In the heart of Devon, England, close to latitude 50.23758 and longitude -3.769791, there’s a tranquil location named Totnes. Nestled within this historic market town lies a mysterious tale from the 1800s, known as ‘The Legend of the Dog at the Mill’. The story is set about an old Corn Mill and the dog which mysteriously saved it from destruction.
A miller named John Pearce owned the mill. Every night, a mysterious dog appeared and sat by the mill’s enormous water wheel. Initially, the miller was alarmed by the dog’s relentless presence each night. He thought it might be a bad omen, or worse, the ghostly form of a previous owner coming to haunt him.
As days turned into weeks, the dog remained undaunted, faithfully appearing each night by the water wheel. The miller eventually grew accustomed to the dog’s presence and named him ‘Guardian’.
One fateful night, Guardian started behaving strangely. He howled and frantically barked in a way he had never done before. Alarmed, John investigated and discovered that the mill’s waterwheel had been sabotly crippled and was on the verge of sparking a destructive fire. Thanks to Guardian’s warning, the miller was able to prevent a disaster that would likely have destroyed his entire livelihood.
From that day on, the mysterious dog never appeared again, but its legend remains ingrained in the memory of the locals. Some believe that Guardian was the spirit of a previous owner or a worker from the mill, returning to protect it from harm. Others speculate that it may have been a divine guardian sent to protect the mill. Regardless of the truth, the story of the dog at the mill remains one of Totnes’ most beloved and enduring folktales.