Hertfordshire | Kent | London | Surrey | Sussex

Hertfordshire

BROCKET ARMS
Ayot St. Lawrence
Hertfordshire
The first known recording of the ghost here was in 1969 when 'about nine p.m. 'Mrs. Teresa Sweeney, one of the staff, suddenly saw a man 'dressed all in brown, with a cowl and everything. His head was bent down so I couldn't see his face, but, as I turned towards him he vanished'. Months later he was seen again by a customer in the doorway of the dining room and later on, on a number of occasions, 'quiet muttering voices'have been heard. Footsteps were, and still are, 'fairly frequent occurrences', but the monk is, it seems, no longer haunting. He was assumed to be a pilgrim who, when the building was a hostelry in the fourteenth century, hung himself in what is now the bar. Top

GEORGE INN
London Road
Bishop Stortford
Hertfordshire
The resident ghost here is the grey lady who, when the 'George'was a coaching inn, stepped out of her bedroom number 27 on to a balcony and was stabbed by a half concealed burglar. She fell back into the room and died. Now in the affected room is an ancient door which originally allowed access to the balcony but it remains permanently sealed. In 1970 the ghost was seen by a couple as 'a swirling grey mist round the bed'and they demanded to be moved to another room. A few years later another guest saw the figure of a woman in a grey gown bending over the bed with her arms raised, perhaps in pain. She vanished as soon as the guest called out. Top

GREEN DRAGON
21 Market square
Waltham Abbey
Hertfordshire
Believed to be over 450 years old this ancient building retains the haunting of the ghost of a Cavalier, seen by at least three people during the 1970's, and always 'during the middle of the day'. Mrs. Joan Green, the licensee's wife assured me that Cheryl her daughter, her daughter-in-law and her son have all experienced the phenomena in the house, and two local residents have also been mystified by certain incidents. One afternoon, Cheryl was in an upstairs corridor preparing to enter the loft when she saw 'something glide past'. The following afternoon in exactly the same spot and at about the same time, the girl noticed the figure of a man dressed exactly like a Cavalier, standing in a doorway. 'As I looked at him'she told me 'he just faded away'. That was early in the 1970's but since then mysterious footsteps have been heard walking the empty passageway and on one occasion Mrs. Green's daughter-in-law felt as if she had been pushed towards the stairway. Dennis Morgan, then of the 'Cheshunt Telegraph', was interested enough to carry out a Training Project on the case and to provide basic details of the haunting. Meanwhile, the footsteps and 'weird scufflings'continue to be heard but now at less frequent intervals. Top

HOLLYBUSH BAR
High Street
Hertfordshire
Built in 1451 this delightful old building once boasted a tunnel, the entrance of which was hidden by a door in the bar. No-one now recalls where the underground route led to but Mr. and Mrs. Cadell, former owners, assured me it had been visited by some of their older customers. Mr. Cadell who had retired from the Royal Navy in 1970 was used to 'stories of ghostly ships at sea'but found it difficult to believe that his pub was haunted, until one evening in 1974 both he and his wife heard footsteps on the empty stairs. 'They were slow and heavy like a man's footsteps going up to the top landing'. A few days later whilst still puzzling over this unusual incident, Mrs. Cadell heard the sound again and on going to see who was causing the noise saw, over the banisters at the top of the stairs, 'the head of a man, just like the Van Dyke cigar advertisement. He glanced down towards me and then faded away. I called my husband but, of course, it was too late then'. Top

There are, she told me, a lot of factors which may be related to the haunting, for the mysterious bearded character was seen again nearly a year later by a new member of the staff. One story is that one John Turtle or Circle, the son of an eighteenth century mayor was a heavy gambler and deeply in debt to a William Weare. In a gruesome fight which resulted after Weare had demanded repayment, Turtle shot the younger man, slit his throat and threw his body into a nearby marsh. However, the murderer was caught and hung, whilst his victims body was interred in the churchyard opposite. Another factor is that there was an undertakers''parlour'where the current car park now stands and the fact that this is 'unhealthy'is evidence by the dog's refusal to walk anywhere near the spot. Hoping for more information I contacted the new owner at the time of writing a Mr. Noventa who cautiously admitted that he had experienced what might be classified as inexplicable noises and confirmed that the Cadells had reported weird incidents. 'But', he said 'it's not always easy to say what is ghostly is it?'. How right he is. Top

PALACE THEATRE
Clarendon Road
Watford
Hertfordshire
Although no actual figures have been witnessed here, the 'presence'of 'something unseen'has often been claimed and certainly experienced in this 70 year old building. Mysterious footsteps have been heard occasionally crossing the stage, but the centre of the phenomena seems to be located in a specific dressing-room. Here the 'feeling of someone'is more frequently felt and often accompanied by a drop in temperature and then followed by a series of footsteps which stop at the door. Maintenance staff and two of the executives have admitted to hearing the sounds, created, they believe, by the ghost of a former stage-hand. Top

SALSBURY HALL
London Colney
Near St. Albans
Hertfordshire
Surrounded by an original Norman moat, this attractive manor house has many memories, relics and the ghost of an unknown man. Among witnesses of the phantom is Maria Goldsmith who lives in Nell Gynne`s cottage on the estate. She frequently acts as a guide in the house and one evening, 'at about ten p.m.'saw a figure of a man in what she knew to be an empty corridor. Thinking it was an uninvited guest she called to him and on doing so, the apparition vanished. Top

THE WICKED LADY
Normansland Common
St Albans
Hertfordshire
This pub is named after Lady Katherine Ferrers who enjoyed a 'Jekyll and Hyde'existence in the eighteenth century practising a dual role of Lady of the Manor during the day and being a highway woman at night. Local legend is that she used the pub as an illicit meeting place with her nefarious colleagues but it is not her that haunts the inn. The woman who frequents an upper room is someone who is constantly weeping and 'crying her eyes out', though she is never seen. Several people have heard the distressing sounds but only when the affected room is empty of humans. Top

