Pirates of The Cawsand Beacon
Pirates of The Cawsand Beacon
In the heart of South Zeal at the base of Dartmoor’s great Cawsand Beacon lies an ancient building which reveals one of the most fascinating stories of Devon’s history. It was at The Oxenham Arms at South Zeal near Okehampton that John Oxenham was born in 1530, who grew up to become Captain John Oxenham, one of Queen Elizabeth Is most prolific sea adventurers and privateers – a paid pirate working under the authority of the English crown.
Having served over 88 missions with Sir Francis Drake, stealing gold and silver from the Spanish, Oxenham in his day became legendary to English soldiers and sailors and his home to this day is filled to the gunnels with his history. Towards the end of the 1570s Oxenham’s raids were focussed on South America where the Spanish were taking masses of gold and silver at a time where Spain and Portugal were the most dominant countries in the world.
It’s incredible to think that the fortunes of the entire English nation, in debt and impoverished in comparison with King Philip of Spain’s growing empire, was about to suddenly change as a result of the brave exploits of a mariner from the tiny village of South Zeal.
When Oxenham was captured by the Spanish in1580, he took to his grave the secret of where all the treasures, stolen and buried in Peru and that brought by him back to England, were hidden - not all the gold and silver he plundered for the Queen, came back for the Queen!
His story, told in hundreds of books and documents over the years is best related in Charles Kingsley’s book ‘Westward Ho’. The illustration of Captain John Oxenham from that book, painted by artist N C Wyeth is seen here, painted as Oxenham was, an armed, bearded, swashbuckling pirate, drinking a tankard of ale with his friends at the front window of his own pub, The Oxenham Arms at South Zeal.
Devon Mackerel Croquetas
A perfect simple dish from The Oxenham, where Devon’s tasty fish meets Spain’s flavoursome cooking !
This makes six good sized Croquetas.
Take three Devon mackerel fillets and pin bone them. You will need oil, garlic, salt and pepper, lemon, mashed potatoes, salt, white pepper, lemon, garlic and parsley.
Preheat your oven to Gas 6, 200c or fan 180c. In a metal tray place your mackerel fillets, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Cook for around 20 minutes until cooked but still soft.
When cooked, break the fish into large chunks in a bowl and bind with mashed potato, salt, pepper, lemon zest and garlic and parsley then form into croquetas shapes. finally coat with flour egg and breadcrumbs, then fry and serve.