Stourhead legend of a country house murder

The Legend of the Murderer and Cannibal of Stourhead

In the past, only family members and their invited guests had the right to enter the Stourhead estate. The only outsiders were the hired cleaners and gardeners, who took care of the surrounding gardens and the parks belonging to the estate. Since there were not many of them, the entire area seemed abandoned and deserted.

One October afternoon, the owner visited the garden with friends to show them the garden in its beautiful autumn colours. As a guide, they chose the gardener responsible for tending to the flowers, trees, and all kinds of plants, and believe me, there were plenty.

The gardener showed the guests around the garden, boasting of the perfectly trimmed hedges and fantastically maintained lawns. Among the visitors were also children, who, as we know, get bored quickly. At one point, one of the children interrupted the gardener’s boasts and asked:

“Are there any scary stories related to this garden, like, maybe with that stone bridge?” The gardener frowned, looked uncertainly at the faces of the guests, but seeing the approving nod of the estate owner, he gathered courage and, turning to the children, said:

“This garden is full of strange creatures, boy.” He pointed to a distant building partially hidden in the thicket. “There under the temple, Crystal Ghosts appear, capable of beguiling an unwary wanderer.”

“Over there,” he pointed to another place, simultaneously bending down to catch a large frog hopping across the damp lawn, causing a squeal among the children and gathered women. “Behind the statue of the Sleeping Lady lives a slimy creature that can grasp even an adult with its tentacles and suck the life out of them.” He paused for a moment, playing with the frog, but seeing the curiosity not only in the children’s eyes, he continued. “However, the worst creature living in Stourhead is a Troll that settled under the stone bridge long ago.”

“Why is it so scary?” asked a little blonde girl who looked like a fluffy rabbit.

The old gardener laughed heartily.

“Because, my little one, it takes only a moment of inattention for it to snatch a person!” He looked at the frightened children staring at him and concluded, “It particularly likes to catch careless and curious children, which it finds delicious.”

Currently, he paused his story and, with a strange grimace, looked into the eyes of the girl who had just asked the question. Seeing the strange old man’s gaze, she hid fearfully behind her mother’s back. The adults present laughed, seeing the scared children. Someone suggested that it was enough of these dark tales and time for a well-deserved rest.

The next day, at dawn, the estate resounded with the screams of a woman who could not find her child. Everyone in the house was immediately put on alert, and the staff was sent into the park to look for the girl who looked like a fluffy rabbit. The foggy morning did not help the search team, but they tirelessly continued their task. Cries calling for the girl echoed through the vast area full of beautiful flowers, perfectly maintained hedges, and neatly cut grass, but the child was nowhere to be found.

Only many hours later did someone find the child’s muddy shoe and tracks leading towards the historic bridge. Adults who had listened to the old gardener’s story the day before felt a shiver run down their spines. They ran, only to see a gruesome sight under the bridge.

The child’s body lay face down in the mud, and even from a distance, it was clear that it was unnaturally twisted, as if someone had broken all the little bones. However, that was not the worst part. It turned out that there were bite marks on the small, delicate body. It looked like someone had feasted on the girl the night before.

The right hand was entirely stripped of flesh down to the bone, other parts of the body were also bitten, and only the child’s face remained untouched. The child’s beautiful, recently laughing eyes now cold and clouded stared into the distance, as if they did not want to believe what had just happened.

When the first shock passed and a moment of clarity came, the estate owner immediately ordered the gardener to be found. In vain. He had disappeared like a stone into water, anticipating that all the blame would fall on him. Others claimed that he was indeed the perpetrator of the gruesome murder and cannibalism.

The truth was never discovered, despite calling in a detective from London, and the crime remains in people’s memory to this day as the legend of Stourhead.