Kent

THE BAYLE
Priory Gardens
Folkestone
Kent
Folkestone was, up to the early 1800's mainly a centre for smugglers but when the railway purchased the harbour in 1842, it rapidly developed and flourished into a popular holiday resort and a cross-channel port. The area has been valued for it defensive qualities since before the Romans, and ancient Napoleonic and twentieth century fortifications scatter the ground round Caesar's Camp overlooking the harbour. Religious groups also realised its potential and in 1530 an important priory was built by a group of Benedictine monks who probably took over the nearby Norman Church which had been completed in 1095. The current parish church near the Road of Remembrance, is no doubt on the original Norman foundations. Now, a group of houses covers the site of the priory and its grounds but some of them with their gardens and roadways are affected, it seems, by the lives of those religious devotees. According to James Rawlins, founder of a small research group in Folkestone. Mrs. Ludgate, who lives in one of the cottages on the Bayle often sits in her back garden surrounded by a portion of the original church wall. On more that one occasion she has seen a number of monks apparently working and making garden tools. 'They look quite happy in their work' she told James, 'but are rather ragged in their clothing. Perhaps they are a group of mendicants for they are wearing brown habits rather than the black robes of Benedictines'. Mendicant Orders were a certain religious sect of friars which grew up within the Roman Catholic Church in the early thirteenth century, the Franciscans and Dominicans being the most noted. They practised, and still do, in the main, strict self-denial and subsisted mainly upon alms. However, Mrs. Ludgate is not the only witness to the monks for a couple living on the other side of the road have seen twice in 1975, a 'cowled figure on the staircase of their home'Dick Godden, another investigator in the area also established that both have also heard 'chanting'in the region of their front garden which covers part of the priory grounds. A postman and a milkman delivering to the area in the early morning confirm that they have heard 'the singing of religious hymns'and thought it was 'someone's radio', though 'I must admit it as difficult to locate the source', one admitted. The postman also reported in 1977 that he had seen a tall figure in a 'cape with a hood, rather like a large duffel coat, glide across the road', but preferred to ignore it. 'I don't believe in ghosts'he said. But he could offer no explanation for what he saw. Top

BODIAM ROAD
Sandhurst
Kent
Lying either side of the road from Bodiam Castle through Sandhurst Cross to the main village of Sandhurst are two ponds, one known as Chapel Pond, and the other Brick House Pond. Some 50 years ago a local woman drowned herself in the former and about 1870 a man committed suicide in the other. Under such circumstances it is not unusual for legends to arise telling of 'weird weed-covered phantoms rising from the waters to glide silently to the edge where they disappear'. Unfortunately for the folk-lore enthusiast there are no such beliefs, though admittedly some local are reluctant to dally on that part of the road at night. At eight p.m. on Christmas Eve, 1973, when walking up the road with his friend, Henry Hodd, Brian Lee was, 'a bit surprised'to see a chap standing in the hedge adjoining Brick House Pond. Henry was unable to see the figure but realised from the expression of his companion that he was 'a bit scared by something'. So scared was he, in fact, that Brian moved behind his friend asking him to keep 'that man away'. All that Brian was able to tell me was that the dark figure was that of a man about 30/35 years old, with a youngish face and, 'I was convinced that he was smiling at me, and I didn't like it very much'. The figure followed them for a few yards and then 'vanished'. Could it be that this was the ghost of the suicide? Top

BROOMHILL ROAD
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
Proof that demolishing a haunted property often has little effect on the actual ghost is the recurring incident experienced on the Broomhill Road. Returning from some friends one evening, Mr. and Mrs. Gearing of Tonbridge were driving along the road when they noticed the figure of a man standing in a hollow of the verge. They were travelling too fast to stop in time and drove so close to him that they felt sure he had been hit. Shocked and appalled they pulled up and searched the area for many minutes before having to accept that no-one had been hurt, and the mysterious stranger had disappeared. Although they described the incident to friends they could offer no explanation until learning from Joe Ovenden of Rusthall that 70 years earlier a large house with a lodge existed at the exact spot at the bend of the road where they had seen the 'misty figure'Joe recalled that both buildings had lain derelict for many years before being demolished because so many potential buyers were scared away by the ghost of a man who haunted the place. Mrs. Ovenden had known the couple who lived in the house and had frequently been told by them of incidents in the cottage. 'It's haunted', they said, 'by a man in a grey suit'. Top

CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL
Canterbury
Kent
Canterbury, the foundation stone of Christianity in Saxon England, though some are adamant that Glastonbury holds this title, was already a religious haven nearly 400 years before the Romans arrived. The first cathedral was completed in 597 and was used by St. Augustine to baptise King Ethelbert of Kent in the borough of the men of Kent- Cantwara-byrig. In its long blood-stained history, the cathedral has seen murder, fire destruction, the most recent of course during the last war when bombs fell in its precincts. But it is ancient ghosts who tread the flagstones. Archbishop Simon Sudbury, killed in 1381 by Wat Tyler is supposed to haunt the tower named after him for the doubtful reason that his head is buried in Suffolk and his torso within the walls of Canterbury. Doubt is strengthened by the fact that the phantom, according to Anthony Hippisley Coxe, is that of a 'dignified character with a grey beard and a fair complexion'. However, another ghost is that of an unknown monk seen by several visitors in the last few years, one of whom is Rhona Martin the prize-winning award novelist. When a member of the choir school attached to the cathedral, she was walking round the cloisters one evening and saw the figure of the man approaching her, silently with his head bowed in contemplation or prayer. She merely glanced at him, thinking he was a member of the religious orders who carry out pilgrimage to the holy spot, and passed by. But, as the figure drew level, she suddenly felt extremely cold and turning to see the monk suddenly vanish. 'It didn't frighten me at all'she said, 'it just puzzled me. But I heard later that other people had seen the monk and become more interested in the whole field of the paranormal'. Top

CANTERBURY ROAD
Chilton
Near Ramsgate
Kent
Close to the major cross-roads here and only yards from the railway line a number of car crashes have occurred because, according to the drivers involved they were trying to dodge a monk 'or what looked like a monk'who suddenly appears in the middle of the road. One motorist recently gave what might perhaps prove to be a useful clue to identifying the phantom. 'It looked more like a navel duffel coat to me' he said, 'and let's be fair, the services were much in evidence in this area during the war'. Top

