The ‘Shuck’ is the name given to a ghostly black dog said to have roamed the coastline and countryside of East Anglia for centuries – in particular graveyards, side roads, bodies of water, and dark forests.
Opinions differ as to the origin of the word ‘Shuck’. It may derive from the Old English word scucca meaning ‘demon’ or possibly from the local dialect word shucky meaning ‘shaggy’ or ‘hairy’.
There have been various accounts of the animal’s appearance. Some say the beast has only one red eye in the middle of its forehead! Its size varies from that of a large dog to that of a calf – even a horse! It has also been seen headless, and at other times floating upon a carpet of mist. Its howl is said to make one’s blood run cold and legend has it that if you meet him, your death will occur before the end of the year!
The Shuck’s infamous appearance on August 4th, 1577, in Bungay and Blythburgh has been well documented, and images of the sinister black dog have become synonymous with the area ever since. He is believed to have run up the nave of Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh, past a sizeable congregation, killing a man and a boy and causing the church steeple to collapse through the roof. As the dog fled, he left scorch marks on the north door — marks that can still be seen at the church today.
The Black Shuck is also said to have appeared the same day at St. Mary’s Church in Bungay. A terrifying thunderstorm raged — darkness, rain, hail, thunder, and lightning unlike anything ever seen before! During the storm, the beast set upon the congregation, killing at least two people.
For those who think these are merely the ramblings of long-ago men whose tales cannot be confirmed, think again. There have been far more recent accounts of the Black Shuck rearing its beastly head and tormenting the inhabitants of East Anglia.
During the 1920s and 1930s, fishermen from Sheringham reported hearing a hound howling on the cliff tops during stormy nights. As recently as 1970, a sighting of the Black Shuck in Great Yarmouth made the headlines. In 1980, a young woman claimed to have met the hound while walking with her young son near Wisbech.
In the village of Overstrand there is still a road called Shuck’s Lane, named after the Norfolk hellhound. Another of the hound’s tracks runs through what is now Mill Lane and into the grounds of Cromer Hall. It is said that this locality inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles. Doyle visited the area on a golfing holiday and, although the story is set in Dartmoor, there are scenes in the film that could easily have been drawn from Cromer Hall’s eerie surroundings.
Beware though my canine friends for ‘Shuck’ is not the only black dog who has been seen prowling when darkness falls. A dog-like creature stalks the ruins of Burgh Castle: some believe it is a werewolf whilst others say it is the devil in disguise! Eeek! The beast is called ‘Old Scarfe’ after Baron Rudolf Scarfe, a notorious, depraved and evil knight of the 13th Century. So bad were his deeds of wickedness that upon his death some say the devil changed him into a dog, laden him with chains and sent him back to earth. ‘Old Scarfe’ has also been seen at Gorleston and Great Yarmouth rattling his chains and howling into the night!
If this isn’t enough to have you quivering with fright in your basket then listen up! Close to Cromer Pier a black dog has been spotted near the shoreline looking out to sea! But when approached the hound vanishes into thin air! It is believed he is waiting for his human who will never return!
Now, as your faithful canine correspondent, I don’t want to distress you further with any more stories of a hideous, ghoulish and demonic nature but my fellow repawters on the Barking Bugle thought that those of you visiting Norfolk ought to beware and be VERY VERY careful going out after dark!
I can assure you, however, that although I am a black dog, I am NOT one of the beasts I have woofed about! I also get very scared about going out late at night!
So beware of any large, sinister black dogs in the area — you never know, you might just be the first to spot the infamous Black Shuck in the 21st century. If you do, avert your gaze… for your life may soon be over. You have all been warned!
Fright Night Woofs Pupstar
If the legend of the Black Shuck has you howling for more Norfolk tales, you’ll love The Barking Bugle’s Doggy Tourist Guide — the ultimate companion for sniffing out dog-friendly walks, cafés and attractions across the county.
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And now there’s a Black Shuck vodka to help you see him more clearly…..
I had a ‘Shuck’ encounter on Bacton Beach whilst night fishing . Was 2.am in Feb 1972 !
I had an encounter with ‘Shuck’ whilst Beach fishing one night in Bacton, it was Winter about ’72/3. It wasn’t till recently that I learned that 2 sailors are buried at Bacton Chrch that drowned from an accident that lead to the legend of ‘Shuck’. It is said that Shuck roams the Norfolk Beaches and areas looking for his missing Masters.