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The Three Ravens Podcast
Local Legends #71: Sue Bentley
Season 7, Ep. 110
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On this week's episode of Local Legends Martin chats with best-selling author of over 80 books, Sue Bentley!
As Sue explains, her decision to 'become a writer' didn't happen particularly early in her life, though she was ever a reader, inspired by books like Denys Watkins-Pitchford's The Little Grey Men, Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, and C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
Only when she was a Mum with children off at school did she decide to put pen to paper, and after ten years of work found herself in print - as an erotic novelist, working under the first of what soon became many pen names!
From children's fairy stories to ghost written celebrity books to the dark Gothic fantasy she most enjoys writing today, she has had a fascinating career, rooted in a fascinating place!
We dig into Northamptonshire's folklore and heritage, including Sue's love of the Romantic poet John Clare, and, because it's 'Birth Week' on Three Ravens we chat birth folklore as well, including fairy 'stocks', changelings, and 'Chime Children'.
We of course get into Sue's most recent novels as well, including We Other, Second Skin, and her upcoming book Flesh Endures - and along the way dig into condescending ideas of 'Women's Fiction' and Romantasy, the significance of the Lang Fairy Tales, and a whole bunch more!
Learn more about Sue and her wonderful books at https://www.suebentley.co.uk - though Sue's brand new website goes live on 28th August - which is also the day of the cover reveal for Flesh Endures, so mark your diaries!
And as for where to find Sue on social media, she is on Instagram @therealsuebentley, Facebook @suebentleyauthor and on TikTok @suebentley09
About Three Ravens 🔮
Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.
Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’
We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.
Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.
Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…
Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨
🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!
🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!
🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop
👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon
📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales
👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales
🏴 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027
📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok
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111. The Folklore of Marriage
01:32:27||Season 7, Ep. 111This week we have our second installment of our month long mini series about cycles of life, all about the history and folklore of marriage!We explore the early beginnings of marriage contracts, legal regulation by the Church and state, and how utterly unromantic most weddings were for much of history!Discussing superstitions and preparations leading up to the big day, from arrangements between families through to big dramatic gestures of love, we work our way towards walking down the aisle - with all the strange bells and whistles tradition dictates!With something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue to guide us - not forgetting the sixpence in the shoe, of course - we navigate cultural and familial expectations, evil spirits hovering to get a slice of wedding cake, and exactly which aspects of weddings are ancient, and which are surprisingly modern...About Three Ravens 🔮Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in… Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales 🏴 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok
109. The Brigstock Fox
01:08:05||Season 7, Ep. 109Our story for "Birth Week" is a retelling from Martin of recently rediscovered Northamptonshire legend The Brigstock Fox.A tale of Medieval changelings, magic, princes and parenthood, it begins as the folktale does, with a strange, seemingly uncatchable creature stalking the forests around Fotheringhay Castle. Richard of York, away in Ireland, offers a bag of gold to whoever can catch the beast and prevent the savaging of the ducks, geese, hogs and lambs that belong to his vassals. Only when hunting dogs catch not a monstrous fox but a man in their snapping jaws, and he claims to know 'Proud Cis' - Richard's wife - events are set in motion that reveal hidden secrets, true characters, and prophecies that will shape British life for generations to come...Plus, because we thought it would be fun, we have also recorded a version of the classic folk song "The Fox" and given it some special Three Ravens, Brigstock-specific twists... Martin's telling is inspired by the research of folklorist and Northamptonshire Heritage Forum regular Steve Dimmer as part of his project Tales & Legends of Northamptonshire, through which Steve has also uncovered obscure, largely forgotten stories including The Witch of Benfield, The Daughter of the Earl of Corby, The Ringstead Round, and more.We really hope you enjoy the telling, song, and chat that follows, and you can find Icy Sedgwick's episode of Fabulous Folklore that we mention, "Foxes in Folk Tales: From Aesop to Reynard" and the associated blog post here.Speak to you again on Saturday for this week's Local Legends interview with Sunday Times bestselling author Sue Bentley, which ranges from Sue's runaway successes as a writer of popular erotic fiction, her relationship with the Lang Fairy Tales, love of John Clare, and her recent spicy Gothic fantasy books We Other, Second Skin, and her upcoming novel Flesh Endures.Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?