CHILHAM CASTLE KEEP
Chilham
Kent
Despite several hundred prisoners being kept in the lower section of the tower in worse conditions that the Black Hole of Calcutta, the only ghost to be seen here is that of a mediaeval woman. During one of the weekend banquets held for parties of tourists and enthusiasts in 1972, one of the young girls acting as a 'serving wench'saw the figure of an older woman approaching the old wall which abuts the keep. Assuming that it was one of the guests suitably attired in the period costume, she greeted the lady, only to be astounded when the woman melted into the wall. Some time later two members of another group commented on the magnificent gown of the lady standing by the old wall. They found it difficult to accept that she was not mortal. There have been weird and mysterious sounds heard also, coming from the roof directly over the ladies' powder room. They resemble the noise made by someone hauling pieces of heavy furniture around, but the only item on the roof are a weather vane and a water cistern. I heard the sounds myself during a visit in 1975 and noticed that they were accompanied by a sever drop in temperature in the room beneath. Top

EYHORNE MANOR
Hollingbourne
Kent
One of the earliest mentions of Hollingbourne appears in records of AD 980 when the estate was granted by Athelstan, son of King Ethelred, to the church of Canterbury. Eyhorne Manor was probably constructed in about 1410 as a yeoman's hall house for it is a typical Wealden building with a central hall fireplace in the centre of the living area. Proof of this is the rather rare smoking bay which can be examined by the many visitors attracted to the manor during summer afternoons. Top

In the 1950's the owners, Derek and Sheila Simmons, moved into what was then one of the three rather dilapidated cottages. What puzzled them was the sound of someone walking upstairs, which a neighbour, Mrs. Brunger, also experienced in the adjoining cottage. When Sally Brunger was four years old she occupied a small little back bedroom at the top of the house and one evening asked her mother if she thought she would see 'the little old lady'that night. Her mother told me that, 'It gave me quite a creepy feeling to realise that she had seen what later became known as the 'lady in grey''. There was obviously nothing frightening about the apparition for when the Brungers moved out, Sally said she would miss her nightly visitor'What proved to be the most disturbing aspect however, was when the room was empty, Mrs. Brunger would hear 'slithering, like silk or taffeta, moving across the floor, and the cold clammy feeling in a corner of the room by the bed'. The figure of a little man in a black suit had also been seen in the garden by Mrs. Brunger 'but only once, before it just vanished'though a dog also appeared to have seen the figure. Top

On one occasion a previous tenant had enquired from the then owner's wife who her visitor had been, 'The man in the green velvet suit who had come into the dining room whilst she was cleaning brass in the kitchen'. This mystery figure was just another apparition seen only once. But the 'slithering noise in the bedroom'continued. Sheila Simmons heard it several times and admitted that she was a bit scared. 'It was not very pleasant'she said, 'when standing in an empty room, suddenly to hear the sound of some silky-like material being pulled across the floor boards towards you. Once I became so scared that I ran into the garden to get away from whatever it was'. In 1972, Mrs. Simmons, having seen her husband off to work was sitting in the dining room when she heard footsteps running round the end of the cottage and presumed her husband had forgotten something he needed in the office. But the sound stopped as mysteriously as it has started and when Mrs. Simmons went to look in the garden, there was no-one in sight. 'What puzzled me was the footsteps sounded as if they were running on shingle or cinders, but as you see, the path is of York paving slabs. Mind you, it used to be a cinder path many year ago'. One or two visitors have recently admitted that they 'feel'the presence of 'something or someone'in the small bedroom, but 'it's not really frightening'. Top

INVICTA BINGO HALL
High Street
Chatham
Kent
Chatham was once a thriving naval base which prospered under Elizabeth 1. It later gained greater popularity by being home of Charles Dickens, who featured one of the ancient houses in nearby Rochester in one of his novels. Now, still associated with the navy, its occupants are more occupied in industrial commercial activities. Some of the 'old town'remains undisturbed and there still exists a strong community spirit, strengthened probably by the family atmosphere of BBC Radio Medway, situated in the High Street. At the other end of the street, partially set back from the general line of shops, one finds this Bingo Hall which attracts members of all types during the afternoon and evening sessions. As with many other such entertainment sites it was originally a cinema, but during the war it was taken over by the Church Army and used as a hostel and temporary home for families bombed out of their houses during the blitz. It was during this period that one night the building suffered 'an almost direct hit'which injured a large number and killed four of the temporary residents, three of whom were children. Although in the latter half of the 1940's reports had been made of 'strange noises'being heard, it was not until 1974 that several customers and a member of staff reported that they had actually seen the ghostly figure of a 'man in green'walking about the foyer and upstairs on the balcony. The apparition was always seen during the evening and had been witnessed more than once by an all night cleaner. He stated that he had also heard the sounds of children's voices in the building but was unable to locate the source of the noise. Initially, he dismissed his own experience as 'being due to tiredness'until he learnt that other members of the staff had also heard the children and two at least had seen the man in a green military-style uniform. By 1975 interest in the case was so strong that a clairvoyant was called upon to assist in the investigation. The sensitive heard the name 'Bill Malan'and stated that whoever he was, Bill was somehow associated with the building when it was a cinema. Research proved the claim, for Mr. W Malan had been employed as a commissionaire at the cinema for some 15 years until he died in 1955, and he always wore a green uniform. His concern for the children during his wartime service was well known. The haunting seems to have lessened somewhat since the visit of the clairvoyant but sounds of children are still heard at night. Top

LEAS PAVILION THEATRE
The Leas
Folkestone
Kent
In March, 1979, the 'Folkestone Gazette' published a report relating to the haunting of this old Victorian theatre sited a mere 100 yards from the war memorial. Formerly a music hall, it has seen a great variety of entertainment, but despite the influx of television and bingo it has been able to continue to provide live shows continuously and will do so 'for many years to come'. Brianne Manktelow, one of the management team, told me that although she knows of no-one who has actually seen the ghost, she certainly has no desire to stay in the empty building at night. Some time ago whilst clearing up after a performance she felt someone behind her and turned to find she was alone, yet the sensation remained. 'Someone I couldn't see was standing there', she said. John Hendry, the former set designer, is also said to have experienced similar incidents on more than one occasion. The 'feeling' is always more intense near a particular dressing room where, earlier this century, an elderly caretaker hung himself. He had been in debt for some time and, being 'on his own'had nothing to live for. His craze for gambling had become an addiction and 'being unable to see a way out took his own life'.

