In this episode of Wyrd Wessex, Andy and Craig head to Lyndhurst in the heart of the New Forest to sit down with author, folklorist, and storyteller Brice Stratford. Over a series of pints at historic local spots, the conversation dives deep into what it truly means for folklore to be anchored to a specific landscape, contrasting genuine rooted community traditions with modern "fake lore" and commercialized New Age myths.
Brice pulls back the curtain on why he takes issue with the ubiquitous New Forest witch Sybil Leek, championing instead real historical figures like Mary Dore—an 18th-century woman whose legacy of shape-shifting, stick-gathering, and feuding with the Duke of Montague remains etched into local memory. The trio also unpacks the oral endurance of the William Rufus legend, the legendary Cobb's arrows, the mechanics of dragon-slaying motifs, the fiery ghost stories of the Fox and Hounds, the whispered panels of St. Michael and All Angels Church, the shadowy history of the Hawkhurst smuggling gang at the Crown Hotel, and local cryptids like the Stratford Lion.
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Written and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens
Edited by Craig Brooks
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