There is a distinct and captivating tale that circles around the village of Shere, situated in the beautiful landscape of Surrey, not far from your given coordinates. It’s a tale of a fearsome dragon and a valiant knight, a tale soaked in the subtle blend of truth and myth that only folklore can provide. This tale is known as ‘The Dragon of Shere’.As the tale goes, long ago, in the time of knights and castles, there was an incredibly fierce dragon that made its nest in the swampy marshes around the village. It held the villagers in a terrible grip of fear, its fierce breath could wipe out entire harvests and houses. Livestock and villagers disappeared in the night, and it was all attributed to this fearsome dragon.In response to this terror, a knight named Abbot John was dispatched from Shere’s local monastery on the dangerous mission of slaying the dragon. There are many versions of the epic battle that ensued, but most agree on one thing – it was a fierce fight. Equipped with a spear, Abbot John bravely stood in front of the dragon and stabbed it in the eye, rendering it blind and therefore helpless. Abbot John was celebrated as a hero, the villagers even carved his silhouette into a church door in Shere, which can still be seen today. It offers a tangible, fascinating link to a tale that has lasted centuries, capturing imaginations and echoing a time when dragons and heroes roamed the Earth.Although, like in most folklore, the lines between truth and fiction are blurred in this story. There is indeed a silhouette carved into a church door in Shere, though whether it actually represents Abbot John or simply a striking figure carved by a local artist remains open to interpretation.