Many members of the staff, whilst changing sets at night or preparing the theatre for the following days performance have sensed 'the old man'and on more than a couple of occasions have heard unusual noises and doors closing of their own accord. Sometimes even some of the equipment is moved but, thankfully, always to the right place. 'I reckon the old boy is trying to help out', said Charles Vance. 'But at times he can be a bit of a nuisance. Some of the new members of the staff have said they have bumped into someone near a particular room but when they turn round to apologise there is no-one there'. At least the old man does not have any effect on the audiences for the theatre continues to play to packed houses. One comment could well be true. 'I reckon if the old boy leaves, it will mean we've a flop on our hands. He's not likely to stay around unless we are busy'. Top

OXNEY BOTTOM
Near Dover
Kent
Drivers travelling on this main road from Deal are, it seems, likely to see the phantom of a grey lady who suddenly wafts across their path at a sharp S bend. Several fatal accidents have occurred here, 20 in a 12 month period, and attempts by the police, the council and the highway authorities to ascertain the cause have produced some unusual information which may be relevant. In the wood on the left there are the ruins of a church and an underground stream with a very high sulphur content was discovered beneath the road. During 1973 a group of four young engineers went 'ghost hunting'here and two of them were lucky enough to witness the apparition. 'Her face was very serious', one of them said, 'it was miserable really, but her appearance and disappearance happened so quickly and unexpectedly that I can't recall any other details'. Top

London

ADELPHI THEATRE
Strand
London
WC2
The popular idea that the well-loved actor William Terriss, who was stabbed to death at the stage door in 1907, is the ghost that frequents this old theatre is questionable despite claims by sensitives of 'identifying'the phantom. Foreman Jact Hayden at Covent Garden Station is adamant that he has seen the phantom several times over a period of ten years and is convinced it is of Terriss. The figure is of 'a man wearing a grey suit, old fashioned collar and white gloves'. Jack told me emphatically during a film making session at the underground station in 1973, 'I just know it is William'. However, John Harries in his 'Ghost Hunters Book'claims that the haunting was known to exist well before 1907. Whoever it is not only frequents the station, where he has been seen by several members of the London Transport Staff, but also the nearby theatre. One of the theatre's electricians, working late one night, saw the apparition in a grey suit walking through a whole row of seats and then disappeared through a wall. Strengthening the idea that poor old William is the spectre, were the series of 'odd rapping noises'heard by the theatre staff coming from the dressing room used by the actor. But, of course he was not the only one to use the room. One old chap recalls that Terriss used to tap on the door of an adjoining room to let his leading lady know he was going out for a few minutes. There could be, one supposes more than one ghost for there have been 'many traumatic experiences'within the theatre. Top

BANK OF ENGLAND
Princes Street
London
EC2
Seen very occasionally in the gardens near the entrance to the Bank Station is the 'rather misty figure of a woman'. She is thought to be Sarah Whitehead, the sister of a bank official who, after being caught forging cheques, was hung for his crimes in 1811. Sarah lost her mind and died shortly afterwards. She was buried in an old graveyard, a portion of which became gardens, and another sector the approach to the underground station. Top

BOSTON MANOR HOUSE
Boston Manor Road
Brentford
London
Seen gliding down the back lawn to the lake and on another occasion walking from the back door of the house along a paved path towards a cypress tree is the apparition of a 'lady in a flowing white gown'. Known locally as 'The lady of the Lake'she is believed to be a distraught lover who committed suicide in the Victorian era. However, another idea is that she is the ghost of Lady Boston who was murdered by her husband on discovering her affair with Lord Fairfax. A female skeleton was certainly discovered in the grounds of the house, some years ago, and re-buried on the estate. Top

BRUCE CASTLE MUSEUM
Lordship Lane
London
N.17
This is one of the very few Tudor buildings left in London, although it remains hidden behind Victorian Castellations. Although no-one is known to have experienced any ghostly happenings inside the museum, on at least four occasions in the last 20 years witnesses walking past the building at night have seen what appears to be a party. 'A large number of people in eighteenth century costume', have been encountered close to the original Tudor sector, but, when approached, the silent gathering 'just melts into the walls'. Top

CHISWICK HOUSE
Burlington Lane
Chiswick
London
W.4
Early in the 1970's when I visited this villa designed by the Earl of Burlington in 1725, it was being restored. On noticing a strong and unmistakable smell of frying eggs and bacon, I light-heartedly asked who was consuming a late breakfast, for it was then about four o'clock in the afternoon. The foreman laughed and said 'It's the ghost of one of the mad cooks'. The appetising smell has been noticed by several people over many years. Michael Digby, head custodian at the time and former Mayor of Brentford and Chiswick, told me that, 'The phenomena is experienced at irregular intervals. Sometimes for two days in a row and then nothing for three or four months. I also have the feeling of being watched occasionally in the evenings'. Adding to the mystery is that the kitchens were destroyed over 100 years ago and the smell is only apparent in the north wing, where they used to be. Top

THE COMMON
Uxbridge Road
Ealing Common
London
W.5
It is difficult, perhaps, to accept that in this part of Ealing, within only a few yards of the busy turmoil of Ealing Broadway and the junction of Gunnersbury Avenue, the ghost of a coach and horses was seen by a reputable witness. Yet in 1976 Mrs. Willis, wife of a Harrow film director, was waiting in her car at the end of the common when she heard the sound of wheels and the clattering of horses` hooves coming up from behind. She turned, and was amazed to see an old black coach with a pair of mottled grey horses approaching. Thinking it was part of a festival or even a film sequence she watched with greater interest as the vehicle and animals passed the car and raced towards the junction with the Uxbridge Road. Suddenly, within feet of the main traffic flow, the coach, the animals and the driver vanished. Fascinated by the experience Mrs. Willis and her husband investigated and discovered that the common lay on one of the old coaching routes and, according to a timetable published in the 1700's four o'clock, when she saw the ghostly parade, was the time for a particular vehicle from Ealing. There have been many rumours of a coach and horses being seen in the area for years but this is the first occasion, I believe, when an actual witness has reported the matter. Top

