The Silent Tower of Forrabury
A church above a Cornish harbour has never had bells. The ship bringing them sank in sight of land, and in storms, they're said to toll under the sea.
What was reported
The church of St Symphorian at Forrabury, high above Boscastle harbour in Cornwall, has a tower without bells. Local legend explains why: long ago, a ship was bringing new bells for the church. As it approached the harbour, the pilot heard the bells of a nearby church and thanked God for a safe voyage.
The captain mocked him, saying they should thank him and the ship instead. A storm blew up, the ship was wrecked on the rocks, and only the pilot survived. The bells sank, and in stormy weather, it's said, they can be heard ringing beneath the waves.
Explanations offered
The legend, popularised by the Victorian poet Robert Stephen Hawker, is one of many tales of drowned bells around Britain. Boscastle's harbour is notoriously difficult to enter, and shipwrecks on that coast were common.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Forrabury, Boscastle, Cornwall, England, UK
- Witnesses
- Cornish folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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