State Library of NSW
[Page 159]
Next comes an afternoon at the Devil's Dyke and on the hill a few minutes walk from the station you get a grand and extensive view of the country and the patchwork weald below. From the steep hill we walked and slid down to the little village of Poynings saw the fine Grey Cruciform there and had afternoon tea in the tiniest and quaintest room – it was wonderful what that room held in the way of nick nacks but spotlessly clean.
Theres a legend attached to the Dyke – its very weird. I must try and tell it you – what puzzles me is on the top of the hill you see an immense skeleton (the reading telling its history is washed off) but the bones I am sure are larger than any animal in the world perhaps it belongs to pre historic man, but I don't know – there it is.
The legend goes like this – Once upon a time when the Devil of Sussex lived there also lived a good man 'Saint Cuthman who was known far and wide for his piety and extraordinary supernatural power. He loved purity and goodness and it rejoiced his heart to see the fair weald of Sussex prosperous and fertile but above all to see the growth of the Churches being built. Now the old Devil disliked all this and twas his purpose to submerge the irritating churches of the
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