Best Devon Wesley Podcasts (2025)

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Festive Folklore and Traditions with The Faerie Folk and Celtic Myths & Legends 47:22

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3d ago47:22

47:22

For this second episode in our Festive Folklore series for December 2025, I'm joined by my podcast pals, The Faerie Folk podcast and Sian Powell from Celtic Myths & Legends. We discuss some plant-based traditions from Herefordshire, the Mari Lwyd, and Cornwall's Montol Festival. We also talk about Christmas films, our own Christmas traditions, and …

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Myths of the Stars and Planets with Suki Ferguson 41:49

7d ago41:49

41:49

In this episode of Fabulous Folklore Presents, I chat to writer Suki Ferguson about some of the myths associated with the celestial bodies, how you approach myths when you don't just want to focus on the Greek and Roman ones, and what we can learn from looking at the night sky! Suki is the author of Young Oracle Tarot: An initiation into tarot's my…

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Festive Folklore & Christmas Carols with Loremen 46:03

10d ago46:03

46:03

For this first episode in our Festive Folklore series for December 2025, I'm joined by my podcast pals, James Shakeshaft and Alasdair Beckett-King, better known as the Loremen. We discuss some obscure Christmas superstitions and omens, and a truly bizarre apocryphal Christmas carol. We also talk about Christmas films, our own Christmas traditions, …

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Legends of New York's Islands: Buried Treasure and Typhoid Mary 24:49

17d ago24:49

24:49

New York City conjures up images of a neon-drenched Times Square, skyscrapers gleaming in the sun, and the labyrinthine subway system. Yet the city also boasts three main rivers; the Hudson to the west, the East River to the east (unsurprisingly), and the Harlem to the north. Where we find rivers, we can find islands. Where we find islands, we find…

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#100: Identity, Growth & Reinvention - Lessons from 100 Episodes 49:35

17d ago49:35

49:35

What does it mean to be in your prime and who decides when you've hit it? In this 100th episode, the guys reflect on the evolution of The Manhood Experiment and what it's taught them about growth, identity, and reinvention. With 500,000+ downloads and three years of consistent conversation, they're not just marking a milestone, they're part of a la…

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Menorca Legends: Lost Cities, Giants, and the Cyclops 18:17

24d ago18:17

18:17

Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Well-known for a huge collection of megaliths, Menorca has seen human activity since the prehistoric era. This period was the Talayotic period, which lasted until 123 BCE. The island fell under Roman occupation, Vandal conquest, the Byzantine Empire, and, centuries later, British occu…

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Anglesey Folklore: Witches, Ghosts, and Ancient Druids 24:23

1M ago24:23

24:23

Perhaps most famous as the home of the druids, Ynys Môn, also known as Anglesey, occupies 275 square miles just off the north Wales coast. It is an ancient place. Archaeologists found Neolithic settlements at Llanfaethlu, making these some of the oldest villages in Wales. The Neolithic Castell Bryn Gwyn site remained in use until the Roman period. …

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Legends of Drake's Island: Tunnels, Ghosts, and a White Lady 22:12

1M ago22:12

22:12

Drake's Island sits in Plymouth Sound, around 500 m from the mainland. The island is just 6.5 acres, and around 250 yards wide at its broadest point. You can reach the island by boat in 10 minutes. Its name refers to Sir Francis Drake, a problematic figure often lauded for his circumnavigation efforts. He also has very little to do with Drake's Isl…

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Listener Supernatural Experiences Part 4 25:27

1M ago25:27

25:27

Today marks All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day or the Feast of All Hallows. That's why Hallowe'en is called that - it's All Hallow's Eve. The day celebrates saints, but the far more interesting day for folklore is tomorrow - All Souls' Day. All Souls' Day marks remembrance of the dead, whether that's visiting graves, praying for the de…

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How do we understand the reputation of the Amityville Horror House? 18:29

2M ago18:29

18:29

If I ask you to think of a famous haunted house, will your mind wander to a white Dutch Colonial house, with quarter-round windows lit from within to look like red eyes? Yes? Then the reputation of 112 Ocean Avenue has done its work, aided and abetted by The Amityville Horror. Even if that wasn't the first house you thought of, Amityville's reputat…