CORONET THEATRE
Notting Hill Gate
London
W.2
More than one member of the staff has commented on the feeling of unease when walking up the stairs to the circle of this old theatre. Some sceptics may point out that the lighting was of poor quality which could easily promote imagination in nervous individuals, but such comment can not dismiss the fact that an apparition of a middle-aged man in an Edwardian suit has been seen here. Prior to its conversion to Bingo, the theatre was 'visited'at least six times by the phantom, but only twice in the last few years. The belief is that the ghost is that of an actor, or more likely an actor/manager intending to watch a performance from the circle. No explanation for the haunting itself has yet been offered other than the usual tales of a probable suicide. Top

CROWN AND HORSES
Horseshoe Lane
Off Cahse Side
Enfield
London
'Other than footsteps and the mysterious banging of doors, nothing much happens these days'the landlord told me in February 1976. The pub which has seen at least two sudden deaths, one in 1816 and another in 1832, has also been the site of a visible haunting. One evening only a few years ago, Brian Bullock a regular customer was walking past and glanced in to see an old woman pass one of the windows. Later he enquired as to who the lady was, he thoughts she was an elderly relative, but received assurance from the puzzled licensee that the pub had been completely empty at the time. Top

HAMPTON COURT PALACE
Hampton Court
London
One of Britain's most famous palaces still houses the ghost of the nurse to King Edward VI. She was originally reported as being witnessed in the nineteenth century and identified as Mrs. Sibel Penn whose spinning-wheel was discovered in a previously unknown room a few years ago The figure of the 'little old lady in a grey gown'was seen near the chamber by the renowned actor Leslie Finch when he visited the palace in 1964. The best known phantom is that of Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife who was executed for adultery and has been witnessed scores of times in the Haunted Gallery, rushing down the length of the corridor and vanishing at the end doorway. Top

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE
Haymarket
London
W1
Margaret Rutherford endeared herself to thousands in the film 'Blithe Spirit'and further increased her popularity in the plays of Agatha Christie's crime novels. Michael Flanders, another highly popular entertainer, starred in the show 'At the Drop of Another Hat'and also became a television personality in his own right. Both had experienced phenomena in this old but appealing theatre. Dame Flora Robson is another who thought she witnessed the ghost of a former manager, John Buckstone, who died over 120 years ago.
Buckstone has been heard whispering in one of the dressing rooms and some years ago, one actor opened the door of the room saw the figure wearing a long frock coat sitting in a chair. He immediately closed the door, locked it and called the fireman. When they arrived and opened the dressing room door, they found nothing. Two firemen, however, saw a man's face staring at them through one of the windows. The ghost has been identified as Buckstone from an old photograph. It was Olga Barnett, assistant stage manager for one of the shows, who saw him standing behind Michael Flanders'wheelchair during a show and on enquiry learnt several members of the audience had commented on 'the tall gentleman in the old frock coat'. The story goes on that the phantom only appears when productions are successful, but, perhaps, this idea is fostered to offset some of the untold fear of the nervous. Top

HORNIMAN MUSEUM
London Road
Forest Hill
London
SE23
Although there have been no reports of the witnessing of the ghosts here for about five years, their appearance is erratic anyway and is likely to be experienced at any time. The ghost of a dancing girl was seen at One Tree Hill just over half a mile away in the 1940's (see Frontiers of the Unknown by Andrew MacKenzie) but there is no apparent connection between her and the couple on the terrace. Mr. A.L. Marney of Andover wrote to me in 1977 to tell me of the experience he and his wife had in September, 1951. Surprisingly, his brother and some friends were to witness to exactly the same incident in September 1964. The Marneys were walking below the area used as an aviary when they suddenly noticed two people in evening dress dancing on the brick balcony in front of the greenhouse. The woman was is a bright red dress and the watchers were struck by the glossiness of the man's hair, heavily greased in the style of the 1920's. No music was heard at any time during the haunting. The site of the performance was that of the original coach-house of Horniman Museum. The couple were seen to move towards the cluster of silver birch trees where they vanished. Top

THE LANGHAM
Langham Place
London
W1
It is only when in general conversation with John Dunn, the expert presenter of a very popular programme on Radio 2, that I learnt of the ghost of Langham. This building, immediately opposite the headquarters of the BBC has been used as a club and for temporary accommodation for visiting personalities and some staff, for many years, though originally it was an hotel. There are of course a number of offices in the building as well, but it is Room 103 which is the main site of the haunting. Up to the early 1950's the figure of a man, who appears as a butler carrying a tray, was seen gliding along the corridor and on turning towards the former bedroom, suddenly vanishes. This apparition has not been witnessed, or at least reported since 1974 but the figure of a young woman has quite recently been observed in the same room by a number of people. The girl in question, dressed in a 'bluish gown, probably a night dress'is thought to be the girl friend of the butler, but why she has now replaced the ghost of the man is a bit of a mystery, though Ray Moore saw the phantom butler in 1973 and described him as 'A big man with his hands behind his back'. James Alexandra Gordon, one of the news readers, threw his left boot at it when the phantom appeared at his bedside. Imaginative tales about couples are, of course, rife, but the main belief is that the girl was killed by the butler after a passionate love affair had broken down. The man's last visit to the bedroom in the early hours had been to try and end the affair peacefully, but, perhaps because of an excess of liquor he was seen to be carrying, his rage was uncontrollable and he murdered the girl and then killed himself. Shortly after this the hotel was sold. One of the BBC staff who witnessed him some 20 years ago, stated that the man was limping, 'though in a way which made him think he had been wounded during the war. He seemed to have been the right age to have been in the Services'. Top

LONDON PALLADIUM
Argyll Street
London
W.1.
There are not many authors who have had the opportunity of sharing the famous stage of the London Palladium with the vivacious Tommy Steele, or of learning of his acceptance of the existence of ghosts. Nevertheless, I had this great pleasure in the 1960's during rehearsal of the commercial television programme 'Saturday Night at the London Palladium'and also with great interest heard from one of the permanent members of the theatre staff of the haunting of the old Crimson Staircase. The witness, Arthur Cow, had actually seen the figure of 'a beautiful lady in a marvellous crinoline dress'when, 'doing a bit of cleaning up behind the Royal Circle'. Some years later, I was assured that the phantom has been seen 'quite recently'in the same area. She is supposed to be the ghost of Helen Campbell, a former resident of Argyll House, which once stood on this site. I'm more inclined to believe that she is the phantom of a former actress, for the Crimson Staircase was built as part of the theatre, not in the home of the Duke of Argylll. Alternatively, she could be one of the distinguished guests or a member of the Royal Family. Top

