Heart of England

Wiltshire’s moonrakers weren’t so daft…Since the 18th century, Wiltshire men have been known as moonrakers. An odd name to match an equally peculiar story. The tale goes that one moonlit night some Wiltshire yokels were raking a village pond for kegs of smuggled brandy, when they were surprised by excise men. Country guile kicked in as they feigned stupidity claiming they were trying to rake out the moon, which was reflected in the water. Needless to say, several communities claim the [...]