| SHUCKLAND Introduction Alphabetical List of Locations | |
| Location: | Hethersett, NORFOLK |
| Encounter: | Somewhere around 1990 a
Hethersett man was cycling northwards at about 5.30am towards his place
of employment, the former Brooks of Norwich meat processing plant at
Beckhithe, Little Melton. He said that he was on Henstead Road, but from
his description it must have been further on, along Little Melton Road.
As he got round a sharp left-hand bend (c.TG15390567) he saw a
"huge rough-coated dog" keeping pace with him on his right--hand side.
Although he couldn't see its head he thought it looked like a wolfhound
or deerhound, but he felt no fear although it made no noise as it
'padded' along. Just over 100m further along he turned a sharp right-hand bend and the dog was lost in the darkness. Two cars had passed him on this stretch of road during the encounter. Both drivers were fellow employees at Brooks, and when he asked them, neither had seen the dog. He was sure that the animal hadn't left the road, as there was wire fencing behind the hedges, and the sheep in the fields beyond would have been 'spooked' by the dog if it had got through. |
| Source: |
'Eastern Daily Press' 'Weird Norfolk' feature online, 28/3/2020. |
| Place Name: | Possibly OE 'fold for deer' or 'heather fold'. |
| Other: | The witness later heard of a similar incident within the village itself (see below.) The media connected both encounters with the legend of the 'Faines' of Hethersett, although those were never described as dogs. |
| Location: | Hethersett, NORFOLK |
| Encounter: | This encounter took place on Hethersett Memorial Playing Field in the late 20th century, probably before about 1990. Late one night a man had walked along Cann's Lane and into Ketts Close, where there was a footpath leading into and across the playing field. Whilst heading south-west towards another entrance in Recreation Road, he realised that a large dark shape in front of him was a "huge rough-coated dog." The dog stayed just ahead of him, speeding up and slowing down as he did. After about 130m of walking, the path took him behind the pavilion (TG15100478), and the dog was still there when he emerged. However, when he came out from behind the toilet block, it had vanished. Although the night was clear and visibility good, there was no sign of it anywhere across the field. |
| Source: |
As above. |
| Other: | This incident was told to the man in the first story (above), without any knowledge of that occurrence. Both men were otherwise strangers. |