The local parish church in Deerhurst contains several Anglo-Saxon carvings from the time of the Vikings. A now demolished monastery once stood nearby and it's believed these items originally came from there. Among the stone treasures can be found the head of a dragon. It is unclear when the story originated however the local people know what it signifies. A long time ago, a dragon was roaming the land, eating livestock, and poisoning the people. No one knew what to do so the King decided to offer a plot of land to whoever slayed the beast. A commoner called John Smith took it upon himself to do the deed and upon finding the serpent bathing in the sun, he chopped off its head. When he had done this, the King kept his promise and gave John Smith the land. Apparently, even to this day, there is a Smith in Deerhurst who owns some land with a hill named Dragon's Tump. Maybe a man with a name like Smith needed a legend behind him to be accepted as a rightful landowner at the time?