Haunted Isles -in the company of spirits

A clip from the 1975 BBC documentary The Ghost Hunters which includes Peter Underwood now sadly deceased.

Did Victorian technology influence their interest in ghosts? Professor Ruth Robbins thinks it may have done.

In 1249 Isabel, Countess of Arundel founded the Cistercian Marham Abbey, it was dedicated to St Mary, St Barbara and St Edmund and was home to between 10 and 15 nuns. Unfortunately in later years the abbess, Sister Barbara behaviour  was far from saintly!  Sister Barbara was in league with a band of robbers who attacked travellers on nearby Vinegar Hill, the main route from Swaffham to Kings Lynn. The robbers not only stole from unwary travellers but aso made sure to leave them unconscious so that they could be "rescued" by the nuns at Marham Abbey. Of course the travellers, and their families, were grateful to be rescued and cared for and they showed their gratitude by giving gifts to the Abbey which became very prosperous. As Marham Abbey continued to prosper the monks at nearby Pentney became suspicious of how this wealth was being achieved, they began to spy on Marham Abbey and on Sister Barbara in particular. It was only a matter of time before she was seen payi...

Located east of Horley off Haroldsea Drive is the 12th century  double moated site of Thunderfield Castle. A scheduled Ancient Monument Thunderfield Castle was said to have been a resting place for Harold's army as he marched towards battle at Hastings in 1066. At sunset on 11th November a ghostly bell can be heard to toll, gradually getting louder and louder until midnight when a small ghostly army marches through the area. Is this the Saxon army marching to their doom at Hastings? Well the Battle of Hastings took place on 14th October so if this recurring haunting is taking place on the anniversary of an event it cannot be Harold and his men as they were long dead by 11th November. Is it merely coincidence that the bell is heard to toll on Armistice day? You may also be interested in other November hauntings: Sister Barbara, the Ghost of Marham Abbey, Vinegar Hill, Marham, Norfolk.

Thy soul shall find itself alone ‘Mid dark thoughts of the grey tomb-stone; Not one, of all the crowd, to pry Into thine hour of secrecy. Be silent in that solitude, Which is not loneliness — for then The spirits of the dead, who stood In life before thee, are again In death around thee, and their will Shall overshadow thee; be still. The night, though clear, shall frown, And the stars shall not look down From their high thrones in the Heaven With light like hope to mortals given, But their red orbs, without beam, To thy weariness shall seem As a burning and a fever Which would cling to thee for ever. Now are thoughts thou shalt not banish, Now are visions ne’er to vanish; From thy spirit shall they pass No more, like dew-drop from the grass. The breeze, the breath of God, is still, And the mist upon the hill Shadowy, shadowy, yet unbroken, Is a symbol and a token. How it hangs upon the trees, A mystery of mysteries!

All houses wherein men have lived and died   Are haunted houses.  Through the open doors The harmless phantoms on their errands glide,   With feet that make no sound upon the floors.  We meet them at the doorway, on the stair,   Along the passages they come and go, Impalpable impressions on the air,   A sense of something moving to and fro.  There are more guests at table, than the hosts   Invited; the illuminated hall Is thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts,   As silent as the pictures on the wall.  The stranger at my...

It's no wonder really that the site of the Battle of Hastings is haunted ~ 1066 ~ one of the most well known dates in British History, the date the Battle of Hastings took place, the Normans conquered the Anglo Saxons and England changed forever. The battlefield itself still runs with blood, when it rains that is, and although a spooky event for the site of one of the most famous battles in English history it's due to the iron oxide in the soil, not ghostly blood. But there are many ghost stories attached to the site: ghostly monks, a white lady, a tall man with an eye patch, a hanged man, loud bangs and not-surprisingly the sounds of battle. Norman soldiers have been seen and William the Conqueror's minstrel, Talifer, still taunts the English as he rides across the battlefield singing. But perhaps the most spectacular of the ghosts of Battle is Harold himself who appears on the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, 14th October,with an arrow through the eye. ...

