Llanarth Church

Wondering what it could be, he halted under a big tree and watched it.

Suddenly, instead of the mere glimmer, there was a flash, followed by a succession of flashes of startling magnitude, which illuminated the church and the surrounding objects with a lurid, ghostly light of leadenish blue. In between the flashes the objects seemed to recede into a darkness and gloom that was hellish in its intensity.

The loneliness and silence of the place added to the terror of the spectator, who wanted to run away but found himself utterly unable to move. Compelled to remain where he was, he presently heard the most unearthly cries and groans coming from the churchyard. They did not cease till the dawn broke and the cocks in the vicinity began to crow. It was then, and not till then, that the villager, who was nearly dead with fright and chilled to the bone, recovered the use of his limbs and was able to make for his home. He related what had happened to his friends, they told others, and in a very short time the whole village was discussing the dreadful nocturnal goings-on up at the parish church. That night, though the weather was again wild, a crowd, large for the size of the village, assembled outside the church, in expectation of seeing the lights and hearing the ghostly sounds. Nor were they disappointed, for, about midnight, lurid flashes again came from the belfry, to be followed by blood-curdling, unearthly noises. Some of the villagers were so frightened they took to their heels, others would have liked to have followed their example but found themselves glued to the spot. One went to the vicarage and begged the parson to come at once to the church. Grumbling very much at being disturbed the parson got into his clothes and, armed with bell, book and candle, the usual implements for laying ghosts, shuffled along to the church.

To give him due credit, all his apathy vanished directly he arrived there and saw and heard the phenomena. Screwing up his courage, and uttering prayer after prayer, he entered the church and, lighted candle in hand, ascended the spiral staircase leading to the belfry.

Some say it was the Devil himself that confronted him, others declare it was one of the Devil’s demons, but whichever or whatever it was, it presented such a frightful appearance that it took all the parson’s will-power to stand his ground.

He did, however, face the horrible thing, and directly he began to repeat the Lord’s Prayer it turned and climbing on to the roof of the tower, jumped down into the churchyard and vanished.

Examining the ground under the belfry the following day the vicar found a stone with four circular, newly-made holes in it. It was just where the evil spirit had alighted, therefore, the vicar argued, the holes could only have been made by its hellish hoofs. All who saw the stone and knew about the strange happenings at the church agreed with him, and the stone subsequently became known as " the stone with the Devil’s hoof marks."

It is said to be still in the churchyard, but the inscription explaining the origin of the holes is nearby effaced, worn away by the hand of Time.