Little Hangman
Encyclopedia
Little Hangman is a seaside hill near Combe Martin
that measures roughly 750ft. It is located on the Exmoor
one of the smallest national parks in Great Britain. Little Hangman is located along the South West Coast Path
and is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
.
There are many stories and legends about how little hangman got its name, the most popular is about an unfortunate sheep rustler. The story goes that a sheep rustler was plying his trade one night on little hangman. The way that a rustler would steal a whole heard of sheep was to find the lead ram or sheep and tie some rope around its neck as a makeshift lead. Then the said rustler would lead the lead ram/sheep away from the heard and out of their field. Then the sheep would follow their leader and then the rustler would have control of where the flock would go. Anyway in the story the rustler puts the rope around a particularly boisterous ram which makes a run for it dragging the man with him. Unfortunately sheep are not known for their brains or self-preservation so the spooked ram runs off of the cliff taking the rustler with him. somehow the rope gets around the mans neck and the rope gets snagged on a rock cause the man and rams decent come to a sudden stop. Of course having a rope around your neck in this case does not help and the man's neck is broken. It is not told how the ram fared! The next morning a fisherman fishing in Combe Martin Bay did see a strange sight as he drew closer to Little Hangman he sees that there is a man hanging dead from the cliff. After a little investigation from the villagers they worked out what happened. And they leave the little respected thief to hang from the hill named Hangman. And If you go a wandering on Little Hangman after dark you'll certainly meet the spirit of the rustler who perished all those years ago. Of course this is just legend. Another story that people will tell you is that hangman received its name due to the fact there was gallows on the hill but this does not explain how there are two hangman hills, Little hangman and Great Hangman.
Also history does not record public hangings taking place here, and for good reason. At this height it is not uncommon for a strong wind to almost knock you over, so the notion of putting a fifteen foot gallows up here is ludicrous. The more probable way that hangman hills got their names was from a word in Saxon that over time has become mutated into hangman.
Combe Martin
Combe Martin is a village and civil parish on the North Devon coast about east of Ilfracombe. It is a small seaside resort with a sheltered cove on the edge of the Exmoor National Park...
that measures roughly 750ft. It is located on the Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
one of the smallest national parks in Great Britain. Little Hangman is located along the South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
and is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.
There are many stories and legends about how little hangman got its name, the most popular is about an unfortunate sheep rustler. The story goes that a sheep rustler was plying his trade one night on little hangman. The way that a rustler would steal a whole heard of sheep was to find the lead ram or sheep and tie some rope around its neck as a makeshift lead. Then the said rustler would lead the lead ram/sheep away from the heard and out of their field. Then the sheep would follow their leader and then the rustler would have control of where the flock would go. Anyway in the story the rustler puts the rope around a particularly boisterous ram which makes a run for it dragging the man with him. Unfortunately sheep are not known for their brains or self-preservation so the spooked ram runs off of the cliff taking the rustler with him. somehow the rope gets around the mans neck and the rope gets snagged on a rock cause the man and rams decent come to a sudden stop. Of course having a rope around your neck in this case does not help and the man's neck is broken. It is not told how the ram fared! The next morning a fisherman fishing in Combe Martin Bay did see a strange sight as he drew closer to Little Hangman he sees that there is a man hanging dead from the cliff. After a little investigation from the villagers they worked out what happened. And they leave the little respected thief to hang from the hill named Hangman. And If you go a wandering on Little Hangman after dark you'll certainly meet the spirit of the rustler who perished all those years ago. Of course this is just legend. Another story that people will tell you is that hangman received its name due to the fact there was gallows on the hill but this does not explain how there are two hangman hills, Little hangman and Great Hangman.
Also history does not record public hangings taking place here, and for good reason. At this height it is not uncommon for a strong wind to almost knock you over, so the notion of putting a fifteen foot gallows up here is ludicrous. The more probable way that hangman hills got their names was from a word in Saxon that over time has become mutated into hangman.