The village of Sheldon is home to a bizarre, lesser known Derbyshire legend – The Sheldon Duck.
The story goes that in 1601 a duck was witnessed entering an ash tree and mysteriously disappearing. This odd tale was passed down the generations and the site became known as the ‘Duck Tree’.
In the early 1900s the Duck Tree became unsafe and was cut down. A local joiner purchased the tree to cut into boards – only to find an oddly duck-shaped impression on the wood inside!
The boards themselves have been lost to history. They were displayed for a time at Ashford-on-the-Water Post Office – but were later incorporated into mantelpiece by the timber merchant who felled the tree.
A photographic print at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery shows the alleged duck. Is the story true? We’ll let you decide.
This print at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery reveals the story of the Sheldon DuckRead on for a transcription of the text.