Deadman Hill

I have a particular affinity with Deadman Hill. Anyway, Darren managed to find some information about it recently…

Deadman Hill
This is a stretch of the B3078 along a ridge from Godshill The most likely origin of the name is that a gibbet was situated at one time near the junction with the Redlynch road but a more colourful local story tells how in the mid-eighteenth century a smuggler named David Smith, in return for the promise of a free pardon, betrayed his associates including the infamous Captain Diamond. But not all were apprehended and Smith was waylaid near Studley Head by some of Diamond’s crew who had evaded capture. He was dragged down into the valley east of Cunninger Bottom, now known as Deadman Bottom, where his tongue was cut out, he was cruelly beaten and finally hanged from a tree.

Original text taken from New Forest Walks…

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