Conington Level Crossing is said to be the most haunted level crossing in Britain and has been called "The Crossing of Death" and with good cause. In 1948 six German P.O.W.s were killed on the level crossing when the lorry they were travelling in was hit by an engine. Later in the year, on 16th October 1948 Colonel Mellows and his black labrador dog were killed instantly when the black Chrysler car he was driving was hit on the level crossing by the 4pm London train. The ghost of Colonel Mellows makes that final journey each 16th October. Before the Conington Level crossing was automated railway signal men reported hearing a car and the gates opening but there wasn't anyone there. Locals are said to avoid the Conington level Crossing at night. More October Hauntings: The Audlem Road Ghost The Ghost of  Alexander MacAllister who was killed on 3rd October at the Battle of Glenlivet 1594 The Ghost of St Osyth - an October Haunting

The ghost of St Osyth is said to walk at St Osyth priory and the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul on the anniversary of her death 7th October. The English Saint Osyth, also known as Osgyth, Sythe, Othith or Ositha wife of Sighere, King of Essex founded a convent on the site of the Priory in St Osyth near Clacton, Essex (St Osyth the town went by the name of Chich in those days). She was killed by the Danes in October 653AD after refusing to renounce Christianity and worship their gods.  Legend tells that St Osyth picked up her head after her execution and walked to the church of St Peter & St Paul and knocked on the door before finally falling down dead. More October Hauntings: The Audlem Road Ghost The Ghost of  Alexander MacAllister who was killed on 3rd October at the Battle of Glenlivet 1594

Does the ghost of Jack the Ripper walk through the Whitechapel district of London? According to an article written by freelance writer journalist Andy Ellis  published  in  the 2005 Bounty Books "True Ghost Stories of the British Isles" Jack the Ripper might have been seen haunting the Miller's Court area. Ellis reports that Joseph Ogrowski saw a male figure disappear through the hoardings of number 13 shortly before its' demolition. This happened on two separate occasions. Mr Ogrowski described the figure as wearing "some type of felt cap and a long brown coat" The collar was turned up and the figure was carrying a parcel. This description is very similar to that of a man seen with 5th Ripper victim Mary Kelley at around 11-45pm on the eve of her death. The figure has not be seen since the demolition took place. Image:  One of a series of images from the  Illustrated London News  for October 13, 1888 carrying the overall caption,  "With the...

The Battle of Glenlivet on 3rd October 1594 between Scottish Presbyterians and Catholics was part of a campaign to rid Scotland of the Catholic faith. It was the first battle in the Scottish Highlands where artillery played a part in the action and the last battle where the harp has carried into action. Alexander MacAllister was decapitated by the first shot of cannon. His headless ghost is said to be seen on the anniversary of his death, 3rd October, riding across the battle site. The Glenlivet Estate has published a Battle of Glenlivet Path walk on their website for those interested in visiting, it can be found here Image:  © Copyright  Ann Harrison  and licensed for  reuse  under this  Creative Commons Licence . More October Hauntings: The Audlem Road Ghost

On 1st October, 2001 Barry Cooke and a friend were driving from Audlem, Cheshire, along  the Audlem Road towards Corbrook Court near Hankelow when they saw what they later believed to be a road ghost. It was at around 12.30am that Barry and his friend saw a man standing in the road who they thought was "a bit strange looking", the man bent down and stared into the car as they went past then vanished from sight. He didn't show up in the car mirrors and subsequent investigation by Barry led him to believe that they may have witnessed a haunting as there didn't seem to be anywhere the man could have gone so quickly. The really strange think about this suspected haunting is that exactly one year later on October 1st 2002 Barry Cooke was once again travelling along the Audlem Road when he saw the "strange looking" man.  Barry did make an appeal via a Warrington website to try and find out more about this apparition  but whether or not anyone else had ...

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of  Should Be Reading . Anyone can play along! Just do the following: • Grab your current read • Open to a random page • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! " He said, "Sometimes the barrier between the physical and non-physical worlds break down. When this occurs we are able to see what is going on on the other side." Mr. Dale Keeps Ghosts by  Athalstan Jones from  True Ghost Stories of The British Isles ISBN 13: 978-0-753711-17-0  PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT  with the link to your own  Teaser Tuesdays  post

On September 30th the body of the fourth victim of Jack the Ripper, Catherine Eddowes, was discovered at 1.45am on the corner of Mitre Square by PC Watkins. Catherine had only been released from Bishopsgate Police Station at 1am that night having been held for being drunk and disorderly, had the police kept her until morning she probably wouldn't have met such a grisly end. It's said that the ghost of Catherine Eddowes body can be seen lying in Mitre Square on the anniversary of her death. With her throat cut, her face mutilated and her intestines pulled out and placed over her shoulder the ghost of Catherine Eddowes must be a horrific sight. Image: Via Wikimedia Commons   This image (or other media file) is in the  public domain  because its copyright has  expired .

