Anniversary Ghosts Gazetteer

Armboth House was haunted following the drowning of the households daughter on the night before her wedding day. It is said that bells could be heard, a ghostly dog could be seen swimming in Thirlmere Lake (where she was murdered) and reception meal places laid out by some spirit, all taking place on the anniversary of that fateful night, which just happens to be Halloween. Read More »

On 14 October 1066 the Battle of Hastings took place. The Saxon King Harold II, defending Britain with 7500 infantry engaged the invading Norman army of William Duke of Normandy. William had mustered a fleet of 700 ships to bring his 2200 cavalry, 1700 archers and 4500 infantry across the English Channel from Northern France. Read More »

Now a museum, Bruce Castle, which was formerly known as Lordship House is a Grade I listed manor house dating from the 16th century. It is associated with an anniversary ghost identified as Lady Constantia Coleraine who committed suicide in the late 1600’s and is said to be seen screaming and jumping to her death from an upstairs balcony. Read More »

This 16th Century tower house is haunted allegedly haunted by two ghosts, a Green Lady and another young woman. Read More »

The moor - site of the last battle on British soil -has its share of ghostly traditions, perhaps befitting for the scene of so much bloodshed and slaughter. The Battle of Culloden - April 16th 1746 - marked the fall of the Jacobite rebellion of 1745, which sought to restore the Stuart monarchy to the throne. Read More »

Green Park is a Royal park near Buckingham Palace that covers about forty seven acres. Originally the park was an area of swampy land used as a burial ground for the nearby leper hospital of St James. This hospital was closed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the land was enclosed by King Henry VIII and then became part of the estate of the Poulteney family. Read More »

A spectral army is said to appear on the shores of the loch at dawn on May the first, which is Beltane in the Celtic calander. One sighting is alleged to have taken place during the First World War, when a walker was on the moors close to the loch. He witnessed a battling army of horsemen and foot soldiers savaging each other in silence. Read More »

This Tudor mansion was built by John Hynde in 1543 and is said to have numerous secret passages. Many houses from this period have passages and secret priest holes especially if they were owned by Catholic families when England was ruled by Protestants.

The hall is said to be haunted by the ghost of Lady Ursula Hynde, who was the wife of John, the builder of the house. Read More »

Minsden Chapel is now nothing more than a ruin, standing isolated amidst trees in the Hertfordshire countryside. The site is very atmospheric, given its isolated position and long history. The haunting of the chapel is one of the best known in Hertfordshire, mainly because it has been widely investigated. Read More »

I would have to say Muncaster Castle IS haunted. It has been the subject of a long term scientific study headed by Dr Jason Braithwaite and, I have been closely involved with the case throughout its 16 years+ history. This probably makes it he longest running continuous scientific investigation of a haunting and it has certainly been worthwhile. Read More »

Five black marks on the front porch of the church are said to have been left by the devil, who attacked the church trying to get Sir Roland Alstons. Sir Roland is said to have sold his immortal soul to the Devil and was seeking sanctuary when the time to hand it over had arrived.

The ghost of Sir Roland is said to appear at the church riding a black mount every 100 years. Read More »

The Palatine Light is a legendary ghost ship that was said to appear off Block Island (Rhode Island) in New England. When witnessed the ship was seen to burst into flames and sink into the ocean, and was the harbinger of bad weather. Read More »

Like many of the ancient battlefields of Britain, Sedgemoor - the site of the final defeat of the Duke of Monmouth's ill armed rebel army - has gathered many folklore traditions and legends. Read More »

St Albans has a multitude of ghosts and strange stories, many of which are attached to the magnificent abbey. St Albans has been occupied from very early in its history, the Roman town of Verulamium once stood in the valley, in the area where the public park now lies. Read More »

Founded in 1123 by Rahere, a jester/minstrel in the court of King Henry I (1068 – 1 December 1135), making this one of the oldest churches in London. Originally established as an Augustinian Priory Church, its nave was demolished in 1539 when King Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monastery’s. Read More »

St Mary’s Church is the last resting place of Richard Smith who was killed on 12th April 1727, aged 20 years old. A recruiting sergeant for the army had come to Hinckley and was informing a crowd of potential new soldiers about the virtues of taking the King’s shilling, when Richard started barracking him, making jokes and quips. Read More »

The Sun Inn at Saxilby probably dates from around the 18th century and is closely linked with a famous early 19th century murder, that of Mary Kirkham and it said that Tom Otter, the murderer, reputedly haunts the pub to this day. Read More »

The Grenadier at 18 Wilton Row dates back to the early eighteenth century. Popular with Royalty and celebrities (King George IV, Madonna, Guy Ritchie and Gwyneth Paltrow) it was described by Guy Lyon Playfair in his Haunted Pub Guide (1987) as being “probably the most famous haunted pub in the world” and it is probably the one with its own sentry box outside. Read More »

The Rufus stone (now encased in metal) erected by Earl De La Warr in 1745, marks the location where King William II of England (referred to as William Rufus due to his red faced complexion) died in a hunting accident on 2 August 1100. Some mystery still envelopes the events of his death. Read More »

The Worlds End public house in Ecton dates from the 17th century and is said to be haunted by the ghost of barmaid who was killed by her jealous suitor. First mentioned in 1678 when it was then known as the Globe, it was rebuilt in 1765. Read More »

As it says on the back cover of the book, a twelfth century Gilbertine priory, a Chrysler car factory, a de-sanctified church and a Georgian period lavatory are just a few of the haunted localities from the case files of 1970s ghost buster Tony Broughall. Read More »

Between Uniondale and Willowmore, in the semi-desert area of the Karoo there is a very well known story about a phantom hitchhiking girl called Maria. On 12th April 1968 there was a car accident on the N9 road to Willowmore, near the town of Uniondale. The car, a Volkswagen Beetle, was occupied by a young off duty Air Force Lieutenant and his fiancé who was asleep on the back seat. Read More »

In the years around 1830 the area surrounding the Shooters Hill and the Well Hall Road junction was said to be haunted by strange “unaccountable noises” and the apparition of a white lady. The haunting was thought be some to be connected to the skeleton of an unidentified female skeleton unearthed by a labourer on 10 June 1844. The woman had a long golden hair and a fractured skull. Read More »