Drake's Drum

Buckland Abbey in the extreme west of the country was purchased by Sir Francis Drake in 1581. The former Cistercian monastery was virtually in ruins but the new owner, on the proceeds of his fantastic exploits, converted it into a magnificent family home. In this century it became National trust property and is adminstered by Plymouth Corporation. It contains an excellent rural and folk museum, as well as a fine collection of church plate and various Drake relics and paintings.

Its most treasured item is Drake's Drum. About the Abbey and Sir Francis are recorded numerous spooky incidents by Robert hunt and Mrs Bray. Drake is supposed to have rebuilt the Abbey barn in three days with the Devil's help. Another version says that evil pixies removed the stones each night until Drake, covered in a white sheet, climed a tree nearby and when the marauders appeared, chattering and giggling, he waved his arms and crowed like a cock so that they thought the dawn was approaching and fled.

On the main road nearby from Tavistock to Plymouth is a village named Jump. On dark stormy nights Drake is said to drive through jump in a hearse pursued by whisht hounds.

the drum was made famous by Sir Henry Newbolt's poem published first in 1895:

"Take my drum to England, hang et by the shore,
Strike et when your power's runnin 'low;
If the Dons sight Devon, i'll quit the port o Heaven,
an' drum them up the Channel as we drummed them long ago.

There have been several reports of people hearing the Drum during the first world war. The Drum is heard playing itself: no one thumps it to summon Drake. In 1915 a Mrs Amphlett was working in a hospital in Honiton and she recalled many years later, in 1965, that a friend of hers had a gardener who said one morning that he had heard Drake's Drum beating quite plainly.