Deterring the Devil at Veryan, Cornwall
Veryan is a delightful little village on the Roseland Peninsula in the south-west of Cornwall. It is famous for five round thatched cottages which were built at the entrances to the village, and which folklore says were there to keep the Devil out of Veryan. Their round shape meant there were no corners in which he could hide, while the crosses on top reinforced the Christian message and were there to act as a deterrent.
The five cottages, which are Grade II*-listed, were built in around 1820 by Hugh Rowe, a Lostwithiel builder, for the vicar of Veryan and local landowner, Jeremiah Trist, who had five daughters. Another theory is simply that there was a cottage for each of the daughters, though one died at the age of 14 in 1809, and another in 1818, so the dates don't really stack up. Perhaps they were built to keep the Devil out, after all.
Deterring the Devil at Veryan, Cornwall
Veryan is a delightful little village on the Roseland Peninsula in the south-west of Cornwall. It is famous for five round thatched cottages which were built at the entrances to the village, and which folklore says were there to keep the Devil out of Veryan. Their round shape meant there were no corners in which he could hide, while the crosses on top reinforced the Christian message and were there to act as a deterrent.
The five cottages, which are Grade II*-listed, were built in around 1820 by Hugh Rowe, a Lostwithiel builder, for the vicar of Veryan and local landowner, Jeremiah Trist, who had five daughters. Another theory is simply that there was a cottage for each of the daughters, though one died at the age of 14 in 1809, and another in 1818, so the dates don't really stack up. Perhaps they were built to keep the Devil out, after all.