Local ghost stories are the focus of this year's 'Hell Tor' festival in Devon
The event celebrates local history and local film-makers
Devon's ghosts will be the focus of this month's 'Hell Tor' heritage festival in Exeter.
The event, now in its third year has previously focussed on local tales about places like Dartmoor or vampires, and describes itself as a 'celebration of Devon’s heritage and legacy of horrors'.
There is also a focus on promoting local film-makers and talks from local historians.
Organiser Ashley Thorpe, who's behind the event at Exeter's Phoenix, from September 26-28, says he grew up hearing stories about things like the 'hairy hands of Dartmoor' or tales of highwaymen and thought 'I always used to wonder why nobody really made any films or celebrated these things very much - and they ended up inspiring my own animated films when I first got started.
"I thought, I wonder if we could create a festival with that as its core idea - we will look at local stories and myths and get local experts in, but then we'll also do a wider more general appeal type of weekend where we'll screen classic films as well.”
Mr Thorpe, who was worked with many of the major broadcasters and streamers as part of his career, says there's plenty of materials locally to celebrate.
"Especially in a very historic city like Exeter," he said.
"There's literally a ghost on every corner and you go to every single pub in Exeter and each one will definitely have some kind of ghostly legend attached to it."
The animator believes the sharing of ghost stories appears to have anecdotally declined amongst youngsters in recent years - potentially because of the internet.
He hopes to help celebrate local myths, adding: "When we were kids there was always a slightly ruined house on the edge of the park or a ruined cabin in the woods somewhere that everybody knew about it and would say 'don't go there'.
"I don't know if that happens now quite as much."
There's more about the festival here
The full details for the festival can be found here on the Phoenix's website