Up to this day, there are rumours of satanic rites and devil-worship being practised here and there in the area. The Church of Buckfastleigh, which is located here, was completely destroyed by a fire in 1992, and according to some people this was an act of arson connected to some kind of satanic cult.

These rumours are probably connected to the tomb of one Squire Cabell which is to be found on the cemetary next to the church. This tomb is surrounded by a small building of stone, built by local people in an effort to contain the ghost of Cabell’s soul.

Cabell, who lived in the 17th century, must have been a very ruthless person, and it is said that he had a heart of stone because he sold his soul to the devil. But the devil hasn’t gathered the soul of the deceased yet, only his troops come by in moonlit nights to rattle at the bomstone, to flicker with lights and to scare passers-by with eerie howls and cries.

It is likely that Arthur Conan Doyle drew some inspiration from Cabell’s story when he wrote his Hound of the Baskervilles. Some even say that Cabell’s house, located just a few miles to the west of Buckfastleigh, served as a model for Baskerville hall.

By the way, if you ever dare to visit this spot, make sure to walk round the church in a clockwise direction. Locals say that if you walk around it counter-clockwise the devil will look at you from the church’s porch.