FOLKLORE
Collingbourne Kingston is among those English villages which share the legend of a monstrous, avenging Black Dog. Our story says that two robbers who operated along the Bath Road robbed an old couple, killed them and set fire to their house. Neighbours raised a hue and cry and pursued them down through Everleigh where the murderers fled into Collingbourne Woods, not knowing that those with guilty consciences never went there at night for it was the haunt of the fearful Black Dog with its great yellow eyes as big as saucers that brought ill luck to all those that encountered it and death to evildoers. With their pursuers close behind the miscreants ran deeper into the woods until fixed by a terrible gaze. They turned tail and ran screaming back up onto the downs only to run straight into the arms of those chasing them. They were taken to Devizes, tried and hanged. This happened in the 17th century but the Black Dog is still said to be seen in the woods and those without a clear conscience are strongly advised not to travel the road to Collingbourne Kingston at night.
On a happier note our second claim to folklore fame concerns the short road and track that runs down to the meadows on the south side of the churchyard and now known as Church Lane.
It seems that it was previously known as Goldhill as a certain Dame Pile (see monument in church), learning that King Charles1 was to pass through the village during the Civil War, and being a staunch loyalist, met him at the top of the hill to give him all her valuables for the cause. This gift was described as a ‘lapful of gold’ and so the hill where the village cross now stands got its now forgotten name. Recent attempts by the Parish Council to get this traditional name officially adopted again were unfortunately thwarted.
