The Legend of the Parson and Clerk: a tale of ambition, storms, and eternal stone

The Legend of the Parson and Clerk is a folk tale deeply rooted in the traditions of Devon, in southwest England, and tells the story of an ambitious parson, his loyal clerk, and a mysterious encounter with the Devil that ends in a petrifying transformation still visible along the coast today.

According to the best-known version of the legend—recorded by writers such as Robert Hunt and Sarah Hewett in the late nineteenth century—a bishop of Exeter falls ill and retreats to Dawlish in hopes of recovery. A local parson, eager to succeed him, sets out on a journey with his clerk to learn news of the bishop’s condition, secretly nurturing dreams of ecclesiastical advancement.

During a terrible night storm on Haldon Moor, the two men lose their way. Frustrated and arrogant, the parson declares that he would rather have “the Devil himself” as a guide than his poor clerk. At that very moment, a mysterious horseman appears and offers to lead them onward.

After several miles, they reach a magnificently illuminated house, where they are welcomed to a lavish feast. In the midst of the banquet, news arrives that the bishop has died—the parson’s great opportunity seems finally within reach. But when they attempt to leave, the horses refuse to move. Cursing the animals, the parson once again tells the “Devil” to take them, to which the stranger replies with a chilling “Thank you, sir,” before spurring the horses forward.

In an instant, the riders are driven over the edge of a cliff, plunging toward the sea below. The Devil transforms the parson and his clerk into towering rock formations facing the ocean, eternal symbols of failed ambition and moral arrogance. These stone pillars can still be seen today along the coast between Teignmouth and Dawlish, and are known as the Parson and the Clerk.

Other versions of the legend exist. In one, the guide is merely a servant encountered after the parson invokes the Devil, and the feast is attended by spirits of long-dead clergymen. In another, the parson and clerk vanish entirely, and two sandstone boulders mysteriously appear on the beach, forever marking their fate.

Deeply embedded in Devon folklore, the legend serves as a powerful moral tale—a warning against unchecked ambition, pride, and the illusion of control over destiny. Human desire is here turned into stone, standing forever before the vast and indifferent sea.

Doktor Lazarus