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The Infamous Longendale Slug

evilsprout

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If people don't know of the huge slug-beast seen in Longendale, Derbyshire, this is from http://www.hauntedvalley.com/index_s.htm

Mr John Davies has lived in the Longdendale Valley for most of his life and often tells the story of a weird encounter he had one night at the Devil's Elbow.

He remembers riding home on his motorbike from Manchester late on a clear moonlit night and as he rounded the bend in the road he felt an overwhelming urge to stop. He became aware of an odd gravelly, gritty noise and to his amazement he saw a huge creature emerge from the reservoir and slide across the road in front of him.

In Ghosts and Legends of the Peak District, he described the monster thus "It was like a massive black slug sliding across t'road and up t'moor. It had a head just like a whale and a white eye with a black pupil going round and round."

The beast disappeared and Mr Davies got off his motorbike to search for it but there was nothing there.

Has there ever been anything like this described anywhere else, ever?
 
There is a report of a giant slug in Africa here
Mulilo (Zaire and Zambia AFRICA): A giant slug-like animal reported from the Congo Rain forest and nearby areas in Zaire and Zambia. My personal opinion is that this is some kind of oversiezed gastropod, perhaps related to normal terrestrial slugs, or perhaps evolved seperately from another gastropod line. could also be some completley other kind of animal which has a somewhat slug-like appearence.

But it might be a snake - see another reference to it here?
The River Snake of the Copperbelt and Shaba Pedicle
Brelsford (1936:56) refers to this creature by the nonsensical name of Mulilo (Fire), describes it as a four-foot long black slug, and tells how it can be trapped and killed. But Brelsford was surely describing another creature,5 for every account I obtained insisted that all attempts to net or trap this immense and invisible snake ended in failure.
 
I have a vague memory of reading about a giant subterranean slug in South America that was supposed to cause landslides and destroy roads. No reference I'm afraid. Possible FT article(?)
 
Is this it?

In the South America, a giant aniaml reputed to be similar to a large earthworm surfaced in the late 1900 was saw by many people. The size of the beast is said to be bigger than 25 meters long, and 1 meter large, thick, able to take livestock and dragging it underwater. It also dig enormous subterraneans trenches. Some thinks that it's a reptile (caecilians), which are really possible, due to the fact that both feature 2 tentacles on the head; many other goes for the animal related to the earthworms. It is also possible to be a giant slug that burrows in the ground to keep drying under the hot sun of the region. The only problem with this theory is that Slugs aren't carnivorous.
 
Sounds very similar. The report I remember (I can remember the page design/layout, but not the publication) stated that it caused widespread destruction in remote parts of the country it lived in and that it was refered to in the story cycles of the local people.

Thinking about this, I even remember why I read the article; the headline caught my eye because I had just been reading about the Mongolian Death Worm. Link here. I was reading about that because I had been frightening myself reading about the Guinea worm, parasites being my fave phobia.:eek!!!!:
 
This Longdendale sighting sounds like one I remember reading about somewhere... It was a sighting of the Loch Ness Monster on land.

I'll try Googling for it later.

Edit: Found this:
The original theory of monster hunter, Ted Holiday, who spent time from 1962 - 1965 investigating Loch Ness lake, concluded in his book, The Great Orm of Loch Ness, that the creature was simply a giant version of the common garden slug, an ancestor of the squid and octopus. A type of "Tullimonstrum gregarium, a creature with a shape of a submarine, with a broad tail." Holiday argued that these creatures were in ages past all over England, and were the basis for the dragon legends.

He also came up with another more eccentric theory about the Loch Ness monsters connected to black magic and spells. Intrigued by the horror of people who see Nessie, and similar creatures in Ireland lakes, where an animal couldn't possibly survive, he began to theorize that Nessie-like monsters were merely projections of evil doers who dabble in the black arts. Toward the end of his life in the early 1970's he wrote two books on the subject. "The Goblin Universe" and "The Dragon and the Disc."
Also this less slug-like encounter with Nessie ashore:
In one of the first sighting of the creature out of the water, Arthur Grant was riding his motorbike back to his house in 1934, when he nearly ran into a creature crossing the road. In the light of the moon he could see a long necked animal with a small head, thick body and a long tapering tail. The creature seemed to be moving by the aid of flippers protruding from its body. The creature went back down to the loch, and disappeared into the water and out of his sight.
And on this page I found
Oklahoman lake beast (several lakes in Oklahoma NA): A strange, octopus- or squid-like creature has long been feared by the natives of this region, and is held responsible for the extremely high rate of drownings and dissapearences on lakes like Lake Tenkiller, Lake Thunderbird, and Lake Oolagah. it is said to be the size of a horse, with seeral large "arms" (tentecles) and tiny eyes, is reddish brown and has leathery skin. it makes absolutely no sound, and the natives liken it to a slug or leech. to me, this sounds very much like the ugly octopus-like creatures reported from the eastern states, and the skookums reported from western North America. these things are probably a species of giant freshwater octopus.
 
