Sailor's Lane, South Downs

Sailor's Lane runs parallel to the dry valley of Betty Mundy's Bottom in the South Downs. There's various theories as to the name:

The unusually named Betty Mundy’s Bottom is situated near Corhampton in the South Downs National Park in Hampshire. The origins of this name may date from as far back as 70 AD, when Roman soldiers landing at Southampton moved inland over Corhampton Down and reputedly camped there, calling it Beati Mundae (most beautiful place in the world). But no one can be certain of this theory. 

However, I’ve also heard of other more interesting tales that reveal a far more salacious source of this unusual name… The most popular legend has it that about two hundred years ago, at a cottage in this valley, there lived a woman of ill repute, known as Betty Mundy. The path that passed her cottage was a route commonly used by discharged sailors who, no doubt, would often have been carrying their wages. It is said that Betty Mundy lured these weary travellers into her cottage and murdered them, taking their wages and disposing of their bodies down the well in her garden. Indeed, in years to come this track was locally to be known as Sailors Lane. However, another version of this tale has Betty actually in cahoots with a press gang. In this case, she would use her wiles as temptation to persuade local farm labourers to walk with her in the woods, where the unfortunates would be ambushed and taken into the navy, whilst Betty would receive her commission.

A final myth has Betty being discovered cursing a herd of cattle as some sort of witchcraft, which was a good excuse for a local mob to burn her house down when she was still inside. A subsequent search for the reputed hoard of gold believed to be hidden there was fruitless.