Today's Object of the Week is a large stone with an intriguing story which stands in the centre of a County Durham town.
The Devil’s Stone is the central feature of the landscaped area outside the council offices in the centre of Crook.
It is made up of three large lumps of igneous rock that were one giant piece - until someone blew it up looking for a diamond that is reputed to be hidden inside.
It is called the Devil’s Stone because it is said if you run seven times around it, the devil himself will appear.
The story has been used for years by parents to scare their children - although there doesn’t appear to be any record of the devil turning up in Crook.
The stone is an “erratic” – it started life in the Lake District more than 10,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. A glacier moved it 60 miles east and dropped it on Dowfold Hill on the edge of Crook.
At Dowfold Hill, someone at some time decided that the stone was a meteorite and so there must be a diamond at its core. Therefore, they blew it up.
It is not recorded if they were successful in their search for a diamond, but in the 1960s when the Devil's Stone - also known as the Blue Stone - was moved to Crook Market Place it was in three large pieces.
Now, the stone is to be the inspiration for the latest horror film from award-winning County Durham director Dean Midas.
Mr Midas said people have many times mentioned the stone as a perfect subject for a film.
He researched its origins and the sinister legends behind it - and now he has a script he is happy with, production on 'The Devil's Stone' is due to start at the end of this month.
Mr Midas, who lives in nearby Willington, said: "I can't wait to start filming, as the legend has intrigued me for years.
Read about more Objects of the Week here:
- What's the story behind Willy’s old stone - Darlington’s rock of ages?
- The 320 million-year journey of an ancient relic which stumped up in a churchyard
- What's the story behind mysterious Barnard Castle boars with links to a king?
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"There will be many people who have lived here for most of their lives who don't really know about this stone in Crook and the history behind it.
"I'm hoping people who see the film will go to see the stone, spend some time in Crook, spend money in the shops and boost the local economy."
Mr Midas will also be filming scenes at The Witham, a community venue for theatre, music, art and social events, in Barnard Castle, where shooting for the film will start at the end of June.
The Devil's Stone will be released in October - on Friday the 13th.
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