108. The Folklore of Birth
01:22:17||Season 7, Ep. 108This week on Three Ravens, as part of our month long exploration of cycles of life, we're talking all about Birth Folklore! From Ancient Mesopotamian "birth bricks" and fires lit to smoke babies out of the womb to 20th century beliefs in hairy babies prompting their mothers to experience heartburn, human societies have cleaved to a whole load of fairly wild concepts related to reproduction.Yet, as we explore in this conversation, it's surprising how universal many motifs to do with birth and pregnancy are, from forms of sympathetic magic like the danger of mothers tying knots, weaving, or even crossing their legs for fear they will risk the lives of their unborn children to ideas of phases of the moon influencing whether births will be easy or whether children grow up to be harmonious darlings or challenging little devils. Working roughly chronologically, we open up a whole range of discussions, including of how prehistoric peoples treated the remains of children who died before joining society to particular demons and supernatural forces believed dangerous to pregnant women and methods for defending against them. From the changing roles of fathers in relation to birth superstitions and lots of highly spurious methods for determining a child's gender while in utero to enduring customs like the baking of Groaning Cakes and the passing of mothers or babies through hollow spaces in rocks or wheels of cheese, we've done our best to account for how everyday people viewed and navigated conception, pregnancy, and birth itself across millennia. As ever, we really hope you enjoy the episode, and hope you will join us again on Thursday for this week's story - Martin's retelling of a Northamptonshire legend of changelings, cunning, and tricky parental dynamics, The Brigstock Fox, all before Saturday's birth-themed conversation with bestselling 'Northants' author of over 80 books, including some pretty spicy magical romances, Sue Bentley.Three Ravens is a myth and folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?
107. Local Legends #70: Matthew Bannister
59:25||Season 7, Ep. 107On this week's episode of Local Legends Martin chats with veteran British broadcaster and host of Folk on Foot Matthew Bannister. In a conversation that folds in some of Matthew's other wonderful projects including The Song Detectorists and Last Word, while Martin and Matthew don't quite go on a wander together, our main focus is Matthew's multi-award winning podcast Folk on Foot, which combines folk music, outdoor walking, and acoustic on-location performances. In each episode, Matthew walks with a prominent folk artist through a landscape that has inspired their craft, capturing natural ambient sounds and intimate live sessions that cast a bit of a spell. Though how does a person go from being a budding fiddle player and chorister from Yorkshire to becoming not just a radio presenter but a BBC Executive, managing a huge whack of TV production for this nation’s state broadcaster? Moreover, how has Matthew found routes through to a creative career that has lasted longer than Martin's entire life?We of course get into all that, and, because our theme on Three Ravens this week is Harvest, we’ll also be chatting about Matthew’s favourite Harvest folk song, his experiences walking across England to raise money for Help Musicians, and so much more. So, gather in close around the Three Ravens campfire and listen in to a conversation about the power of radio, Ley Lines, and what it’s like to hang out around the kitchen table with the entire McCarthy and Waterson extended family, with a true Local Legend, Matthew Bannister! Three Ravens is a myth and folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?
