Toddington
Shrove Tuesday

Places > Toddington > Customs and Folklore

The 'Old Woman' of Conger Hill

Every Shrove Tuesday the 'pancake bell' was rung in the church to remind the women to make their pancakes. School children would then run to Conger Hill, put their ears to the ground and listen to the sizzling sound of the 'old woman' frying her pancakes. An obvious explanation would be that the noise they could hear was merely the vibration on the ground caused by the bell ringing.

Further Reading:

• A stroll through old Toddington by John Viner (1997)
• Tales of old Bedfordshire by A. Gray (Countryside Books, 1991)

Page last updated: 4th February 2014