Cloven Country : The Devil and the English Landscape

According to legend, the English landscape – so calm on the surface – is really the Devil's work.

"Cloven Country," now in paperback, tells of rocks hurled into place and valleys carved out by infernal labour.

The Devil's hideous strength laid down great roads in one night, and left scars everywhere as the hard stone melted like wax under those burning feet.

With roots in medieval folklore, this is not the Satan of prayer, but a clumsy ogre, easily fooled by humankind.

Jeremy Harte's book is the first of its kind on the Devil in English folk legend and uncovers an assortment of mysterious stories from past centuries.