In 1704, the Church of St Peter and St Paul caught ablaze. The rector and church warden began a blazing row about who would have ownership of the bells.
The Devil seized his chance and appeared in the cloud of soot and smoke. He snatched the bells and made his escape. The villagers chased him until the Devil jumped one final leap before plummeting through the earth and back down to the underworld with his bounty. This leap created a hollow which became a pond. This pond is known as the hellhole.
Legendary Essex note: This story originates from Tunstall in Norfolk, and there are other stories in Suffolk of the Devil being warded off by bells or trying to disrupt the ringing of bells.
