| Where: | Clovelly, Devon starting at the Victoria Fountain and ending at the Quay |
| When: | Shrove Tuesday |
| Time: | 4.30 pm onwards for 5pm start |
The picturesque village of Clovelly on the North Devon coast is the setting each Shrove Tuesday for a curious custom performed by the local children. It’s also known as Driving the Devil into the Sea but is more usually referred to as Lentsherd or Tin Can Night. It involves the children dragging tin cans on strings and anything else very noisy down the steep cobbled street to the Quay, making as loud a din as possible to frighten away the evil spirits and Drive the Devil into the briny before the holy season of Lent begins the following day. The older children rush off from the top of the hill but little ones are encouraged to take their time as the slope is precipitous!
Helpful Hints
It’s not a widely publicised event and is informal. Lentsherd is pronounced “Lansherd”. Be prepared for steep cobbles and a stiff climb back up! Park by the Visitor Centre as you can’t take cars down into the village streets- and allow time to walk into the village.
In 2027 it should be on Tuesday 9th February and is now organised by Ellie in Clovelly (see link below)- when I contacted the Village I was informed that “unfortunately the Estate is not running Lentsherd as an event anymore! Some of the residents may still participate on the day, but we do not organise it ourselves”. It’s still going ahead as it has for many years.
Click here for Ellie’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ellieclovelly
and website: https://www.clovellysilk.com
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