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Just how bad were the prisons at the Doge's Palace? 20:36

2M ago20:36

20:36

The Palazzo Ducale dominates the view as your vaporetto approaches the San Marco stop. The huge building is an example of Venetian Gothic architecture, all pointed arches and quatrefoils. It's hard to believe that two prisons lie within its bulk, with a third inside the pristine white building alongside it. Tourists might be the only people who vis…

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British Folklore from Past to Present with Owen Davies and Ceri Houlbrook 50:57

2M ago50:57

50:57

In this episode of Fabulous Folklore Presents, I'm talking to two folklore heavyweights - Owen Davies and Ceri Houlbrook! Owen Davies is Professor of Social History at the University of Hertfordshire. He is the author of numerous books, most recently Art of Grimoire and Troubled by Faith: Insanity and the Supernatural in the Age of the Asylum (both…

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Newgate Prison: Novels, Escapees, and Dreadful Conditions 21:10

2M ago21:10

21:10

If you've ever read any Charles Dickens novels, especially Great Expectations, then you'll have run into Newgate Prison. The hulking, notorious jail loomed large in London's history, before its demolition in 1902. While accurate execution statistics are difficult to find, there's a suggestion that over 1000 people faced capital punishment at the pr…

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How did popular culture add to Bedlam's fearsome reputation? 24:57

2M ago24:57

24:57

Bedlam, or Bethlem Royal Hospital to give it its full name, is actually the world's oldest psychiatric institution. It began life in 1247 in the Priory of St Mary of Bethlehem, which stood where we now find Liverpool Street Station. Yet the hospital has inspired a range of books, films, and TV series, with its infamous reputation lasting well into …

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Foxes in Folk Tales: From Aesop to Reynard 18:14

3M ago18:14

18:14

Foxes appear in literature and legend across the world. Look at Brer Fox in the American South. In Rebel Folklore, I discussed the Jiuwei Hu of China, or nine-tailed fox, who drains men of their life force. Korea's kumiho is a similar spirit, while Japan has the supernatural fox spirit, the kitsune. Scholar Al-Biruni, magician Cornelius Agrippa and…

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#99: The Ultimate 3-Step System to Break Stagnation & Build Momentum 47:09

3M ago47:09

47:09

You're not alone. The most successful men have faced this wall and broken through it. You had a plan, but life hit you hard and knocked you off course. Or you're stuck in your own head, knowing you've got what it takes but still not pulling the trigger. This episode of The Manhood Experiment is here to help you break through that wall and get back …

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Monsters and Strange Creatures with Natalie Lawrence 49:43

3M ago49:43

49:43

Natalie Lawrence is an author and illustrator who explores our relationship with the natural world, looking through multiple lenses - from the biological to the mythic and psychoanalytic. She completed a MSc and Ph.D. in History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge, exploring the making and meanings of monstrous creatures in seventeenth century E…

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Hedgehogs in Folklore: Witches, Familiars, and Milk Thieves 20:37

3M ago20:37

20:37

Hedgehogs are one of the stranger mammals you might encounter. They're nocturnal, they hibernate, they're prone to rolling into a ball when frightened, and they're extremely vulnerable to habitat loss. While some of you will undoubtedly have first thought of Sonic, others might have thought of Mrs Tiggywinkle from the Beatrix Potter books. Either w…

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Moles in Folklore: Folk Remedies and Weather Omens 20:20

3M ago20:20

20:20

Moles are fascinating creatures. They're phenomenal diggers and while they weigh around 120g, they can shift 540 times their body weight of earth. Given they live entirely underground, they're a rarely seen mammal, and we only know they're there when we see their molehills. Surprisingly, there is more folklore about them than more commonly encounte…

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Otters in Folklore: Brave Helpers or Fearsome Monsters 15:27

3M ago15:27

15:27

Otters are some of the most charming mammals you might encounter. Sometimes nicknamed the "water sausage" by the internet, otters are playful, intelligent, and capable of using tools. They also appear in popular culture, most notably in Tarka the Otter and The Wind in the Willows. Yet in reality, they're incredibly elusive. They might live in wetla…

