Ullwell Gap - where Ballard Down and Nine Barrow Down almost meet

Ulwell is to the north of Swanage along the road to Studland. It is the last concentration of urban development before the Purbecks reveal themselves and justify their designation as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. At Ulwell Gap, which is a deep cleft in the chalk uplands between Nine Barrow Down and Ballard Down, there is a layby overhung by branches of trees and a sign welcoming visitors to Swanage. Where the road passes through this gap it looks like a very tight tourniquet was tied between the two bulging downs.

Many years ago, in this immediate area there was a tollgate and a toll house. The gate was run by a lady named Jinny Gold. The myths that surround her make her sound like she was less welcoming than the sign I could see from where I was sitting in the car. She lived in the toll house and made a living from the tolls she collected from passersby.

My elder brothers perpetuated the local legend and myths that as well as collecting tolls during the day and when darkness had filled the Ulwell Gap she would transform herself into a witch. In that guise she would collect another type of toll from the nocturnal travellers, fear. When she felt especially evil and nasty she would become a snarling vicious cat ready to appear from nowhere and attack any travellers who thought they could avoid the toll under the cover of darkness.

I got out of the car to have a look around and stretch my legs. There was an extra chill in the air.

One night such a traveller as I appeared driving his horse and cart. His horses were startled by the sudden appearance of a cat in the middle of the road in front of them. The driver calmed them and tried to frighten the cat away. It wouldn’t budge. It arched its back in defiance and snarled. So, the driver snaked out one long lash of his whip and aimed at the cat. The tail of the whip caught the cat in the head and it scampered away caterwauling into the nearby woods. The next morning more travellers came through the toll gate but there was no Jinny to collect their money. They blessed their good fortune at being able to save a few pence which they spent on ale in any one of the numerous inns in Swanage. Word soon spread that Jinny was missing. In the late afternoon the town’s elders formed a party to find out what had happened to her. They walked to the tollgate and made a lot of noise hoping to get Jinny to break cover from the woods or her house. She didn’t appear. A couple of the people in the party, whose bravado was fuelled by ale, went to the toll house and banged on the door. There was no reply. They pushed the door open and went in. There was silence. Their courage evaporated and they panicked back to the rest of the townspeople. Whatever they had seen had rendered them both speechless and deathly pale.

The local doctor went to see what had frightened them so much. Jinny was lying on the floor dead. Around her was a pool of dark red dried blood which had come from a huge gash on the side of her head. Very soon after this happened the toll gate and toll house were demolished and no trace of either was left behind.

I had already felt the chill when I got out of my car a few minutes ago. Now I felt a shiver that forced its way into my core. My legs wouldn’t move as fast as I wanted them to. ‘Don’t be stupid Alan, that story about Jinny is a legend’ I told myself. Anyway, if she had appeared it wouldn't have been with a card reader as I didn't have any change.