# Trail monsters



## PaulSecteur (14 Dec 2014)

I thought I had heard of all the "nasties" that were supposed to be over Cannock chase. The werewolf[1], the big cat[2], the crashed UFO aliens[3], the pig-faced screaming man[4]. But while in the bike shop the other week buying lights for my early morning ride through the chase the sales assistant made a comment about "The dark eyed children" that are also over there.

After a bit of research it seems they have quite a bit of coverage...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/black-eyed-child-cannock-chase-4474229







But with more research it seems that Cannock is the favoured MTB trail of Taylor Momsen, from The Pretty Reckless...






She always overdoes the eye shadow when she knows things are going to get gnarly in the wild, wild West Midlands. 

I don't believe in any of that tosh because...

[1] Its a hairy dude out for a walk.
[2]Its a cat, it was closer than the observer thought.
[3]They build the trails now. They feed on broken rear MTB mudguards. They are getting fat.
[4]That's me, after a studded pedal to shin interface.

What stories does your trail have?


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## Pumpkin the robot (15 Dec 2014)

One of the roads in Horley (Lonesome lane) which is on one of the routes that the FNRTTC use has a house on the corner that has dolls and teddy bears sat outside on a balcony that belonged to a girl that lived at the house, who was run over and killed. There is a note with them saying that if the teddies are moved the little girl comes back and moves the furniture in the house. 
A little further along the route and also in Horley is a road called Haroldlsea drive the story goes that marching troops slowly pass through the area of Thunderfield Castle and Haroldslea Drive. A phantom bell is to begin to toll as the sun sets, slowly growing louder until midnight comes and a small army of men pass through the area. The castle is said to have been a resting place for King Harold's men as they marched to Hastings.


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## Cubist (15 Dec 2014)

Reports of the sighting of the Black Eyed Child enjoyed a resurgence a couple of months ago, and coincided with news that someone had written a book about it. ...

The only trail monsters I have seen at Cannock are 180mm Enduro bikes ridden by ex-golfers in Stormtrooper garb.......


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## jack smith (15 Dec 2014)

Bugger that! If i saw one of those ghosts when i was out mtbing id gain every kom on my route out of there!! After growing up on an old farmhouse with history ive had more than my fair share of scary people looking at me in the night!


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## Cuchilo (15 Dec 2014)

jack smith said:


> Bugger that! If i saw one of those ghosts when i was out mtbing id gain every kom on my route out of there!! After growing up on an old farmhouse with history ive had more than my fair share of scary people looking at me in the night!


You shouldn't talk about your parents like that Jack !


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## Motozulu (15 Dec 2014)

Martin Archer said:


> One of the roads in Horley (Lonesome lane) which is on one of the routes that the FNRTTC use has a house on the corner that has dolls and teddy bears sat outside on a balcony that belonged to a girl that lived at the house, who was run over and killed. There is a note with them saying that if the teddies are moved the little girl comes back and moves the furniture in the house.
> A little further along the route and also in Horley is a road called Haroldlsea drive the story goes that marching troops slowly pass through the area of Thunderfield Castle and Haroldslea Drive. A phantom bell is to begin to toll as the sun sets, slowly growing louder until midnight comes and a small army of men pass through the area. The castle is said to have been a resting place for King Harold's men as they marched to Hastings.



What a great story. There are often grains of truth to these folk tales and I'd love to believe this one was true - but I don't think the English army travelling from Stamford to Hastings would have gone via Manchester, if that's where the tale is from? Shame.


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## Pumpkin the robot (15 Dec 2014)

No I have been living in Manchester for 14 years, the stories are in Horley which is between London and Brighton.


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## Motozulu (18 Dec 2014)

Aaah - in that case brilliant story and entirely feasible, tbf.


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## PaulSecteur (19 Dec 2014)

A beastie that is often spotted over the chase. It scares some people away, and claims skin and blood from others...


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwUpkmXNHHI


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