Stiperstones

As with many tales regarding in Britain about the Devil, this one also has him carrying an apron full of stones, in this case from Ireland. He sat to rest upon what is now called The Devil’s Chair and is the highest rock on this ridge. As usual, the apron strings break and he drops his load of stones. This story is the usual tale told to explain the positioning of certain groupings of stones.

If it is not the Devil carrying stones in an apron it is usually giants. A cairn of stones upon the ridge is supposed to have been formed when a giantess who was stealing some stones from the Devil, dropped them from her apron. This time her apron string was cut by the Devil to prevent the theft.

Another legend surrounding this area refers to a prophecy that should the Stiperstones sink back beneath the earth, then England will fall into ruin. In this case the Devils Chair is the stone on which the Devil sits whilst trying to push the stones back under the ground.

The ghost of Wild Edric, is also said to ride the area whenever England is under threat.  He was a  Saxon earl who defied the Normans after their invasion of 1066.