The Dragon of Bures

Etched into the side of this hill in Suffolk is the very grand reminder of the creature that terrorised an entire village.

The town of Bures straddles the county line separating Essex and Suffolk. With the smaller half of Bures in Suffolk and home to this giant beast.

Locals in Bure have been equally entertained and terrified by the dragon from as early as 1405 when a monk first recorded the legend which has been embellished and exaggerated ever since.

According to local lore, several workers from the village saw the monster firsthand. Described as having a long tail, crested head and serrated teeth. The beast terrorised the village, breathing fire and leaving carnage in its wake. A poor shepherd and his flock met their end during the rampage being burnt alive.

Locals set about trying to stop the carnage and fired volley after volley of arrows with little zero affect as not a single arrow pierced its skin. In fear, men from around the county were summoned to help fight the creature, who now greatly out numbered, made a hasty retreat down river and disappeared into the surrounding wetland.

If you talk to the residents of Wormingford they have their own ending of course. When making its escape, the dragon fled to their nearby village and lore has it the locals captured and victoriously slay the dragon saving the world.

What was still a victory for Bures gave cause for the makeshift army to celebrate late into the night, feasting on the still warm sheep cooked by the dragons breath.

Sceptics write off the whole event as merely an encounter with a crocodile that escaped from the Tower of London. Which matches the description of events, bar the fire breathing part. The menagerie at the Tower did have crocodiles since King Saladin gifted one to Richard the first. Though being nearly 55 miles away leaves doubt to the theory.

To commemorate the entire legend to physical history the art work was engraved into the side of the hill in Bures in 2012 to coincide with the Queens Jubilee. The dragon is on private land but viewable for quite a distance. Parking on Cuckoo Hill and following the foot path gives the best view. Following sat nav will lead you to a private residence and greeted by this sign.

Location: Cuckoo Hill

Bures

CO8 5LD