MOUNTVIEW THEATRE SCHOOL AND ARTS CENTRE
Crouch Hill
London
N8
On speaking to Peter Coxhead, the director of this school in September, 1979, I learnt that the ghost of a little girl he had seen in the centre in 1974, was still haunting. She is about 12 years old, dressed in a 'pinafore smock, typical of the 1880/90 period'. Saxon Lucas the designer, has seen her three times in the last four years, whilst on the stage painting a window, and during a rehearsal of 'The Importance of Being Ernest'and also sitting in one of the front seats behind a friend. Other members of the staff have seen her and on one occasion a younger member of the team who, up to that time dismissed her presence as 'sheer rubbish', felt someone take his hand and lead him across the darkened stage one night. 'That cured him', I was told. The girl is believed to be either the victim or even the perpetrator of a murder which occurred in the original school building, which now forms the Arts Centre. The school was closed down in 1890's as a direct result of the killing.

OSTERLEY PARK HOUSE
Isleworth
London
A teacher in charge of a small group of school children on an educational visit to this fine example of the work of Robery Adam in 1978 was puzzled at being asked by three of the pupils 'Who is the lovely lady in the white dress?'. On investigating, she learnt that one or two of the other children had seen the mysterious woman near the left-hand arch under the main stairway leading to the imposing entrance. The figure, in a flowing gown, apparently, moved towards the doorway and then vanished. The curator expressed interest but no knowledge of the haunting, but an attendant admitted that he had heard stories of the 'lady in white of Osterley'some many years previously. 'She used to appear about this time', he said 'always at 4.30'. When I lived in the area I met two workers who whilst renovating the building, had seen the phantom. It seems that she is back in residence.

PENTONVILLE PRISON
London
N.7
I was assured by a witness to the phenomena, that the reason for closing two cells in the 'E-wing'of this well-known prison and converting them into a canteen for the officers, was the unaccountable footsteps and 'a weird and rather unpleasant atmosphere'was experienced by the inmates. Rumour has it that a former prisoner was able, by some unknown means, to kill himself in one of the affected cells a few years ago. The official reply to the enquires was merely, 'No comment'. Top

ROUNDSHAW ESTATE
Croydon
London
Three specific hauntings have been and continue to be experienced in various sectors of this modern housing estate. The most impressive one is that of three ghostly nuns being seen on an area which was formerly a part of a runway of the original aerodrome. A 20 year old estate, a former aerodrome and ghostly nuns may seem, at first, to be unconnected. However, it has been established that three nuns, Mother Superior, Eugen Jousselot and Sisters Helen Lester and Eugene Martin of the Congregation des Filles de la Sagasse were three of the 12 passengers killed when a Spencer Airways Dakota crashed during a snowstorm in January, 1947. The plane was bound for Salisbury and collided on the runway with another aircraft returning to Czechoslovakia. One of the witnesses in 1976 was so distressed at seeing the figure of a nun in her sitting room that she moved out of her house, though phantoms are normally seen on the road. The sound of community singing has been heard occasionally from the main boiler house which serves the state. Here, during the war, a bomb destroyed the canteen whilst a number of pilots and their friends were having 'an enjoyable social'. To complete the trio, early morning travellers have seen a ghostly motor-cyclist driving rapidly, but silently, along the main road and, on turning towards the boiler house, he vanishes. A pilot was killed here early in the 1940`s. Top

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION HEADQUARTERS
Holtswhites Hill
Enfield
Middlesex
London
In 1976 Wilf Jones, a former bar steward here, went into the cellar and, as he switched on the light he noticed a man wearing a white shirt, black tie and trousers, standing in the corner. Wilf told John Fennelly, then of the 'Enfield Gazette'that as he approached the figure and asked him 'What the hell he was doing there'the man vanished. The ghost has also been seen by other members of the staff, but more frequently footsteps are heard walking across the floor off the upstairs bar. A certain amount of physical phenomena has also occurred despite the solid construction and double glazing. A number of times glasses are found smashed when the building has been empty and, on one occasion, a tumbler moved itself from a shelf and fell to the floor. No-one was near at the time. A fireman was crushed to death by a tender during the construction of the building and a woman, unofficially trying out the fireman's pole when the fire brigade occupied the site, was also fatally injured. Top

RUNWAY ONE
London Airport
Heathrow
London
Easily mistaken for a normal traveller is the ghost that frequents runway one on Britain's largest airport. He must be one of the most modern as well, for if he has been correctly identified he died, with 21 other people, on 2 March 1948 when a DC3 aircraft crashed and caught fire. One evening in 1970 Police Inspector Leslie Alton, when working in his office in the area, suddenly received reports that radar units had detected what seemed to be someone walking on the runway. The inspector, an airport official for over 20 years, immediately organised a thorough search of the site with three squad cars and a fire engine. The team were, of course linked by radio to the radar office which directed then to the exact spot. When only a few yards from the site the operator said 'The man must be just in front of you', then a second later 'you must have run over him. He's behind you now'. There was no visible sign of the trespasser except that shown on the radar screen. The Inspector and his colleagues, mystified, turned round and were about to resume the search in the opposite direction when the radar office told he that, according to their screen, the police had just run over the figure again. Eventually with no-one being seen the search was called off. According to Frank Durham of the 'Sunday Mirror'Leslie said later that he had experienced extra-sensory-perception incidents before and retained 'a completely open mind about the matter'. However, several night workers and one or two evening visitors to the airport have seen the phantom of a tall man wearing what appears to be a bowler hat and a pair of cavalry twill trousers. There is a possibility that the ghost is another phantom of the living for rescue workers of the crash in 1948 recalled being asked by a man fitting the description, whether they had found his briefcase.
Top
ST BARTHOLOMEW THE GREAT
Aldergate Street
London
EC1.
For many years it has been reported that the founder of this weird and unusual church, 'Rahere', who was also instrumental in the formation of the nearby hospital, continues to be heard walking near the alter. One afternoon in 1977 a visitor from Surrey was intending to record a tape of his visit to the building and proceeded to describe the interior. He was alone and felt slightly self-conscious as he talked to himself into the microphone. At one point he stood for a few minutes in front of the alter, detailing the handsome religious ornaments and surrounding tombs. On playing back the tape, which he was kind enough to let me hear, the clear definite sounds of footsteps can be heard walking, it seems into the church and past the solitary visitor. Sceptics may suggest a fault in the mechanism of the recorder, or acoustical malfunction recording the sound of someone outside the church. Neither I fear are acceptable. Top

