In the rolling landscape of Churt, there is a range of legendary hills called ‘The Devil’s Jumps’. It comprises three small hills with local superstitions and folklore dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. The hills are named as Big Jump, Middle Jump and Little Jump. According to local legends, the devil once used these hills to amuse himself by jumping from one to the other, hence the name. The locals recount this tale even today with a characteristic sense of mystery and humor.
The legend spins a tale of the devil frolicking from one hill to the other. When St. Lawrence, the patron saint of the parish of Churt, challenged the devil, a confrontation ensued. In a rage, the devil then took a bite out of one hill and spewed the chunk of earth at the saint, missed, and the piece of hill is said to have landed approximately a mile away forming the ‘Golden Stone’ also known as ‘Mother Ludlam’s Cave’.
To celebrate his apparent victory, the devil danced on the hill and left a depression on top which is said to be the devil’s footprint. Local residents still show visitors the supposed footprint. They also tell of eerie noises from the hills on stormy nights, which they attribute to the devil, continuing his timeless enjoyment of the hills.
In the centre of the Golden Stone, there is a hole which is said to have been formed when the devil spat out the part of the hill. The locals used to tell their children that if they were naughty, the devil would spit them out in the same manner, dissuading them from misbehaving.