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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