By Don Estrella, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
(From the book, "The Best of The Esoteric World News")
For some very strange reason, ghosts seem to have a penchant for the British, or is that vice-versa? In all of my searches and researches I don't believe I have ever come across a country with ghosts to spare as in Britain. We seem to find the ghosts of the Duke of Here and the Duchess of There...The Queen of Scots and the King of Hearts...the ghosts of The Princess of Wales and of Canterbury Tales...Bonnie Prince Leiscester and the Count of Chester...Oh, well...I imagine you get the message. (Apologies to all my British friends out there...I DO believe...not all of them ~ but I do.)
I haven't as yet come to any conclusion as to why ghosts abound in Britain. Could it be the fog which pervades the Isles? Or is it that English ritual, the four o'clock tea which they just can't leave behind? I wonder if our British friends throughout the years have taken note of any unusual poltergeist activity around their tin tea canisters and found a depletion of the contents therein. Maybe that's the reason why they just won't leave. (Oh, yes, and check out the cream and sugar, too.)
For whatever reasons so many ghosts choose to haunt the lovely Isles, they're as good as the Royal Family for the tourist trade. (Now, maybe that's it!) No, they just won't go away...and so, with that in view, we've done a little research on their favorite haunts, just in the event that you would like to hop over to look for them. If planning a vacation in Britain, it could add a little spice to the trip, or if queasy, help you to steer clear of them. We're not promising that our list will contain all famous ghost sites, but enough to make it interesting...
CORNWALL:
Binhamy Farms: The Ghost of Ranulph and Blanchminster Castle ruins. He became a recluse after the Crusade, after his wife married again. He haunts the moat of the Castle.
Botathan: Dorothy Dingle seen since 1665 or earlier, the Rector of St. Mary Magdalene, in Launceston saw her in that year also. The site was exorcised, but still she remains. (Who's Dorothy Dingle?)
Roche: Contains a holy well here. Treageagle, the Cornish "Bluebeard" haunts St. Michael's Chapel and is constantly chased by the devil. One of the impossible "tasks" to which he is doomed is to empty the water from Dozmary Pool, with a limpet shell. (Limpet?)
Sennen Cove: Once a mermaid hangout. Also hangout for the "hooper," a cloudy mist, resting on Cowloe Rock, hooting by day and shooting sparks at night. Also haunted by the Irish Lady, survivor of a shipwreck, she finally drowned, but is seen clinging to the rocks.
SOUTH DEVON:
Berry Pomeroy: Ghost of Lady Margaret Pomeroy lures way-farers to her tower, where they fall to their death. She or another kinswoman is seen, bemoaning the death of her baby.
Brisham: Squire Hillard haunts the Black House, locks doors, constantly locks the owner out of the bathroom and house. Hillard, 400 years ago, hung himself after a romantic upset.
Chudleigh Knighton: A dwarf ghost leads you to buried treasure. New Bridge, nearby is haunted by Dewar or the devil. Another bridge near Stover is also haunted by "something running and waving its arms."
Plymouth: Sir Francis Drake around here where, with his sorcerers, he conjured up the storm to disperse the Spanish Armada. You can hear him and his magicians mumbli8ng incantations.
SOMERSET:
Taunton: (This one is really a whopper. Better stay away from here.) Hammett's Walk, near St. George's Church, Wilton, has a ghost with green hair. Monmouth's men and their captors still heart at Taunton Castle, who were tried there by the despicable Judge Jeffrey whose room at the Tudor Tavern is also haunted. In the castle, a figure is seen, bewigged, booted, gauntletted, has a sword by his side, pistol in hand...in Caroline dress. The County Museum in the castle, scene of bloody events in the pat, has a ghost that grabs people. A fair-haired, seventeenth century damsel also appears. Poltergeist activity. Castle Hotel (contains part of the original castle) has ghostly music floating around (to entertain its clients, presumably).
Sherborne: Sir Walter Raleigh strolls the rough the grounds at Sherborne Castle on St. Michael's Eve, September 29th, and sits under a tree (smoking, no doubt).
DORSET:
Dorchester: Nathaniel Templen, rector, is seen at St. Peter's Church here. The good rector only appears, it seems, to chastise when evil deeds are done ~ and at one point frightened the devil out of some churchmen who, exhausted by some work at the church, chose to refresh themselves with the holy communion wine.
Wolfeton House: Sir Thomas Trenchard's descendants drive coaches, walk around headless in full view of the ghost of a priest in the gatehouse.
