Clare Curtis

According to local legend, a ghostly dog going by the name of Black Shuck is said to stalk the Fens, fields and graveyards of East Anglia. With his dark, shaggy fur and red, fiery eyes, the dog makes not a sound as he walks yet his howl causes the blood to run cold of anyone unfortunate enough to be within earshot on a dark, stormy night.

One particularly sinister account from 1577 reports that the giant hellhound forced his way into the Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh, Suffolk, fatally clamping his jaws around the necks of two unsuspecting members of the congregation and leaving scorch marks on the doors – evidence of his existence that remains to this day.

Rumours of this havoc-wreaking creature continue to surface, inspiring creatives over the centuries to immortalise the tale. One such artist