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Creepy Listener Stories of Space and Place 21:21

4M ago21:21

21:21

When we think about folklore, we often think about the characters involved: King Arthur, Queen Mab, Lady Godiva, and more. Yet folklore has an intrinsic link with place, too. Even the most throwaway comment about a place can reveal stories linked with them. Such stories can reveal how we feel about places, especially when human activity moves away.…

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The Screaming Skulls: Guardian Spirits or Poltergeists-in-Waiting? 26:59

4M ago26:59

26:59

English folklore is full of peculiarities. The legends of the so-called screaming skulls are definitely among them. These are skulls kept in mansions and farmhouses, sometimes considered to be guardians of the property. Legends abound of the violent deeds done to the owners of the skulls. But many of these stories come with hauntings attached if th…

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Storytelling and Making Folklore Accessible with Three Ravens 1:32:35

4M ago1:32:35

1:32:35

I'm talking to Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux from the Three Ravens podcast about the difficulties in defining 'folklore', the importance of storytelling, which of England's 39 historic counties has the best folk tales, why people love ghost stories, and making folklore accessible to wider audiences! Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux are the brains be…

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How does 'Poltergeist' draw on actual poltergeist accounts? 27:33

4M ago27:33

27:33

Poltergeist marked Hollywood's big-budget engagement with the ghost film in 1982. Produced by Stephen Spielberg and directed by Tobe Hooper, it took the haunted house film and mashed it together with the family adventure film. Throw in some special effects courtesy of Industrial Light and Magic, and you end up with the film that relocated haunted h…

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The Power and Allure of Poisonous Plants with S.A. Lawless 1:27:38

4M ago1:27:38

1:27:38

S.A. Lawless is an herbalist, gardener, forager, mycophile, outdoor educator, and published author and illustrator, with a long-held fascination with folklore and witchcraft, currently living in rural Ontario, Canada. She has been studying and practicing herbalism for 20 years and has worked as a professional nature field guide for 15 years. As a h…

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The Wesley Poltergeist and the Bishopwearmouth Poltergeist Go Head-to-Head 27:59

4M ago27:59

27:59

Last week, we looked at some poltergeist definitions and whether such definitions are even helpful. Can something as truly bizarre as a 'knocking spirit' be boiled down to a series of checkboxes on a form? Yet they're also not the invention of the 20th century. Nor are they the preserve of ghost hunters or psychics. Poltergeist accounts stretch bac…

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Poltergeists: Noisy Ghosts or Household Spirits? 19:16

5M ago19:16

19:16

This episode of Fabulous Folklore begins with a reading of the Poltergeist entry from my new book, Ghostlore, before we explore the problem with poltergeists - how do you define one?! From deciding what phenomena to include to picking a name, the poltergeist proves to be a flexible yet elusive figure in historical accounts. Is that spontaneous fire…

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White Ladies, Ghost Nuns & Spectral Children in Haunted Madrid 20:50

5M ago20:50

20:50

People have lived in the Madrid area since prehistoric times. Occupied by Romans, Moors, and then the Spanish, it has quite the history. Over 6.8 million people live in Madrid. That's less than Paris and London but more than Berlin. Of course, a capital city will boast a few ghost stories. The ghosts of those executed for heresy and witchcraft in t…

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Murder Ballads and Dark Folk Music with Katy Horan 50:12

5M ago50:12

50:12

In this chat, I'm talking to illustrator Katy Horan about murder ballads, discussing what they are, how they work within folk music, how contemporary musicians have tried to reclaim the tradition, and the issues with examining ballads when all you might have is the lyrics! Katy Horan is an illustrator and interdisciplinary artist whose work has bee…

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The Venetian Legend of the Carvings of Castello 16:25

5M ago16:25

16:25

If you head away from the hustle and bustle of the Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square), you’ll head into the stranger, more magical part of Venice. It’s in the tangle of narrow streets and courts that you enter the realm of Venetian legend. It's difficult to know how many of them have any basis in fact. One legend sees the Devil face off with legen…

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Dublin Ghost Stories of Phantom Dogs and Mysterious Figures 17:40