Look at the brief quote on this page under 1933, July 22.

[Something weird happened when I tried to Copy the para... Woo!]

Elsewhere I found this:
Whatever is that stirs in Loch Ness, is not a newcomer. An inscription on14th century map of the loch tells vaguely but chillingly of "waves without wind, fish without fins, islands that float"
(The last quote can be found mentioned on these websites.)
 
I have a feeling that many of the early sightings at Loch Ness described the creature as an invertebrate. This may be down to changing trends and points of reference among witnesses ie. pre WW2 nessie is a slug-like beastie - post WW2 nessie is a dinosaur-like beastie. An interesting thing about many of the "slug" sightings is the sense of disgust that often accompanies the experience - words like "abomination" and "loathsome" appear quite regularly. I suppost that's only natural though - a twenty foot long slug could play havoc with your rhubarb.

In his book Mystery Animals of Britain and Ireland Graham McEwan describes a creature referred to in English folklore as "Boneless". Unfortunately he only cites one example of an encounter being the experience of a Policeman on the Minehead to Bridgewater road in Somerset.

That writer of great ghost stories E F Benson wrote several containing slug-like entities. He would have been about contemporaneous with some of the early pre-war sightings at Loch Ness - I wonder if he was influenced by them.
 
Some people might like to find a giant slug in order to gobble it!

I found these horrible communications on a site devoted to Live Food:



http://fins.actwin.com/live-foods/month.9805/msg00015.html




To: [email protected]
* Subject: Slug licking!(Actual Consumption!)
* From: "Dave Lains" <[email protected]>
* Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 19:47:32 PDT


------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello All

I just completed a week long first aid/wilderness survival course in
which the main instructor mentioned that slugs can be a source of food
in survival situations. Well on the last night of this camp we had a
camp out and after complete boredom had settled in some one decided to
use a slug as a marshmallow ie he roasted it. After eating it and
making weird faces he said he want to see if he could do it. Ok but it
was ment to be in a pinch the instructor said. Well after word of this
feat got around the camp a "friendly" slug eating competition set in.
They decide to up the ante by eating the slugs raw. At first they were
small black ones but then someone found the king of the slugs...
Washington States' invertebrate mascot the 8 inch+ banana slug. When
this thing pulled its head in it looked like some form of animal
dropping, but this didn't stop the sober for way to long campers (oh
this was a completely sober event and most people there were very fond
of their bottles) from chowing down on this green brown turd!!! I gaged
as soon as it hit his mouth, and nearly pucked when he chewed it a few
times but after someone handed him $15 for eating it he said it was
quite tasty...but definitely not like a banana.

Why culture when you can collect? a little beer and you'll have all the
slugs you want.

Dave Lains
<}}}><


>Subject: Slug licking!
>
>When I was in high school I voluntered at a week long outdoor school
for 6th
>graders. I did this twice a year for three years. One of my favorite
things to
>show the kids is that if you lick a slug your tounge goes numb. I would
always
>demonstrate for the kids and then give them a turn. I would aways have
takers
>both boys and girls. I have licked somewhere over 20 frogs in my time.
Yum!
>
>Any way, my frogs and newts love them also (I have a lot of numb frog
lips).I
>go out side and collect the small guys on a regular basis. I was just
>wondering if anyone else feeds slugs and has anyone given thought to
culturing them?
>
>Jeremy
 
I know this spot well and its infamous for being related to the occult, there are many reports of witchcraft and all that malarky happening in the area, i know there is a big rock near by where the satanists go and kill sheep they also do all theyr creepy stuff there, what ever it may be!
 
I'm not sure that the original account should be seen as cryptozoological. In 'Earth Lights Revelation' - Devereux 1989; its described thus:

'I was on my motorbike on a section of the road known as the Devil's Elbow. The moon lit up everything as bright as day and as I rounded the corner ...........a great black wall appeared in front . I couldn't see through it. Had to stop right in front of it. It didn't frighten me but I had a queer sensation. It was like a massive black slug sliding across t'road and up t'moor. It disappeared and I got out and had a look. But there was nothing there.'

(elision in original)

From this I read 'slug' as being used as a simile, for descriptive purposes. Whatever the phenomenon was, it was clearly transitory, and I don't think a biological explanation is appropriate. Note the number of differences between this account and the one off the web.

