The Moors

Do you know about Old Jack or who was in Grimm's Grave? Let Devon know the answer.

Dudley Sands
Grim's Grave is that of the Devil. The cover stone has been broken in half and all the surrounding stones appear to be blown out and it is the legend that this all happened when the Devil broke out of his tomb like an explosion."Old Jack" is one of six 'Bound Stones' that run for about a mile across Haytor Down. Others named are 'Prince Albert', 'Wm Stone', 'Old Jack', 'Victoria', and 'Prince of Wales'There are doubts that Old Jack was Jack Wrightson as these stones are much older than that.

Nico Tyack
In his Guide to Dartmoor, Crossing makes lots of references to Grim on the moor. According to Crossing (and I think Baring-Gould, who wrote an anthology of Dartmoor folklore), Grim is no other than the Devil. Quite what he's doing in a grave, I'm not sure, but it's the same Grim who built Grimspound up on Hameldown Hill.

Jan Wrightson
Old Jack was my father!! Jack Wrightson retired to Haytor in 1978 at the age of 65 to take over as warden of the Boys' Brigade Broadleas Training Centre, a job he did for the next 13 years before retiring again to Bovey Tracey in 1991. It didn't take him long to find the Old Jack bond stone, which lies about half a mile from Broadleas, and he decided that when he died, his ashes should be scattered there. This was done in 2003. He certainly has a good view!

sandy skilton
"It is now known as Grims-grove, that is Grim's Grave, and has been looked upon as probably the last resting-place of a Viking of that name, who fell in the battle which gave the upper part of the Plym its name of cad, or battlefield," 1895

Sandy Skilton
Old Jack - SX 76883 78088This old fellow is in fact a boundary stone which marks the bounds of the Islington and Bovey Tracey parish bounds. A stone was recorded in 1835 but it was thought to have been a natural rock. In 1853 it was noted that the stone had been removed but it was ordered to be replaced. The stone now standing is inscribed "Old Jack".

Ian Porter
Top picture.