The Legend of Black Shuck

Here in North Norfolk, we find a land of myth and legend. And it’s here that one of the most infamous and haunting tales of the British Isles may be found. A ghostly phantom dog, said to be the size of a calf or a large pony, that goes by the name of Black Shuck, is said to manifest over the coastline and across the Broads.

Black dogs can be found across Britain. They have a variety of names, the Trash, the Shriker, the Padfoot, the Beast of Bodmir. In Wales it’s the Gwyllgi; and over in the Isle of Man it’s even known as the Moddey Dhoo. Here in East Anglia there are tales of black dogs down in Suffolk, of Blitheborough and Bungey; and one particularly infamous incident in 1577, when they invaded the local parish churches, drew people up as if they had been shocked by electricity, and they didn’t know about electricity then, so they thought it was lightning with dogs within it. What caused those phantom deaths? Was it black dogs? It’s certainly many centuries ago that we first hear of the devil dog known as Old Shuck, Black Shuck, or The Shuck Dog, right here on the North Norfolk Coast.

Interviewer

Hi, and welcome to Horney, where we’re standing outside the Nelson Head pub. We’re now going to interview the landlord and landlady, about the mysterious black shuck.

Landlady

Well I’ve got some stories that I’ve heard. Yes, Black Shuck is supposed to be a big black dog, that runs from North Norfolk Cromer down to Hornsea, lots of people have seen it. Some presume it’s a puma. If you are able to see the dog or animal, and you tell about it, then you die. And that is scary. So I’m not going to tell you if I’ve seen it.

When they come to describe this animal, what they’re saying they’re not sure what they’re saying. A Labrador would be quite big and black, but this is a lot bigger and they really go out of order, you know, really big black animal, and if you go near it will bear its teeth, really large teeth.

Landlord

I have found some remains the next day after I’ve heard it which was not very nice, had to bury. Found a couple of dead deer, their throats ripped out and their stomachs ripped out. In the yard one morning. Dogs have been carried off, never found again. Two, three years ago. People have seen him on the footpath, across the fields

Girl

Do you believe in the black shuck?

Landlord

. Yeah I do, definitely. If you’d seen the animals I buried, you’d think there was something really wrong there somewhere.