Strange But True

There seems to be a strange merging of reality and myth that can be found at Alton Towers one of England’s leading theme parks, for in a woodland adjoing the park which used to belong to Alton Towers can be found an ancient Oak tree which is draped in chains and has a strange tale attached to it. In the theme park can be found a ride known as Hex which is based on the story surrounding this chained Oak tree. A track can be found in the woodland which used to be used by the Earl of Shrewsbury who used to own Alton Towers, he used the track which is known as Barbary Gutter to reach St Giles church and which passes the cursed oak tree which he had chained up in 1830.

The Barbary Gutter which passes the Chained Oak. Photo by Gary Tacagni.

The legend is as follows, the Earl of Shrewsbury was returning home one autumn night in 1821 when an old woman appeared in front of the coach and horses that the Earl was travelling in. The coach was forced to stop as the woman was blocking the road when she proceeded to beg for a coin, the Earl cruelly rejected her pleas and in return she placed a curse upon him. It is assumed that she must have stopped him on the Barbary Gutter, for she said, ” For every branch on the Old Oak tree here that falls, a member of the Earl’s family will die”. The Earl thought no more of this and carried on his way. That very night there was a terrible storm and a single branch from the Oak tree broke and fell to the ground, that same night one of the Earls family mysteriously died. Because of what happened the earl ordered his servants to chain up all the remaining branches on the Oak tree just in case the curse was true and other members of his family might have been victims of the old womans curse. To this day the Oak remains chained up.

Although some branches have now fallen the chains can clearly be seen (not sure if this has wiped out the rest of the Earls family). Photo by Gary Tacagni.

Another version of the story is that the Earls son was out riding one day when he was approaching the Oak tree on the Barbary Gutter he spotted an old woman standing beneath it, as he passed the spot where she had been standing a branch broke off and killed him. There is an account of a riding accident from around this time so there may be more truth to this account, it is thought that the curse part of the story still holds true with this version of the story as the Earl still ends up having the branches of the tree chained up.

This is another view of the chained Oak. Photo by Gary Tacagni.

A set of worn steps can be seen leading up to the tree. Photo by Gary Tacagni.

A considerable proportion of the Chained Oak has fell, it is thought that the chain had become an integral part of the tree’s structure and when it rusted through part of the tree on the lower side nearest the Barbary Gutter has collapsed. Photo by Gary Tacagni.

Chains can still be seen in the upper part of the tree. Photo by Gary Tacagni.

In places the tree has actually grown around the chain. Photo by Gary Tacagni.

One more view of the Chaine Oak. Photo by Gary Tacagni.