10 Problems Only People From Crook Will Understand

3. Fearing (Or Being Confused By) The Devil's Stone

Sited in the town centre is the peculiar and rather out of place attraction known as the Devil's Stone, also known as the Blue Stone. Although named as a singular item, this is actually 3 separate pieces of what is thought to be igneous rock originally from Borrowdale in the Lake District. Borrowdale was covered by Atlantic oak woodlands, and like Crook, is an area that was formed by large glacial formation and movement during the ice age. In fact it is thought that this rock was brought to Crook through the movement of such glacier in the first place. Well... that's the best guess anyway. The plaque on the stone denotes that it was "probably transported from Borrowdale" by a glacier. Very definitive!

Now on the face of it, it is a bit marvellous that a piece of rock from the best part of a 100 miles away, were carried along and deposited by natural process during the Great Ice Age. As far as rocks go I'm sure they're also very pretty. What is slightly discerning is why it is called what it is, and why it is there. Growing up in Crook it is written in folklore that if you run around these rocks 7 times you will summon the devil to appear: a myth used by parents to scare their children, and used by some to prove their unfettered bravery. Inevitably, the origin of this story is a little hazy. But the fact that something which supposedly has involvement in satanic ritual is so prominently placed in the heart of the community does raise questions of Crook's upbringing. Don't be surprised to find out one day that we are in fact sitting on the Hell Mouth - we are in fact Co Durham's equivalent of Sunnydale.