106. The Corn Maiden
49:29||Season 7, Ep. 106For this week's story, sticking with our theme of Harvest, we present a slice of US-set folk horror for you to enjoy!The tale begins with Robin, a recently widowed wheat farmer whose crops have failed due to drought. At his farmhouse Mother rules, although a new feminine energy has arrived in the shape of Amelia, who believes Robin's loss might open space in his heart for her. Though out on Robin's farm, too far to walk from town, Amelia begins to wonder if the the scarecrow in the vegetable garden out back is watching her, or if, even across the long days while Robin works the land and Mother forages in the nearby woodland, she is ever truly alone...We really hope you enjoy Eleanor's reading of this one, which Martin wrote back in 2019 - as we dig into in the post-story discussion, which engages with themes of natural cycles, the land's response to mankind's interference, and why we find scarecrows so unsettling...Speak to you again on Saturday for this week's Local Legends interview with Folk on Foot's Matthew Bannister who, along with lots of other interesting things, speaks about his favourite traditional English Harvest folk song.Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?
105. Lughnasa, Lammas and Harvest Folklore
01:03:15||Season 7, Ep. 105It's the first time we've done a Seasonal Special in a while, but this week we're celebrating the harvest and exploring the history and folklore of Lughnasa and Lammastide.We begin by discussing the Festival of First Fruits and the Eleusinian Mysteries of the Classical World, before getting into the nitty gritty of Lughnasa, or 'The Aseembly of Lugh.' From Irish festivals of games, hand-fasting rituals and ceremonial fires to a PR stunt for the Roman Emperor Augustus and all the way through to the 19th century Gaelic revival, Lughnasa has changed a fair bit over time. We have a brief brush with the Burryman of South Queensferry, then explore the king of the vegetative spirits himself, John Barleycorn and the archetype of the Dying and Rising God. The episode is accompanied by a selection of English poetry, exploring the harvest from the differing perspectives of Robert Herrick, John Donne, Thomas Hardy, Ted Hughes and William Wordsworth. We've also included a live recording of our version of the traditional song 'John Barleycorn' from Black Shuck Festival in 2025. We really hope you find the episode relaxing and enjoyable, and we will be back to reap the season more on Thursday, when Eleanor will be giving a creepy reading of Martin's story The Corn Maiden...Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast
104. August Update: Sickles At The Ready!
01:18:21||Season 7, Ep. 104In this month's update episode we're welcoming in the harvest and exploring some of August's lesser-known traditional festivals!We're talking about Marymas, which seems like it would have been pretty witchy, and Bartlemas, which was quite violent and packed with "back swording" - though that's not all, as, in addition to sharing some of our own news, we're chatting about Christopher Nolan's cinematic adaptation of The Odyssey and sharing the opening chunks of July's two Three Ravens Patreon Exclusive episodes.First comes the opening 25 minutes of our special audio ghost tour of Chiltern Open Air Museum, recorded in the witching hours of May 30th into June 1st this year, which is followed by the first part of our Film Club episode all about the delightfully chilly, Iceland-set 2024 folk horror movie The Damned.We really hope you enjoy this tasting menu and selection of Three Ravens bits and pieces, do be sure to also check out today's Local Legends interview with the amazing Richard Dawson, and we will be back again on Monday with a Seasonal Special episode all about Lammas and Lughnasa...Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast
103. Local Legends #69: Richard Dawson
01:31:12||Season 7, Ep. 103On this week's episode of Local Legends Martin chats with award winning singer-songwriter and progressive artist Richard Dawson. Hailing from England's northernmost city, Newcastle upon Tyne, Richard doesn't much like being pigeon-holed or for his music to be put into a genre, but across this chat he just about surrenders to Martin's insistence that he's a folk musician, and proudly avant garde.Starting with his 2017 album Peasant in particular, he has been on a near decade long run of writing, amongst other things, detailed, tender, thought-provoking story songs as a solo artist, along with experimental jazz as a member of the band Hen Ogledd and experimental rock music with Finnish band Circle.In addition to talking about his career so far and the changing nature of an artist's life in the 21st century, this conversation ranges from family stories of haunting to personal experiences with a UFO, and chats about aspects of Northumberland's folklore including The Laidly Worm of Spindlestone Heugh and the Simonside Dwarves plus much more besides.So gather in close around the Three Ravens campfire for a chat with one of Martin's favourite musicians, who also just happens to be a Three Ravens listener!Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?