Devil of a good tale

THE very name The Devil's Stone Inn sends a chill down the spine and it
comes as no surprise that the well-known Shebbear hostelry has a
reputation as one of the most haunted pubs in England.Its name stems
from Shebbear's famous Devil's Stone situated just across the village
square.The six foot boulder is something of a mystery. It is not a type
of stone found elsewhere in the locality.Legend has it that it was
dropped by the Devil himself.

Bellringers from the village church use crowbars each November 5 to turn
the stone over - following a tradition that it must be turned annually
to ward the Devil away.The pub itself was once a farmhouse, but was
turned into a coaching inn some 400 years ago.It is said to be linked to
the church across the square by a hidden tunnel.The reputation for
hauntings stems from reports of staff and guests over many years of
strange "goings on" and the pub has often been visited by paranormal
groups and investigation teams - including by a Haunted Devon team
earlier this year.Among its uninvited guests are reports of a young girl
running around and also of her mother and of a grumpy man.

Current owners Chris and Steve Hurst have only been there since last
December.But Chris already reports a number of strange experiences."I
sometimes hear a noise like the little girl running across the landing,"
she said. "There are also knocks on doors and doors open, but when you
step back to let someone through, there is no-one there. Pictures move
and I have also had a feeling like someone breathing down the back of my
neck. Guests have reported duvets being removed from their beds.
Investigations have also revealed orbs of light flying around."But there
is no bad feeling at all. Paranormal groups have said the spirits seem
very happy. "I am the sort of person who would get very nervous, but I
have been here on my own in the evening and have had no bad feelings at
all.

"It was said the young girl and her mother could be the result of a past
fire in the building, when a woman died, said Chris. And the grumpy old
man was said to have been a rent collector who called for his dues from
lodgers there. But with its beamed ceilings, flagstone floor, open
fireplaces and fine kitchen, The Devil's Stone Inn provides a warm
welcome to all customers, old and new.