Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
Ñaño Casa Museo
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
The salt cairn.
The Lewis and Clark Salt Works
South entrance.
Reigate Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The 2,653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail spans the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.
Meet the Volunteers Who Keep Thru-Hikers Moving
9 days ago
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House building on the U.S.-Canadian border.
Could New Border Restrictions Literally Tear the Haskell Free Library Apart?
9 days ago
A woman peering into the cave of Sarah Bishop c. 1900.
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism
9 days ago
The Big Well
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.
10 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Manningtree The Manningtree Ox

The Manningtree Ox

This sculpture pays homage to Shakespeare and his reference to a Manningtree tradition.

Manningtree, England

Added By
AdOYo
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Manningtree Ox   Granpic - licensed under CC BY 2.0
The Manningtree Ox   Granpic - licensed under CC BY 2.0
Alleyway and Ox   Roger Jones - licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
The Ox viewed from Manningtree high street.   Deben Dave
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

"There is a devil haunts thee in the likeness of an old fat man... that roasted Manningtree ox with a pudding in his belly."

This paraphrased passage was taken from Shakespeare's, Henry IV Part One, in which the future King Henry V (Prince Hal) jests with his companion, and mentions the small north Essex coastal town of Manningtree.

Manningtree is, by area, England's smallest town. At high tide, the town is only 20 hectares in its entirety. Despite its small size, Manningtree’s oxen were well known enough for the playwright to honor them with a mention.    

The idea of a “roasted Manningtree ox with a pudding in his belly” is most likely a reference to the Manningtree Fair, a medieval festival where it was tradition to roast an entire ox. The pudding used would either be savory or of the sweet variety. It's likely that black pudding, a type of blood sausage, would have been used to stuff the ox.

According to local legends, Shakespeare, whilst a young actor in a troupe, passed through Manningtree during such a fair and witnessed the festivity. Another theory suggests that Shakespeare was not the man historians have come to believe, but was actually an alias for Earl and courtier, Edward De Vere who was born just 25 miles from Manningtree, in Hedingham Castle.

In honor of being one of the only local towns mentioned by Shakespeare, Manningtree’s old fire station was adorned with a bizarre bovine sculpture by Colin Wilkin. 

Those walking through the small lanes of Manningtree will ultimately reach a square. One glance up, and visitors are met by the suspended bovine sculpture. It's mostly a metal, hollow outline of an ox. Within the belly of the sculpture hangs a large, golden orb representing the pudding. The orb is often lit during dusk. 

Related Tags

Shakespeare Sculptures

Community Contributors

Added By

AdOYo

Published

November 26, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.manningtreetowncouncil.org.uk/manningtree
  • https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/17567459.five-interesting-things-you-might-not-know-about-manningtree/
  • https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/manningtree-s-world-record-attempt-to-mark-400-years-since-the-bard-1-4464659
  • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manningtree
  • https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/9078306.was-shakespeare-really-essex-earl/
The Manningtree Ox
South St
Manningtree
Manningtree, England, CO11 1AW
United Kingdom
51.945523, 1.063846
Get Directions

Nearby Places

A House for Essex

Manningtree, England

miles away

Old Knobbley

Mistley, England

miles away

Tattingstone Wonder

Tattingstone, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Manningtree

Manningtree

England

Places 2

Nearby Places

A House for Essex

Manningtree, England

miles away

Old Knobbley

Mistley, England

miles away

Tattingstone Wonder

Tattingstone, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Manningtree

Manningtree

England

Places 2

Related Stories and Lists

History Tour: Shakespeare's World of Mysteries

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • London, England

    'The Seven Ages of Man'

    A totem pole of heads to represent the different stages of life.

  • The Gnome gnows!!

    Silverado, California

    Modjeska Shakespeare

    This 75-year-old Shakespearean sculpture is painted by a local artist for every season.

  • “Gold Lamé” by Tony Heaton on display in 2018.

    Liverpool, England

    Liverpool Plinth

    A plinth outside a church displays sculptures by local artists.

  • Bronze sculpture of a cow and a newborn calf, Toledo, Iowa

    Toledo, Iowa

    Butter Cow Statue

    Bronze sculpture paying homage to Norma “Duffy” Lyon, famous for creating a life-size cow made of butter at the state fair.

  • Stonehaven, Scotland

    Stonehaven Boardwalk Sculptures

    A series of mysterious metal artwork adorn this harbor walkway.

  • Chiayi City, Taiwan

    Manneken Pis of Taiwan

    A replica of Brussels’ Manneken Pis has stood in Taiwan since 1934.

  • Durham, England

    ‘Cry for Justice – The Scream’

    A Munch-inspired sculpture brings the despair of war to life.

  • Aguanga, California

    Ricardo Breceda’s Art Gallery

    Large metal sculptures spread throughout an open landscape.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.