The official start to Autumn is 23rd September and it is during the Autumn season that the ghostly goings on at Hinxworth Place, Herftfordshire are most prevalent. This medieval manor house dates from 1390 so the fact that it is haunted should come as no surprise. At one time in its' long history it was home to Cistercian monks from the Northampton monastery of Pipewell and it may well be one of these monks who was unfortunate enough to be bricked up in the walls of the house. In the 1800's Robert Clutterbuck, author of  "The History and Antiquities of  the County of Hertford" reported seeing the ghost of a monk at Hinxworth Place. Apparently there used to be a plaque dating from 1770 which said "This is the place where a monk was buried alive in the wall. His cries can sometimes be heard at midnight." Sadly the plaque couldn't be found in the 1940's when major renovation work took place on Hinxworth Place. Hinxworth's most famous ...

On the 24th August 1669 Janet Dalrymple, daughter of Sir James Dalrymple, married David Dunbar, heir of Sir David Dunbar of Baldoon. The events that followed were later to inspire Sir Walter Scott when he wrote The Bride of Lammermoor . Janet and David's marriage wasn't a love match but an arranged marriage and Janet, being in love with Archibald , third Lord Rutherford, had told her brothers that she didn't want to be with David. No one is actually sure what happened on the wedding night as neither party ever spoke about it but as Sir Walter Scott describes in his Bride of Lammermoor book:   “The door of the bridal chamber was broken down after hideous shrieks were heard from within and the bridegroom was found lying across the threshold, dreadfully wounded and streaming with blood. The bride crouched in a chimney corner, her white nightgown splashed with blood, grinning and muttering and quite insane.” Some say that the devil had entered the bridal chamber...

On the 13th September 1645, following the aftermath of the Battle of Philiphaugh , over 100 Irish foot soldiers, who had surrendered on the promise of quarter, and some 300 of the Marquis of Montrose 's army camp followers, mainly women and children, were massacred by the Covenanter army of Sir David Leslie. Once a year, on the 13th September the cries of the men, women and children who were slaughtered can be heard about 3 miles from Selkirk at the ruined tower house known as Newark Castle. It was in a field known as Slain Mens Lea that human remains, believed to be the victims of the massacre, were found in 1810. Image:  © Copyright  Walter Baxter  and licensed for  reuse  under this  Creative Commons Licence . Other September hauntings: Ghost of King Edward II Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire The Grenadier Pub, Wilton Row, London The Ghost of Annie Chapman, a September Haunting The ghost of Amy Robsart wife of Sir Robert Dudley, a Septem...

The ghosts of the Lost Legion, the Roman Ninth Hispana Legion have been heard marching through Dunblane, Perthshire during the month of September. Author A.C. McKerracher tells how in 1974 he heard voices, the jingle of weapons and armour, what he believed to be the sound of thousands of marching men on a September night in Dunblane. He later learned that a neighbour's dog and cat had awakened with raised hackles a the same time as he was hearing the marching army. Research led McKerracher to the conclusion that he had heard the ghosts of the Ninth Legion marching North to subdue the Caledonian tribes. Legend tells the the IX Hispana Legion marched into Scotland around 117A.D. and were never heard of again, the Lost Legion. Dunblane certainly has a Roman history, the remains of three Roman camps, a signal station and traces of the Roman North Road can all be found in the parish and the remains of one of the best preserved Roman military earthworks can be found just a fe...

The ghost of Sarah Preston, who was blamed for spreading the plague that resulted in over 400 deaths in Boston, is a recurring ghost that is said to be more active during the month of September. Sarah lived in a cottage in the shadow of St Botolphs church in the Lincolnshire town of Boston, the principal port of England in medieval times, and it here, in her husband's absence, that she entertained a sailor  who, unbeknown to Sarah, was carrying the plague. Guilt stricken, Sarah Preston climbed the 365 steps to the top of St Botolph's tower, known as Boston Stump, and committed suicide by leaping from the top. Sarah's ghost has been seen to jump from the top of the tower only to disappear before touching the ground. Image: Immanuel Giel via Wikimedia Commons Other September hauntings: Ghost of King Edward II Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire The Grenadier Pub, Wilton Row, London The Ghost of Annie Chapman, a September Haunting The ghost of Amy Robsart wife of Sir...