THEATRE ROYAL
Catherine Street
Drury Lane
London
WC2
If the number of witnesses authenticate a haunting then the ghost of the Theatre Royal must be really genuine. The list of famous personalities who have seen the apparition is noteworthy. During the 1960's Harry Secombe and his dresser saw 'the figure of a tall man in a grey cloak'and later, after the performance of 'The Four Musketeers', Harry claimed that, 'The whole ruddy cast saw him once'.
Some ten years earlier, W. Macqueen Pope stated that, 'On one occasion it was seen by over 150 people, all at the same time, but another 100 who were present at the performance saw nothing at all. This is how it goes'. Doreen Duke when auditioning for 'The King and I'received a friendly pat on the back by an unseen force, and Betty Jo Jones, when playing in 'Oklahoma'felt a tug at her skirts and was gently pushed downstage to a new, and better position. Stanley Lupino and his wife saw the apparition of another of the phantoms resident in the building, that of Dan Leno and the third ghost is believed to be of Joe Grimaldi, though I would have expected him to appear at Sadlers Wells where he made his first appearance. The identity of the man in grey, described as wearing 'a long grey riding coat, knee breeches, buckled shoes and a three-cornered hat over a powdered wig'has never been established though some believe him either to be Arnold Woodruffe or Thomas Hallam. One of these two fellow-actors was killed by Charles Macklin in the Green Room in the 1700's during a fit of jealous rage.
In 1850 a skeleton of a man with a dagger in his ribs was discovered during re-building work which had revealed a small and previously unknown room. It is within feet of the site that the man makes his appearance. Whoever it is he was seen shortly before the launching of 'South Pacific'and a couple of days prior to the opening of 'Carousel'. Top

TOWER OF LONDON
Tower Hill
London
EC3
Occasionally, altering an old building seems to produce stories of ghosts being 'disturbed'. If this is true, then the tower should, regardless of its age and horrifying history, be teeming with spectres of the past. One of the latest modifications to the area was constructed in 1979, of a tunnel from the nearby underground station, during which foundations of the original West Gate were discovered. Will there now be a flood of phantoms? Among the genuine apparitions that have been seen in the last couple of decades is Catherine Howard, Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey, 'the pathetic child queen who died with such dignity'in 1554. The ghost of a woman with long dark hair and wearing a white cap was seen standing near a window in a room in the Bloody Tower in 1970 and 1975. A couple of years later another female who apparently vanished on reaching a brick wall, was observed near Traitor's Gate. Top

WESTMINSTER ABBEY
Victoria Street
London SW1
Constant modifications and renovations to the abbey have resulted in the floor level gradually being lowered by some two feet in depth. It is this significant fact that accounts for occasional reports of the ghostly monk being seen with the hem of his robe some distance from the ground. In 1932 he was seen as a 'Benedictine monk with his hands hidden in the sleeves of his habit and his cowl half back from his head', before disappearing through a wall opposite the south transept. To account for this apparition, for there is another that frequents the deanery, one should recall that two monks are known to have been killed in the abbey. One during a robbery in 1303, the other in King Richard II's time when, whilst holding a high mass, a lunatic attacked and murdered one of the attendant brothers. Top

Surrey

AA HEADQUARTERS
London Road
Guildford
Surrey
Unlike the ghost that haunts the AA's Nottingham Office the phantom witnessed here is that of a woman wearing a mauve skirt. She was first reported by one of the staff following a peculiar incident in the lavatory. A voice was heard coming from the empty room and the chain was seen to be swinging though no-one had used it for some time. The staff room has also been the site of the sound of footsteps when the atmosphere suddenly becomes 'really cold'. There used to be a pump in the basement to dispose of surplus water coming from on old well, but this was removed some time ago. Like Joan Forman, I was unable to obtain and reply from any official to my enquires about the haunting except to confirm that the pump is no longer operational. Top

BROOKLANDS RACETRACK
Weybridge
Surrey
Having included the haunting of this well-known but now overgrown and semi-derelict racetrack in 'Our Haunted Kingdom', I was delighted to learn some five years later that a phantom figure and a ghostly atmosphere still frequents part of the circuit. Confirmation was received in 1979 from an engineer, Mr. Henry Geary, who edits the 'Brookland Society Gazette'. He told me that after an article had appeared featuring the haunting, a number of people had emphasised the strength of evidence by providing details of their own experiences over the last few years. Centre of the haunted area used to be a large shed known as 'The Vatican'which once housed a Talbot race car owned by the renowned Percy Lambert. During an attempt on the world speed record in the 1920's, a tyre of the vehicle burst throwing Lambert and his machine towards the massive assembly works, killing the driver and wrecking the car. John Wall, a member of the committee of the Brooklands Society confirms that the outer door of the main gate office frequently opens of its own accord, a 'Swirling blackness and the horrendous sound of crashing and splintering was heard by a warden when near the club house', and a phantom motor cyclist has been seen, and heard, near a building on the Railway Straight several times.
One young boy living near the Byfleet Banking saw, 'The figure of a man staggering around with his head half hanging off', and was so severely shocked that he had to be given medical treatment. It was in this area that Captain Toop crashed in Brocklebank`s Peugeot many years ago. In explicable footsteps have also been heard in front of the old fire station. Top

