Marcley Hill
Preserved but no longer current.
Legend states that this hill in Herefordshire, on February 7th, 1571, at six o'clock in the evening, "roused itself with a roar, and by seven next morning had moved 40 paces." It kept on the move for three days, carrying all with it; it overthrew Kinnaston chapel, and diverted two high roads at least 200 yards from their former route. Twenty- six acres of land are said to have been moved 400 yards. (Speed : Herefordshire.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Marcley Hill” mean?
Legend states that this hill in Herefordshire, on February 7th, 1571, at six o'clock in the evening, "roused itself with a roar, and by seven next morning had moved 40 paces." It kept on the move for three days, carrying all with it; it overthrew Kinnaston chapel, and diverted two high roads at least 200 yards from their former route. Twenty- six acres of land are said to have been moved 400 yards. (Speed : Herefordshire.
Is “Marcley Hill” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.