Book excerpt: Sussex, though near London and nowadays extensively urbanized, has a rich heritage of traditional local stories, customs, and beliefs. Among many topics explored here are tales linked to landscape features and ancient churches which involve such colorful themes as lost bells, buried treasures, dragons, fairies, and the devil. There are also traditions relating to ghosts, graves, and gibbets, and the strange powers of witches. This book, when it was first published in 1973, was the first to be entirely devoted to Sussex folklore. This new edition contains information collected over the last 30 years, updated accounts of county customs and, alongside the original line drawings, is illustrated with photographs and printed ephemera relating to Sussex lore.