Repton was famous for St Guthlac, who had entered the monastery there but abandoned his life as a monk to become a hermit. He lived the rest of his years in the fens covered only by animal skins, battling with demons which he said constantly assailed him. Today we might consider Guthlac troubled by mental health issues, but to the eighth-century Mercians he was seen as a saint and was visited, even by royalty, for his advice and guidance.