5M ago17:40

17:40

Dublin is a beautiful city that straddles the River Liffey, famous as the home of Guinness and the National Leprechaun Museum. What you might not expect from the Irish capital is a series of Dublin ghost stories. Though why not? The city enjoys a millennium of history, including Viking settlement, economic hardship caused by the Dissolution of the …

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Folk Traditions and Strange Sights in Florence 23:54

5M ago23:54

23:54

Florence was founded in the 1st century BCE as a Roman military outpost, although it came to prominence as a centre of commerce and the arts in the 14th to 16th centuries CE. The Florentine method of speech even became the Italian language. Some of the city's most famous exports are Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Michelangelo, and Niccolo Machiavelli,…

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Witches in Devon and Witchcraft Trials in Theatre with Tracey Norman 1:05:53

6M ago1:05:53

1:05:53

Tracey has written fiction for as long as she can remember, covering a variety of genres and subjects. Her first stage play WITCH, a historical drama based on original English witch trial transcripts, premiered in 2016 and has been performed more than 80 times to date. Tracey’s most recent publications were Dark Folklore (2021), co-written with her…

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The Newcastle Witch Trials and Northern Cunning Men with Dave Silk 52:36

6M ago52:36

52:36

Dave Silk is a storyteller and historian from Newcastle upon Tyne and co-author of Tyne and Wear Folktales for Children. He collects and retells traditional tales and ancient stories from around these isles and further afield and enjoys rearing pet leeches and practicing the Dark Arts. In the daytime, he is usually found doing his ‘normal job’ of l…

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Margery Jourdemayne and the Coggeshall Witch with Deborah Hyde 43:37

6M ago43:37

43:37

In this third episode of our Witches, Cunning Folk & Magic theme, I'm talking to Deborah Hyde, an author, presenter and producer who has written for periodicals such as The Guardian and The Fortean Times, and who specialises in the subject of weird belief. For ten years, Deborah was Editor-in-Chief of The Skeptic and is a fellow of The Committee fo…

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Witches in History and Superstition with Willow Winsham 48:30

6M ago48:30

48:30

In this second episode of our Witches, Cunning Folk & Magic theme, I'm talking to Willow Winsham, an author and historian specialising in folklore, and the history of the English witch trials. Her books include the highly popular Treasury of Folklore series from Batsford Books, and Accused: British Witches Throughout History from Pen and Sword Book…

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Cunning Folk and Practical Magic with Dr Tabitha Stanmore 52:30

6M ago52:30

52:30

In this first episode of our Witches, Cunning Folk & Magic theme, I'm talking to Dr Tabitha Stanmore! She's a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of Exeter on the Leverhulme-funded Seven County Witch Hunt Project, investigating the people affected by the 1640s witch trials in eastern England. Her doctoral research was funded by the South, We…

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Finding the Lort Burn, One of Newcastle's Buried Rivers 28:08

7M ago28:08

28:08

Much is often made of London's lost rivers, like the Tyburn, Fleet, and Walbrook. Yet Newcastle upon Tyne also has rivers we cannot see. Ours are not lost, rather they're simply buried. The Skinnerburn, Erick Burn, Pandon Burn, Lam Burn, and Lort Burn all continue to flow beneath the city, down to the mighty Tyne. The Lort Burn is perhaps the most …

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#98: 100k Months? Morgan Gillis on Mentorship, Sales, & Building a Life You Want 1:04:42

7M ago1:04:42

1:04:42

Morgan Gillis - Instagram: @iammorgangillis What does it really take to become the person you're meant to be? In this episode, T Rex sits down with Morgan Gillis, a business coach, entrepreneur, and former motocross rider whose path to success came from bold decisions and dedication. From solo trips across the U.S. in search of mentorship, to build…

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Ghosts, Lantern Men, and Treasure in the Norfolk Broads 17:41

7M ago17:41

17:41

The Broads National Park, often known as the Norfolk Broads, is one of the UK's 15 National Parks. Seven rivers and over sixty waterways called Broads comprise the park. In the medieval era, locals dug peat from the land for fuel. By the 14th century, these channels flooded and created the Broads. They'd become a popular boating destination by the …

