The Grave on the Moor: The Story of Kitty Jay

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In this episode we travel to the misty moors of Devon, England, to unravel the legend of Kitty Jay—a young woman whose tragic story has echoed through time. Buried at a lonely crossroads with no name and no justice, her grave is still adorned with fresh flowers… but no one knows who leaves them. Was Kitty Jay a victim of heartbreak, cruelty, or something darker?

 Join us as we uncover the folklore, the facts, and the enduring mystery of one of Dartmoor’s most famous spirits.

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Episode Transcript

Host (00:00):
In today's episode of Dusty Trails, we are taking you
to the 1800s England, on thelonely windswept moors of

(00:20):
Dartmoor, where mist clings tothe hills and shadows.
There lies the resting place ofKitty Jay, A young woman whose
tragic tale has echoed throughthe centuries.
Some say she was a servant girlbetrayed by love.
Other claim she was cast out bysociety.

(00:42):
But all agree to one thing.
Her sorrow still lingers tothis day.
This is the story of Kitty JayA tale of love, loss and a
spirit which refuses to beforgotten.
Let's begin.
It all started with a womannamed Kitty, reportedly an

(01:03):
orphan, who spent her earlyyears in the poor houses in
Newton Abbot.
As she grew older, she foundwork at the farms near Dartmoor.
This is the place where it'sbelieved she became pregnant
with the farmer's son.
Kitty wasn't married, so, inthat period, sadly led to one

(01:24):
thing only, which was beingostracized by society.
Overwhelmed by hercircumstances, she took her own
life by hanging herself in abarn in the farm.
She was buried at crossroads,away from consecrated ground,
and you might wonder why thishappened.
Well, in historical Christiancontexts, suicide was considered

(01:49):
both a sin and a crime.
Individuals who died by suicidewere often denied burial in
consecrated grounds, meaning acemetery.
and also subjected topunishments such as the practice
of burial at the crossroads.
But why crossroads?
It was believed that suicidesmight become restless spirits

(02:10):
and burying them at thecrossroads was taught to confuse
the spirits preventing themfrom returning to haunt the
living.
These crossroads, being publicspaces, also served as a form of
public shaming deterring othersfrom considering similar
actions.
These practices reflect thehistorical intertwining of

(02:33):
religious beliefs and societalattitudes around that time.
Old-timey, right?
I would say no.
I actually have a memory frommy childhood where someone from
the village my grandparentslived in took his life, and I
specifically remember his burialbeing discussed.

(02:54):
For example, at that time, Thecoffin was not allowed in the
church, nor a religious servicewas held.
So, whilst the practice ofburying at crossroads is gone
now, there are certain regionswhere there is still a stigma
around this.
So, you might be thinking, whyare we even discussing this

(03:16):
today?
Well, ever since her burial,there has been several mysteries
surrounding her, such as, andprobably one of the most
discussed points...
that fresh flowers are laid onher grave daily by no one.
No one to this day knows wholeaves the flowers on her grave.
This, of course, can be atradition by the locals

(03:40):
maintaining or having maintainedever since.
But as enigmatic as the graveitself are a series of unsolved
murders which have occurred inits vicinity from the late 19th
century which are continuing tothe recent times.
Victims were more often thannot found with symbols near
their lifeless body, ashed intothe earth.

(04:02):
Locals are reporting a shadowyfigure roaming the moors at
night, sometimes described as awoman in a period-style dress,
reminiscent of Kitty Jay, andsome other times as an entity
radiating sorrow.
Some speculate the land itselfhas been cursed by the tragedy

(04:23):
and pain of Kitty Jay.
Amongst the most notableincidents linked to Kitty Jay
was the case of a hiker found inthe early 2000s.
She was found next to the gravewith her eyes still fixed upon
it.
There were symbols found nearher body which resembled the

(04:43):
ancient Celtic marks associatedwith protection and warding.
So, is Kitty Jay's spirit doingthis even now?
Well, many critics cautionagainst attributing these crimes
to the supernatural causes andurge in finding the human
perpetrators.
And I must agree with this one.

(05:04):
Kitty Jane memory shouldn't beattributed to these horrific
events.
She has suffered enough in hershort life, being hurt by both
the man she loved and thesociety at that time.
Whilst yes, these crimes aresurrounded by unusual
circumstances, This can beexplained by literally having
access to a book to read, thelocal legends, or internet,

(05:27):
giving the perpetrators theopportunity to understand the
local folklore.
If we have serial killers andcopycats and all sorts of
sickos, is it too much tobelieve that we have a deranged
person committing crimes andblaming them on folklore?
Absolutely not.
So, this is the story of KittyJay, known more often as Jay's

(05:50):
Grave, where the turmoil of awoman in pain, cast out by
society and the man she loved,turn into folklore and legends.