarks by folklore, including Mother Ludlam's Cave near the ruins of Waverley Abbey, the Devil's Punch Bowl at Hindhead, the village of Thursley and the parish church at Frensham.[10] The folklore includes various tales. One states that the Devil used to amuse himself by leaping from the top of each hill to the next.[11] This annoyed the god Thor who picked up a boulder and threw it at the Devil, causing him to flee and leaving the boulder at the Devil's Jumps.[12] This same story is told of the Devil's Jumps near Treyford on the South Downs in West Sussex but it is likely to have originated at the Devil's Jumps in Surrey.[13] The inclusion of the pagan god Thor in the tale is likely to have taken place in the early years of the 20th century, since local historian George Clinch mentioned the Jumps and the pagan derivation of the Thursley placename without linking either when he wrote in 1895.[14]
Tales recorded in the 19th century relate that the witch Mother Ludlam had her cauldron stolen by the Devil, who then fled with the witch following behind on her broomstick.[15] Every time the Devil took a great leap he kicked up a hill, and these hills are the Devil's Jumps. He left the cauldron on Kettlebury Hill, from where it was recovered and put in Frensham Church for safekeeping. When the Devil disappeared, he left the valley of the Devil's Punch Bowl.[16]
Notes
- ^ www.weyriver.co.uk
- ^ Westwood & Simpson 2005, p.713.
- ^ www.weyriver.co.uk
- ^ www.weyriver.co.uk
- ^ Churt Parish Council.
- ^ Gahan 2006, p.10.
- ^ Ashurt & Dimes 2004, p.62. Gahan 2006, p.10.
- ^ Smith 2005, p.60.
- ^ Cobbett 1830, 2001, p.116.
- ^ Westwood & Simpson 2005, p.713.
- ^ Westwood & Simpson 2005, p.713.
- ^ Westwood & Simpson 2005, p.713.
- ^ Westwood & Simpson 2005, p.713.
- ^ Westwood & Simpson 2005, p.713.
- ^ Alexander 1986, 2003, pp.29-30.
- ^ Alexander 1986, 2003, pp.29-30.
References
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- Alexander, Matthew (1986, 2003). The Fair Maid of Guildford and other Surrey tales. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. ISBN 1-85306-827-6. OCLC 59270415.
- Ashurt, John; and Francis G. Dimes (2004). Conservation of Building & Decorative Stone. Oxford, UK and Burlington, Massachusetts, USA: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-3898-2. OCLC 39341812. http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Yh4xMVb7uOQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA61&dq=devil%27s+jumps+churt&ots=JOcukN5w4S&sig=ujoehpYD7_gsp_K0DOuVYepu64I#v=onepage&q=Devil%27s%20Jumps&f=false.
- Churt Parish Council (Undated). "A Brief History Of Churt". Churt Parish Council. http://www.churt-pc.gov.uk/History.htm. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
- Cobbett, William (1830, 2001). Rural Rides. London, UK: Penguin Classics. ISBN 0-14-043579-4. OCLC 47150334.
- Gahan, John (October 2006). "The Western Weald field trip for the Devonshire Association – 12th-14th May 2006" (PDF). Farnham Geological Society Newsletter (Farnham Geological Society) 9 (3). http://www.farnhamgeosoc.org.uk/archive/oldnewsletters/post2002/FGS-2006-October.pdf. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
- Smith, Gavin (2005). Surrey Place-names. Loughborough, UK: Heart of Albion Press. ISBN 1 872883 84 2. OCLC 255038836.
- Westwood, Jennifer; and Jacqueline Simpson (2005). The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's Legends, from Spring-Heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys. London, UK: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-141-00711-3. OCLC 61302120.
- www.weyriver.co.uk (2009). "The River Wey South Branch:On to Frensham and Tilford". Wey River. http://www.weyriver.co.uk/theriver/wey_south_C.htm. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty North Downs Botley Hill · Box Hill · Combe Bottom · Gatton Park · Hackhurst and White Downs · Headley Heath · Hog's Back · Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment · Newlands Corner · Norbury Park · Ranmore Common · Seale Chalk Pit · Woldingham and Oxted DownsGreensand Ridge Albury Heath · Blackheath · Colyers Hanger · Devil's Jumps · Devil's Punch Bowl · Frensham Common · Gibbet Hill · Gong Hill · Hankley Common · Hankley Farm · Holmbury Hill · Leith Hill · Moor Park · Oxmoor Copse · Puttenham & Crooksbury Commons · St. Martha's Hill · Stockstone Quarry · Thursley Common · Winterfold Forest · Witley CommonLow Weald Rivers Lakes and ponds Frensham Ponds · Silent PoolLong Distance Paths Downs Link · Greensand Way · Mole Gap Trail · North Downs Way · Thames Down Link · Vanguard Way · Wey South PathNational Cycle Routes
Coordinates: 51°8′52.86″N 0°45′53.06″W / 51.1480167°N 0.7647389°WCategories:- Surrey folklore
- Hills of Surrey
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