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Geomany & Practical Divination with Dr Alex Cummins 1:06:31

7M ago1:06:31

1:06:31

Dr Alexander Cummins is a contemporary cunning-man and historian of magic. His magical specialities are the dead (folk necromancy), divination (geomancy), the cunning-crafts of traditional British service magic, and the grimoires. His published works include The Black Raven with Brian Johnson, Nazarth: Pillars of Gladness, The Art of Cyprian’s Mirr…

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Haunted Canals of England, Scotland & Wales 20:00

7M ago20:00

20:00

Canals occupy a strange place in the cultural imagination. They're manmade, yet offer a connection to nature, and they offer a means of transport, but one that's only accessible by boat. Some cities depend on canals, like Amsterdam or Venice, while in the UK, canals are often overlooked or forgotten spaces that have long outlived their original pur…

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Healing Springs and Wells at Glastonbury, Carrawburgh and Lourdes 19:56

7M ago19:56

19:56

We've no doubt seen plenty of content online about water's power to be a great healer. We need to drink it (this is your reminder for today), while people swear by cold water baths for their wellbeing. Then we think about how much water appears in nature, somewhere we're often counselled to go to improve our mental health. I think of how often I fi…

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Following the route of the Walbrook, one of London's lost rivers 24:07

8M ago24:07

24:07

A sense of mystery gathers around London's lost rivers, with their names whispered like forgotten deities from an ancient cult. Fleet, Tyburn, Walbrook, Effra, Westbourne, Neckinger. In some cases, they aren't so much lost, as buried. Sometimes, they break ground, appearing where you least expect them. Take the grey duct that carries the Westbourne…

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Church Curiosities: Finding Folklore in Carvings and Statues 23:20

8M ago23:20

23:20

Visiting churches might not sound like everyone's idea of a great time. Yet the buildings are stuffed with strange carvings, peculiar graffiti, interesting artwork, and even sassy memorials. These church curiosities tell us a lot about what mattered to people in centuries past. They also preserve folklore, legends, and the beliefs of the congregati…

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Telling and Preserving Ghost Stories with W.J. Gilbert 1:10:41

8M ago1:10:41

1:10:41

W.J. Gilbert is a writer, storyteller, and creator of the YouTube channel Eerie Edinburgh. Based in Edinburgh, he’s the author of the best-selling Hidden Haunts: Scotland, Hidden Haunts: England, and Ghostly Tales of the NC500 — a haunted journey through Scotland’s most legendary road trip route. His next book, Hidden Haunts: Ireland, is currently …

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Holy Cross Church and the Witches of Wallsend 16:09

8M ago16:09

16:09

Churches can be sites of divination, haunted locations, and important community hubs. Yet in Wallsend, Holy Cross Church is notorious for a tale of witches and heroic derring-do. The ruin might not look like it now, but appearances can be deceptive. It's not just a chapel. Throw in a midnight ritual, grotesque women, a desecrated corpse and an infa…

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#97: Don't Panic, Prepare: How to Start Investing in a Shaky Economy 58:12

8M ago58:12

58:12

Confused by all the stock market headlines and tariff talk lately? Let's make it make sense. In this episode, the guys break down what's really going on with Trump's tariffs, the impact on the global economy, and why smart investors aren't panicking, they're preparing. Instead of focusing on the noise, they zero in on the opportunity: why this migh…

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The Tale of Enon Chapel: London's Most Notorious Burial Site 19:53

8M ago19:53

19:53

Here in the 21st century, death and burial often occur as part of a sanitised process. Death happens away from home, often in hospitals, and funerals are usually tidy, respectful affairs. We can forget that this wasn't always the case, and that our quaint, inner city gardens were sometimes putrescent burial grounds, crammed with rotting remains. Ev…

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The Folklore of Lychgates and Popular Burial Monuments 23:17

8M ago23:17

23:17

You would absolutely know a lychgate if you saw one. They make popular backdrops for wedding photos, and provide a quaint air of rustic charm to country churchyards. They're the wooden or stone gateway, complete with tiled roof, that marks the entry into the churchyard. Not all churches have them, and they're far more common outside churches in the…