A 300-foot-wide mysterious mountain hole has been dubbed the ‘Devil’s bumhole’ by mystified locals.
Wild conspiracy theories have been sparked by the formation with visitors arriving in droves, because nothing says tourist trap like the possibility of a fiery demonic realm, a la Stranger Things.
Local folklore suggests that it was created by a stray missile launched from the Ministry of Defence’s testing facility, located further along the coastline.
But visitors have wondered if it is some sort of ‘dragon’s lair’ for mythical creatures or even the ‘door to Mordor.’
The formation, which even has black smoke, lies above the village of Abergynolwyn in Snowdonia National Park, also known as Eryri, in North Wales.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
What is Abergynolwyn known for?
The Welsh village of Abergynolwyn came into existence after the opening of Bryn Eglwys Quarry in 1844.
It represents a boom period in the local economy, where a prolonged decline followed.
Rows of terraced houses, chapels, a church, a school, and shops were built after major investment in the quarry.
The village has retained a strong and distinctive nineteenth-century character even to this day.
Walker Anne-marie Cairney stopped to take a photo of the mysterious hole while hiking and asked: ‘Can someone tell me what the hole in the mountain opposite is?’
One joker replied: ‘UFO crash site’ while another said: ‘It’s the burrow dug by the Welsh Dragon to incubate her eggs.’
However, the mystery has a simple answer as an agriculture expert explained: ‘Not an old quarry but the top part of a small valley just to the north of Craig Ty’nycornel, just the angle of the sun and subsequent shadow exaggerating the depth.’
The ‘bumhole’ illusion is created by a ridge above a 300-foot-wide hollow where winter streams flow.
Other natural rock formations with legends
Uluru, Australia
The ancient sandstone monolith rises more than 1,100 feet above a plain in the heart of Australia, with a circumference of about 5.8 miles.
This monolith is sacred to the area’s original inhabitants, the Anangu people, who believe Uluru’s nooks and crevices were marks left by ancestors, before the Earth was created.
Stone Forest, China
The 270-million-year-old ‘Stone Forest’ is located in China’s Yunnan province.
The region was once covered in limestone, which has since eroded over time due to rainwater, leaving behind a series of tall, tree-like structures.
Legend says one of the rocks resembles a young girl named Ashima, who drowned in one of the area’s rivers, and is now the guardian of the local people.
Shiprock, New Mexico
This volcanic neck, which rises 1,800 feet above ground, is sacred to the Navajo people.
Some legends say it is the home of two huge monster birds that can fly down and pluck away people living in the valley below.
Source: Huffington Post
When the sun hits the basin, a shadow is created, giving the impression that it is much deeper than it actually is.
Rather than dragon’s breath escaping from the hole, the smoke is simply moving shadows caught on camera.
A well-known shadow dubbed the Queen of Snowdon can also be found on nearby Derlwyn peak, below the tallest mountain in England and Wales.
Also, a child-stealing Tylwyth Teg, or Welsh fairy, has been spotted at the base of Snowdon, connected to a neighbouring lake.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
