Dragons of St Leonard's Forest
In Sussex lay the Lily Beds, an area of St. Leonard's Forest where lilies of the valley grow wild.
The poisonous plants are said to have grown there ever since the Frankish hermit St. Leonard slaughtered a menacing dragon that was terrorising a nearby settlement in the 6th century.
The saint was wounded during the long battle, and it is believed that wherever his blood fell lilies of the valley sprang up, creating the Lily Beds.
Monstrous serpents have been sighted in the forests of Sussex on record since the 8th century, with adders being common creatures to frequent the woodlands.
St. Leonard's dragon was said to be England's last, but the saint was not as successful as he appeared, when three local villagers in 1614 claimed to have sighted a 'strange and monstrous serpent' in the forest.
The dragon was reputed to be nine feet in length and could spit poison up to 20 metres. Several fell prey to its malice.
In this episode we investigate the legend, separate truth from fantasy and attempt to draw a conclusion to the bizarre happenings in St. Leonard's Forest throughout the ages.
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Another awesome episode, keep up the good work.
I just wanted to say that this was a really great video, and I really enjoyed it! Keep it up and I can't wait for more great videos!
I love British folklore I live near Northumberland so ther are alot of water hags and wyrms around here.. I Cant wait for more content bro!
You've got to do more and more! Subbed
If it was a pure invention they would have made it larger. Its rearing up and feeding on rabbits and casting forth venom makes it sound like a cobra. It could have been an exotic brought over as part of a private collection of exotics that then got free.