In the heart of County Durham, on the banks of the River Wear, lies the setting of one of North East England’s most enduring legends: The Lambton Worm. The story goes that young John Lambton, heir to the Lambton Estate, had a rebellious streak. One Sunday, he went fishing instead of attending mass. In the River Wear, John caught not a fish, but a small worm-like creature. Disgusted, he discarded it into a well. Years passed and John grew into maturity, leaving his home to join the Crusades. While he was gone, the worm grew at an alarming rate, eventually so large that it could coil itself around a hill seven times. It wreaked havoc on the local community, devouring livestock and terrorizing villagers. Hearing about the turmoil back home, John Lambton returned from the Crusades to face the beast. After taking advice from a local witch, he had his armor replete with spear-like projections and stood on the River Wear to face the worm. As the worm wrapped itself around him, it was impaled on the spikes and John managed to kill it, saving his village. This tale is so well-loved that it has been told and re-told for centuries, even influencing Lewis Carroll’s ‘Jabberwocky’. It encapsulates lessons of responsibility, duty, and facing the consequences of one’s actions, ensuring this old tale’s relevance even today.