In particular, the Devils Elbow bend is a fair distance from the reservoir (look it up on a map).

he saw a huge creature emerge from the reservoir and slide across the road in front of him.

Seems like embroidery to me - I've driven this road loads of times, and at the bend, going either way, the sightlines are such that this is not possible. leaving aside the distance involved.



I know this spot well and its infamous for being related to the occult

Devils Elbow? Really? What's your source?
 
wintermute said:
Devils Elbow? Really? What's your source?

I think he is confused slightly, i took him to a spot where the occult like to mince with there stuff, and we happen'd to pass Devils elbow. i cant remember the name of the place but it was something rock, could it be combes rock or devils rock or something, but its only about 10 minutes away from there. when we got there, no-one was around but there had obviously been something going on, there was blood everywhere and bits of dead sheep everywhere not a nice place, and the local ranger told me not to go near it as he didnt go down there himself. ( sounds like the blair witch ) but i dont think its as bad as what every says!
 
Mr C- I'm not being picky, but could you be more specific - I'm sitting here with the OS 1:25000, but can't find either of those names. I do a fair bit of walking in Longendale, and would be interested in finding the location as part of my ongoing interest in general wierdness in the area.

It wasn't Torside Castle, by any chance?

Any info appreciated!
 
No worrys Wintermute, tomorrow ill dig out the A-Z and ring my mate who took us down and let you know exactly where it was. it's a nice place to visit ( if you like that sort of thing ) i have some pictures i will scan for you too.
 
I just got back from ringing my friend who took us over and it looks like its not near devils elbow at all but its still in the peak district there's a place called black hill if you go onto the top it dips into what seems like a small quarry at the bottom is a huge rock called crockadile rock. its there where all the funny business goes on, sorry to be misleading.

Is torside castle at torside resoviour near woodhead? if so is it worth the drive, as i wouldnt mind taking my mums dog for a walk round there.
 
That South American report sounds a lot like the film "TREMORS"...
 
there's a place called black hill i

Is this the Black Hill at SE077047 (about 1 mile S of the A635)?

There's evidence of ritual use of Wessenden Moor just N of the A635, especially at West Nab (SE075088). There's a prominent stone with the 'Cock Crowing Stone' painted on, and a large figure carved into rocks above (looks like old quarry)

[Tried to attach piccies but they are too big]

Torside Castle is at the top of the clough which comes down just W of the car park on the B6105. Best way to reach it is to go W from the car park along the old railway line, then after about 3/4 mile double back onto the path running up behind the farm. There's quite a steep ascent, and the path can be difficult in poor weather. A couple of miles up the path Torside Castle is about 400m west at SK077966. Its easily visible. Not a real castle, just a mound, but very prominent, and the area is known for strangeness.
 
wintermute said:
Is this the Black Hill at SE077047 (about 1 mile S of the A635)?

Thats the the one, im not sure about the ref point as im using microsoft autoroute.


There's evidence of ritual use of Wessenden Moor just N of the A635, especially at West Nab (SE075088). There's a prominent stone with the 'Cock Crowing Stone' painted on, and a large figure carved into rocks above (looks like old quarry)

This also sounds familiar it doesnt show up on my map ( i take it its not further north than the A62 ). but it sounds like its not too far from diggle tunnel which my dad has had a ghostly experience down there. i think the whole area is a wash with fortean tales.

ive used to have a book with ghosts storys from the upperthong/netherthing/holmfirth area, wish i could find it again as i wouldnt mind visiting these places this summer.

if you have any more details on the SE075088 place id be interested!

you edited when i was posting lol.
 
Wessenden Moor

The 'Cock Crowing Stone' is easily visible just off Wessenden Head Road, which runs from the A635 NE towards Meltham. From it you can take a path up to West Nab, where the 'petroglyph' can be found facing the road to the E of the quarry remains.

Lights have been seen over the Wessenden reservoirs, which run N from the A635 towards Marsden.

On Dick Hill/Aldermans Hill just across from the Dovestone reservoir (off A635 outside Greenfield) there's a war memorial, and just N is a group of rocks on which someone has very carefully painted a rainbow. Just N of here is Running Hill Farm (in the valley going towards the A62, which had misty figures seen wandering about. There's a Boggart Stones just off the A635 almost due N of the W end of Dovestones reservoir, but there's so many Boggart Stones around I'm not sure if that's significant.

I suspect there's more stuff to be found out about this area.......
 
Thanks for that wintermute, ill certainly look into it some more, the thing with dovestones is its full of boy racers at night who pull up for a smoke, we went camping there hoping to catch a glimspe of the infamous lights in the sky, but found nothing, but ill look into the other places you suggested, im also going to look out for some good books on the area.
 
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