Shuckleigh exists between worlds. The first records of a place of this name come from around 800CE. Back then, it consisted of little more than a collection of twenty or so ramshackle cottages, but obviously the Black Dog had already visited.

By the 1500s Shuckleigh had grown to a small market town, and in 1503, the Black Dog entered the church of Saint Mary during the Sunday service and ran up the aisle towards the altar. The vicar was unwise enough to look the Dog straight in the eyes and attempt to banish it. He dropped dead on the spot. Only one other member of the congregation caught a glimpse of the Dog’s red eyed stare, and he was never quite sane again.

Since then, it is said that the Dog visits regularly, especially about midsummer and midwinter. Many people claim to see it every year