There is no doubt that Bodmin Moor is a creepy place. Should you happen to find yourself alone there as dusk is falling, try not to think about the layers of legend, horror and mystery associated with this wild and rugged landscape, and in particular, whatever you do, try not to let your mind dwell on The Beast.

The Beast is the result of some sixty sightings of a black pantherlike big cat, supposedly three to five feet long and sporting whiteyellow eyes, combined with numerous reports of mutilated livestock. The evidence was robust enough that in 1995 the government ordered an official investigation into the existence of such a beast. The report finally concluded that there was verifiable evidence of a big cat on Bodmin Moor.