The Teller of this ‘Woodland Tale’ was Richard Doddridge Blackmore. He became known as the author of ‘Lorna Doone – a Romance of Exmoor’, excelling at description of the natural world and rural life. Blackmore is thought of, and thought of himself, as a son of Devon, the setting of his most famous work. But he has strong connections with Oxfordshire, the woodland of his tale being Stow Wood and the tale itself being set firmly in Beckley. In telling his tale and that of his protagonist, Cripps, it may be discovered that there are questions still to be answered in Beckley . . . .

This talk will be given in the pub and not recorded.