It was said that this
phantom dog was part of a divine curse upon the people of
Peterborough for tolerating the sins of the Abbot of
Peterborough Abbey. There are various legends about Black Shuck, or
Old Shuck as he is sometimes called, across the east of
England, but Peterborough's version of the legend is
the oldest.
The word Shuck comes from the Anglo-Saxon for
'Demon' or 'Devil'.
Shuck was first seen as part of a demonic
hunt said to terrorise the area, but shortly afterwards was
reported as operating alone. Shuck is described as being huge,
black, hairy, with red eyes that weep fire... and as a harbinger of
death, anyone who sees him will be dead by sunrise. He was most
commonly seen on the Fen roads on the outskirts of
Peterborough.
It is believed that Sir Arthur
Conan-Doyle based the story of 'The Hound of the
Baskervilles', Sherlock Holmes' most famous mystery, on that of
Black Shuck after hearing about the legend on a visit to the region
in 1901.
Many of Peterborough’s most popular cultural and sporting
facilities are part of Vivacity, an independent,
not-for-profit organisation with charitable status.
Find out more about
the trust on the Vivacity website.