This village has its own variation on the widespread theme of the sunken church bell. According to a version printed in 1977, the church tower collapsed in the course of some fierce storm, and the bell rolled into the river Kennet.
A wizard was consulted and he told the worried parishioners that a hook must be fixed to the head the bell, and attached to chains fastened to twelve white heifers, These were to be led by moonlight by twelve maidens dressed in white with blood white sashes. No word must be spoken during the operation or the spell would be broken and the bell lost forever. All was proceeding according to the wizard’s instructions until the Kintbury witch called out: ‘Here comes the Great Kintbury Bell in spite of all the devils in Hell.’ The chain snapped and the bell sank underwater.
This is an interesting elaboration of the standard plot, involving two magical figures instead of one, and setting them in opposition; it also reinforces the theme of purity or holiness symbolized by the white oxen (or often, horses) found in this type of story, by adding twelve maidens dressed in white and working in moonlight.