The death of Amy Robsart on the 8th September 1560 is an Elizabethan mystery that has caused controversy and speculation for over 450 years with historians still debating whether it was accident, suicide or murder. And if it was murder who ordered the deed? Amy was the wife of Robert Dudley, Master of the Queen's Horse, the future Earl of Leicester. As the favourite of Queen Elizabeth I Dudley spent most of his time at court, he hadn't seen his wife, who may have been suffering from breast cancer, for sometime when she met her demise. On 8th September Amy insisted that her servants attended Abingdon Fair leaving her alone at Cumnor Place, they returned to find her dead from head injuries and a broken neck. She appeared to have fallen down the stairs. The inquest at the time ruled the death as accidental but suspicion remained that she may have been killed on the orders of her husband who many believed  hoped to marry Queen Elizabeth. Amy Robsart 's ghost is reput...

Annie Chapman was the second victim of Jack the Ripper. Last seen alive in Hanbury Street talking to a man at around 5.30am on the morning of 8th September 1888 her mutilated body was found at 6am. Number 29 Hanbury Street, where the body was found, no longer exists and the Old Trueman Brewery occupies the site. There have been old reports of dropping temperatures and cold spots in the brewery boardroom at 6am on the 8th Septemeber and apparently the headless ghost of  Annie Chapman was occasionally seen standing in the storeroom built on the site where her body was found. Image:this image (or other media file) is in the  public domain  because its copyright has  expired . Other September hauntings: Ghost of King Edward II Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire The Grenadier Pub, Wilton Row, London The ghost of Amy Robsart wife of Sir Robert Dudley, a September Haunting

"Ghost hunting is not an easy job. It calls for a thorough grounding in both normal and abnormal psychology. The principles of physics, chemistry, photography and sleight of hand must all be known to the researcher. He must be free from superstition and a good judge of human nature. Perhaps most important of all, he must be as eager to disprove as he is to prove the existence of the supernatural; and wherever he encounters charlatanism he must be prepared to denounce it." Athalstan Jones from Mr. Dale Keeps Ghosts

If you're interested in the supernatural September is the time to visit The Grenadier Pub, 18 Wilton Row, Belgrave Square, London. It was once an officer's mess said to have been frequented by the Duke of Wellington and even George V and it's during the month of September that the paranormal activity increases. Items are moved, chairs and tables rattled, footsteps and voices heard, cold spots develop, people are pushed and a ghostly figure which vanishes suddenly has been observed. Cedric, as bar staff and customers have named the ghost, is believed to be the ghost of a soldier caught cheating at cards, beaten by his fellow card players as punishment who subsequently died as a result of his injuries. Due to the increase in ghostly activities during the month if September it is assumed that this is the month he died in. It's said that a film crew once captured a photograph of a ghostly soldier looking into The Grenadier and that one unfortunate customer, a Chief...

King Edward II died on this day, 21st September 1327 at Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire. Edward II had been imprisoned in Berkeley Castle having been forced to abdicate the throne in favour of his son Edward III following a rebellion led by his wife Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer. It is unclear as to what sort of conditions Edward II was kept in, written records from the time show luxury goods having been purchased for him. But, legend suggests that he was kept in a windowless cell in Berkeley Castle next to a dungeon where the rotting carcasses of animals, and people, were thrown.  Legend also states that he was murdered in the most horrific manner "a red-hot spit was run up his bowels" Edward II's screams are said to still be heard at Berkeley Castle each year on the anniversary of his death. Image: i n the  public domain  because its copyright has  expired . via Wikimedia Commons Other September hauntings: The Grenadier Pub, Wilton Row, Lond...

Castle Lodge Ludlow is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of Catherine of Aragon who lived in Ludlow briefly following her marriage to Arthur Prince of Wales until shortly after his death in 1502. The Queen's House, Tower of London is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of Anne Boleyn who stayed in the Tower's Queen's House prior to her coronation in 1533 and prior to her execution in 1536. Yet neither building existed during the lifetime of Catherine or Anne as it does in the present day. Castle Lodge was actually built sometime after 1571 when it was leased to Thomas Sackford, it was described in 1587 as "a fayre house of Maister Sackford which he did bylde" it does however have a stone doorway and medieval moudings that may be from an earlier house on the site. The Tower of London's Queen's House isn't even on the same site as the Queen's House that Anne Boleyn stayed in, that was demolished in the eighteenth century. The current...