Kent Gazetteer

Established in 1207, Bayham, a Premonstratensian abbey was created from two floundering monastic sites at Otham and Brockley. It was built from local sandstone and being right on the border between Kent and Sussex, Bayham had a gate in each county. Read More »

Every Easter Monday the village of Biddenden, not far from Staplehurst in Kent, is the scene of old custom, called the Biddenden Maids' Charity. Tea, cheese and bread are given to local widows and pensioners at the Old Workhouse, while the celebrated Biddenden Cakes, baked from flour and water, are distributed among the spectators. Read More »

There are many reports here of a phantom hitchhiker on the A229 south of Chatham. The reports began in 1968, and usually involved a young girl (possibly a bride to be or a bridesmaid who was killed at the foot of the hill in 1965), flagging down cars and asking for a lift.

In 1211AD Gervase of Tilbury recorded a strange event in the borough of Clorea in Ireland. During a Sunday Mass at the church of St Kinarus in the borough of Cloera, an anchor was seen to descend from the sky and hook on to the church door. Read More »

A headless drummer boy who was murdered during the Napoleanic wars is said to haunt the castle as are a monk and a Roman soldier. The castle was also the scene of an ASSAP vigil in which a door in the castle was filmed shaking violently. Read More »

The Goodwin Sands is a treacherous sand bank in the Channel a few miles off Deal, which has been the site of litterally hundreds of shipwrecks in centuries past, one of the last notable victims being the Ross Revenge, last of the pirate radio ships, in 1991. Read More »

Hall Place, Bexley Village, is a Grade I listed building and records show that a manor has existed within its grounds since 1241. It is supposedly haunted by three ghosts. Read More »

The following account of an apparition experienced by the physician and politician Dr William Jacob (Born 1623 – Died 1692) was taken from 'The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain' by John Ingram (1897). Read More »

On 14 March 2009 a funeral service and burial was held at Hoo St Werburgh parish church for the remains of a suspected witch, buried seven centuries ago and discovered in an archaeological dig in 2007. On 3rd March 2009, The Daily Mail printed the following article entitled ‘Teenage 'witch' decapitated 700 years ago to be given Christian funeral service.' Read More »

A Bronze Age cromlech is said to mark the grave of Kit, who was killed in a fifth century battle. The battle is also said to be re-fought by ghostly soldiers.

Leeds Castle is named after Led who is supposed to have been the Chief Minister of King Ethelbert IV of Kent. Originally a Saxon manor house called Esledes, built in AD857, it consisted of a wooden palisade and earthwork enclosure. It was granted to the Godwin family by King Edward the Confessor but did not become a stone castle until Robert Crevecoeur started upgrading it in 1119. Read More »

Often mooted as the most haunted village in England, this picturesque Kentish village is certainly steeped in ghost stories, whether based on actual sightings or just modern folklore. Its reputation as a ghost village is not without its problems and the village can be a magnet to thrill seekers and also those with a genuine interest in the paranormal, especially around Halloween. Read More »

Reculver is a popular summer holiday resort on the north coat of Kent. It has two key sites of archaeological interest, the remains of a Roman fort and a ruined medieval church. Read More »

Spectral Roman armies where seen marching into the sea during the World War II Watches. The area around Richborough was a Roman port during the occupation and the Roman Fort was very important strategically. Though the fort originally overlooked a port, it is now two miles from the sea.

On 16th October 1963 two young couples were out courting near Saltwood (which has been the scene of numerous strange events) in Kent, when they witnesses a bright star shaped object hovering near some trees. Their attention was considerably aroused by the appearance of a black, headless entity with wings like a bat and webbed feet. The figure came towards them and the couples fled. Read More »

The castle is reputedly haunted by a revenue collector that was killed and then had his body thrown into the moat. He supposedly haunts Scotney seeking revenge on Arthur Darrell, once owner of the castle and the poor mans murderer. Read More »

On 12th October 1912 at Sheerness, Kent, a dark object, that was making strange buzzing noises, was seen passing overhead. This was one of the sightings during the phantom airship wave during the early part of the 1900's.