The Hairy Hands of Dartmoor
Drivers on a lonely Dartmoor road said a pair of large, hairy hands closed over theirs and forced them off the road.
What was reported
In the early 1920s, a run of accidents on the road between Postbridge and Two Bridges, on Dartmoor, gave rise to a strange story. Some drivers and cyclists said that just before they lost control, a pair of large, hairy hands appeared over theirs and wrenched the wheel or handlebars.
The tale was taken up by the national press in 1921 and has been retold ever since.
Explanations offered
After the press coverage, the road's camber was found to be poor and it was rebuilt, after which the reports largely stopped. The story is now seen as a local legend that grew around a dangerous stretch of road.
- When
- Reported from 1921
- Where
- Near Postbridge, Dartmoor, Devon, England
- Witnesses
- Motorists and cyclists
- 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.