The River Dart may look idyllic in most places, but it can also be a fierce and gushing torrent, especially after heavy rains when the waters swell with rapidity. The noise the waters make when they pass over the rocks and stones can also be very suggestive. “Dart, Dart, cruel Dart, every year thou claim’st a heart”, goes a local rhyme.

One of the hearts claimed by the river belonged to a local farm worker named Jan Coo. For weeks on weeks, Jan heard the cry of the Dart beckoned him to come down and go with him. One day, he couldn’t resist much longer: Despite the warnings of comrades and farm people, he walked down to the river, never to be seen again. His body was never found, but in lonely nights, after heavy rain, a faint cry can be heard from the river – it may be the wailing soul of Jan, or it may be the Dart, summoning another poor soul down to its stream.