GREYHOUND INN
Lingfield
Surrey
There are not many genuine 'sensitives'in the country, but one who has been 'tested' by a lecturer at York University and had constantly provided genuine evidence of his gifts is Eddie Pratt of Caterham. On a visit to the Greyhound in 1976, he learnt from the owners, John and Audrey Chapman, who incidentally are very proud of selling real ale, that their 'house' was registered in 1584 and has seen many fascinating and intriguing aspects relating to the olden days. At one end of the pub there is an old circular skittle room which once boasted of an attractive ingle nook, with a 'secret room'behind it. Entrance to it is through a panel. The room is large enough to hold two or three people and is believed to have been used as a meeting place by a group of local smugglers. Although the Chapmans have never noticed anything unusual themselves, they are puzzled by reports of members of the kitchen staff of being 'touched'by unseen hands and very small utensils disappearing, 'And there is no question of them being stolen, They just vanish'.
Another weird, though understandable incident, is that the owners'dog refuses to go near the cellar door or 'even the top of the stairs'. When forced to, it bristles, snarls and fights to get away. Whilst Eddie was being shown round the property by John Chapman, he 'saw' the figure of a small boy of about eight years old, wearing a grey suit with a white collar. 'The style of the clothing', he told me, 'was about 1825 or it might have been as late as the beginning of the nineteenth century'. The young boy was standing in a corner of the skittle room looking at two men. John could see nothing but shivered because of 'the sudden cold'. As the men talked, the boy slowly faded away but Eddie is convinced that it is this young ghost who is partly responsible for the continuing experiences of the phenomena in the pub. He may well be right. Top

KING EDWARD VI SCHOOL
Whitley
Near Godalming
Surrey
In 1978 Mrs. Nidia Jackson of Sevenoaks told me that this school is haunted by one of the young pupils who was killed some years ago whilst performing a 'tight-rope act'. He had placed a broom handle over the stair well and was crawling over it when the rod broke. The boy dropped several feet but, due to bravado, tried to stumble back up the stairs to his, by now frightened colleagues. Unfortunately the injuries he had received were too severe and he dropped dead on the third step of the stairway. Mrs. Jackson has been assured by members of the staff and one or two pupils that the 'pale figure of a young boy'has been seen 'once or twice'lying full length on one of the stairs, 'at about 4.30 in the afternoon'. The apparition only appears for a few seconds before fading away. Top

ST MARY THE VIRGIN
Church Street
Bletchingly
Surrey
At the suggestion of a friend, I visited this church in 1975 and noticed a sudden drop in temperature when about eight feet from the memorial to Robert Clayton. Puzzled, I reported the incident and learnt that only a few weeks earlier there had been, at exactly the same spot, an apparition of a woman in what he thought was a seventeenth century gown 'or perhaps that of the William and Mary period'. A local resident confirmed that there had been rumours for many years relating to the ghost of a woman who haunted the church, 'But I don't know of anyone who has seen her recently, or even who she is'. Top

ST MARY'S CHURCH
Chart Lane
Reigate
Surrey
Mrs. Christine Bell was walking past this beautiful old church with a friend about 6.00 p.m. in the evening in 1975, when she suddenly heard the sounds of a choir issuing from the building. This is not an unusual experience when passing a church, but on this occasion it was in darkness and locked for the night. Both Mrs. Bell and her friend were, as you can imagine, extremely puzzled by the incident but were unable to find an answer. A few days later Christine was again strolling down Chart Lane when she saw a lady of medium height walking along the path down to the church. When only a few feet from it the figure 'simply faded away'. Mrs. Bell told me that the ghost was wearing a long white gown 'rather like a wedding dress'. Jack Hallam a well known author and collector of hauntings told the 'Surrey Country Post'that 'another reliable and normal witness'had also seen the lady in white some months later but at a much later time in the evening. Top

ST PAUL'S CHURCH
Addlestone
Surrey
In October 1953, Police Constable Battams was on night duty in the School Lane, Church Road area and had glanced down the road towards Ottershaw. It was two o'clock in the morning and no-one was about. Suddenly he became aware of a gentle rustling in the trees opposite him in the church yard and then he heard footsteps moving slowly towards him. He flashed his torch in their direction but there was nothing to be seen that could account the steady noise approaching him. He moved out into School Lane in an attempt to locate the mysterious wanderer whose footsteps had quickened and then slowed and eventually stopped. Weeks later he discussed the incident with the vicar and learnt that the ghost of 'a grey lady' was supposed to haunt the nearby Sayes Court area and the Addlestone Crossroads. She wanders aimlessly around the locality having lost her mind following a broken romance in the early 1900`s. 20 years later an office cleaner walking home at the same time, heard an identical series of footsteps in the same locality.Top

Sussex

ARUNDEL CASTLE
Arundel
West Sussex
Extensively re-built during the eighteenth century, the castle has been the ancestral home of the Duke of Norfolk for over seven hundred years, having originally been built at the time of Edward the Confessor. With such history it would be incredible if no spectres of the past continued to reign here and so, for the tourist, there are stories of a ghostly man being seen in the library, a girl who jumped from Hiorne's Tower and a young kitchen lad. Brian Perry, now of Battle and a production Manager in a local food factory, was employed in the castle in 1958 as a trainee footman and had a genuine experience of the ghost in the servants'quarters though this was no 'kitchen scullion'. 'Part of my duties' Brian told me in 1970 'was to switch off the outside lights illuminating the drawbridge at 11 p.m. This entailed walking along the corridor on the ground floor to reach the main switch-box at the end of the servants'hall. Individual switches to single lamps in this gallery were about nine feet apart and the light from the lamp was rather dim only about 40 watt I should think. At 11 p.m. one evening I was halfway along the corridor when I was physically aware of something in front of me, about 15 feet away, going in the same direction. As I got nearer I could see the head and shoulders of a man wearing a light grey tunic with loose sleeves. He had long hair and was, I think about 24 years old, but how could one tell? I was behind him. The image was like that of an old photo, with the outline blurred. Because of poor light I could see nothing below waist level. As I walked on the strong impression seemed to fade and he had gone. He was there only for about half a minute I should think. I'm afraid I ran back along the corridor and I think I failed to switch off all the lights'. Up to that day Brian has never heard any tales of hauntings and was not interested anyway. He only heard about some vague phantom shortly before he left. Top