Haunted Isles -in the company of spirits

Hannath Hall, a private dwelling in Tydd Gote near Wisbech has a long history of paranormal activity. It's an Elizabethan manor house, formerly known as Sparrow's Nest until purchased by Josepth Hannath in 1812. Legend tells that when Joseph's wife died he became deranged and refused to allow the body to leave the house. For two months Joseph Hannath kept his wife's body in her bedroom and insisted that her meals were taken to her.  One poor maid was driven to suicide by this madness and it's believed to be her ghost that has been seen walking the corridors of the house. Eventually Joseph allowed his wife to be buried, under a chestnut tree in the garden. But some say that thereafter no-one could sleep in the bedroom where the body had been kept. Fast forward to 1957 when a Peterborough journalist has car troubles near Hannath Hall. The then owners, Derek and Catherine Page (Derek Page went on to become the MP for Kings Lynn) invite him in and inevitably ...

Strange things happen in 17th Century Nunnington Hall situated on the banks of the River Rye in North Yorkshire. Now owned and managed by The National Trust a member of staff has assured me that Nunnington Hall is indeed haunted although not in a scary fashion. She found upon entering the building in the morning that lights, which she personally switched off, had been turned on and locked doors open. Lilette de Foucauld, a young French woman staying at Nunnington during the 1930's would probably not have agreed with my source. She found her sleep disturbed in the Panelled Room by something coming out of the wall over her bed. Moving to another bedroom restored her sleep! Visiting members of the public have commented on the feeling of something brushing against their legs at the top of the staircase. This is believed to be the ghost of a pet dog who plunged to it's death through the staircase railings. Visitors have also reported a smell of pipe smoke, glimpses of a hur...

It must be quite un-nerving to find oneself lost, with dusk approaching, amongst the Bronze Age barrows of  Kings Barrows Ridge slightly less than a mile away from the standing stones of Stonehenge. A feeling of relief would surely be felt upon seeing lights in the distance, assuming them to be shining from somewhere one could find assistance. How strange then to realize that the lights are actually coming towards you. Even stranger to discover that the lights are flaming torches being carried by Druids.  It's the 1950's and one would assume that a sort of re-enactment had been stumbled upon. Or maybe these are "modern day" druids processing to some sort of religious ceremony. You desperately want to find your way home but you don't want to be seen by this strange group so you hide behind a tree until they have passed by then follow silently in their wake. At last you're back on familiar territory, no longer lost and still not wishing to be seen you h...