Royal Victoria Park, Bath

Opened in 1830 by Princess Victoria (24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) (Queen Victoria from 20 June 1837), the Royal Victoria Park is 57 aces in size.  The following account by the author Andrew Green (28 July 1927 – 21 May 2004) describes haunting experiences from the 1976 on the Park’s Gravel Walk.

‘In 1976 a group of school boys with Paul Buckley, their master, were exploring the planned route of Margaret Royal’s popular ‘Ghost Walk Tours’. On reaching the steps at one end of the Gravel Walk one boy suddenly became nervous and pointed to a tall man with white hair that apparently only he could see. He refused to discuss the matter on being questioned.’

‘Later that year a party of 14 were being conducted round the tour and a customer asked the guide how the ‘gimmick’ had been organised. On enquiry the courier learnt that one of the group had seen the figure of the ‘white-haired gentleman’ standing in the middle of the walk and then suddenly vanish. Another walker was so severely shocked at seeing the unexpected figure of the phantom and its disappearance that he had to undergo medical treatment. All these incidents had occurred at approximately 8.45 p.m. A year later the deputy major of Miami also witnessed the apparition and provided more detail. The figure he had seen had his white hair tied behind his head with a ribbon, but, as on previous occasions, the ghost suddenly vanished.’