The Cannibal Cottage of Caster’s Bridge, Near Gradbach

A traveller once sought shelter at a cottage beside Black Brook, a lonely stretch of forest road feared by all who passed it. Welcomed by a bearded man and his family, he grew uneasy when he overheard a child ask, “When will that queer old man be dead? The oven will soon be hot.” Realising their murderous intent, he fled into the night, pursued by the family and their dogs. The local militia later destroyed the house and executed its inhabitants. Gold was said to have been found among the ruins in later years.