Hanford House: Here you can get at no charge, the ghost of a sweet little old lady dressed in brown, who will politely greet you at the stairs. She'll babysit at the bedside of your children until they fall asleep. Later on she'll turn real wicked and bump all over the house. Now that Hanford House is a school, I'd hate for the kiddies to stay there overnight.
SUSSEX:
Herstimonceux Castle: Whom you'll hear drumming at this castle will probably be elderly Lord Dacre, who drummed to keep lovers away from his beautiful young wife. She locked him up to die (guess I can't blame her) but you can still hear him drumming. (She should have broken his drum, too.) You'll also find here an heiress around the moat, murdered for her fortune. In addition, there is the ghost of a sleepwalking man (probably can't sleep with Lord Dacre drumming).
Brede Place: Sir Goddard, a giant who reputedly ate the flesh of babies, lived here. There's also the ghost of Father John, a priest; a servant, Martha, from the 16th century, hung for stealing; another ghost is headless and has been photographed; a lady in Elizabethan dress, and others.
KENT:
Southfleet: Evidence collected over a hundred years by tenants at the rectory here add credibility to her. She's either a nun or a nurse, four feet, six inches tall...she's dumpy, dresses in brown and is always carrying rustling papers with her (could have been part of a medieval messenger service?). A pleasant tale tells of monks who seduced three nuns here and were sealed up in the walls for it.
Northfleet: This one's sort of chilling...being fairly recent, as time goes. Tenants of a council house built here in the 1930s were frightened into leaving in 1962 and 1966, due to fierce poltergeist activity and ghosts of a young lady and a headless woman appearing.
Pluckley: Another whopper! This village in Kent can pride itself as being the most haunted in Kent. It features: White Lady Dering, Red Lady Dering, haunting St. Nicholas' graveyard and church; a schoolmaster who committed suicide; a miller shuffling around at his mill; a gypsy woman, burned to death; a phantom highwayman; a colonel floating around; a screaming man who fell into a pit; a phantom coach and a monk who walks around with a lady-friend. Add to all that a lot of poltergeist activity.
LONDON:
Hampton Court: Jane Seymour carries a lighted taper from the Queen's Apartments. Catherine Howard screams here lately more than she is seen. In 1917, a policeman, stationed at the main gate, met with a group of eight ladies and two men who suddenly vanished.
Westminster Abbey: The Unknown Warrior's ghost fleets around here, as does John Bradshaw, who condemned Charles I, and Father Benedictus makes his rounds in the cloisters, punctually between 5 and 6 p.m.
Tower of London: A "bear-like" ghost was seen here by a sentry who then died of fright. Anne Boylen is a regular here, seen both with and without her head. Lady Salisbury, be-headed by Henry VIII is here, too. Sir Walter Raleigh (still smoking, I assume) also joins them. Lady Jane Grey is thrown in for good measure on the anniversary of her execution.
YORKSHIRE:
Hylton Castle: Here's one who tries to be a little different. "The Cauld Lad of Hylton" can be seen here cleaning and tidying things and putting them away for you...probably to earn his room and board. He is, moreover naked and will only become really mischievous and destructive if there's no work for him to do. (All you domestics...please take note.)
Whitby: Another whopper...if in the summer, you stand on the West side of Whitby churchyard, looking to the north of the abbey, you'll find Lady Hilda, a famous ghost, in a shroud at the window. Also, a coach that drives to church from Greenland and plunges over a cliff; "Goosey" a simple ghost who accepted the challenge of eating a large goose at one sitting and was then murdered. (I should think eating a whole goose at one sitting was sufficient punishment.) Then, another ghost, Hob, who makes drivers skid on the road and changes signposts around. At Fitz-steps, a cheery type who carries his head around under his arm.
Well, there you have a sampling of the typical ghost scene in Britain. Incidentally, when I use the term, "sampling" let's say it is just that. There are literally hundreds of ghost sites throughout the country. Some of a very light, harmless nature to others with terrifying activity. While I have branded this article with my little touch of humor, I am fully cognizant and respectful of macabre elements attached to British and certain other ghosts. However, in any realm of activity we must look to the lighter vein of things as a balance to its sober side.
We are still apparently at a standstill...Why so many British ghosts? Does someone out there have any answers? If so, I would certainly like to know. Please don't tell be it's because of the 4 o'clock tea.
(If anyone can answer that question,
e-mail me: lorraine@theesotericworldnews.com )Directory of Haunted Hotels and Castles
In Britain and IrelandLast updated on 11/23/06 06:11 PM
