Dean McPhee – ‘Bradford Boar’ video – out now

Filmed by Dave George (Proper Studio) at The Triangle, Shipley and at Cliffe Woods, Bradford.

‘The Bradford Boar’ was recorded for the split tape ‘Pefkin/Dean McPhee – Ceremonial County Series Vol. V  – Norfolk/West Yorkshire’ – released 21.06.24 as part of the ongoing Ceremonial County cassette subscription series on the Folklore Tapes label

Mixed and mastered by Joe Osborne

For more info go to http://www.folkloretapes.co.uk.

“The story of the Bradford Boar dates back to a time when Bradford came under the jurisdiction of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster. In the late 1300s, the area around Cliffe Woods was said to have been home to a giant boar that terrorized local people and prevented them from accessing a nearby well. Legend has it that the Duke offered a reward to anyone who could kill the vicious beast. Many would-be hunters tried and failed until a man named Northrop succeeded in killing the boar. However, the boar was so enormous that Northrop couldn’t move its body. Instead, he used his knife to cut out the boar’s tongue, believing this would serve as sufficient proof.

Meanwhile, a traveller came upon the now tongue-less boar and proceeded to remove its head. He made his way to the Duke, intending to falsely claim the reward for himself. Arriving before Northrop, as he had travelled on horseback, the traveller presented the Duke with the head and was poised to claim the reward. Just before this could happen, Northrop arrived with the boar’s tongue in his hand. He invited the Duke to look inside the mouth of the boar’s head. The traveller was unable to explain why the boar’s head had no tongue, so Northrop was able to claim the reward that was rightfully his: an area of land called ‘Hunter’s Yard’ in the Great Horton area of Bradford”.