Paranormal – serie

Newcastle, the largest city in the North East, has a long and proud history stretching back to Roman and Saxon times. Its position defending the mouth of the River Tyne gave it an importance in the medieval border wars with Scotland and by the sixteenth century it controlled the coal trade from Tyneside to the rest of England. The city became an industrial powerhouse in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the legacy of civic buildings, industrial heritage and housing can still be seen throughout the city. Today the city is as well known as a cultural and commercial centre as an industrial city, and its distinctive past and present-day identity is a vital part of the city’s heritage.Newcastle is steeped in the supernatural and paranormal and many places both grand and everyday have rich and complex stories to tell. In this book author Steve Watson investigates the rich supernatural heritage of this city at places such as the castle keep, the site of infamous local gaols, and the nearby Black Gate, which has seen hundreds of years of the bloody history of Newcastle; the Literary and Philosophical Society, said to be home to sixteen ghosts ranging from a Witchfinder General to a little girl; the Tyneside Theatre and Opera House where a stagehand and a performer died tragically; the City Hall; and many more.Paranormal Newcastle takes the reader into the world of ghosts and spirits in the city. These tales of haunted places, supernatural happenings and weird phenomena will delight the ghost hunters and fascinate and intrigue everybody who knows Newcastle.

In this book author Robert Bard takes readers on a spine-tingling journey around Kent to some of its most haunted locations. He discovers tales of ghostly apparitions, unexplained events and paranormal phenomena. Among the places investigated is Pluckley, which was named in the Guinness Book of Records as England’s most haunted village. Its twelve spirits include a screaming man who fell to his death and a spectral highwayman who haunts a spot named Fright Corner.Other haunted sites are Rochester Castle, with its thirteenth-century White Lady; Chislehurst Caves, with sounds of children’s laughter, footsteps and sightings of a woman dressed in white; and Bilsington Priory, with its hooded monks. Hever Castle, once home to Anne Boleyn, lays claim to her spirit, and Dover Castle is a popular spot for organised ghost hunts, where reported apparitions include a headless child, a woman clad in red clothes and a soldier who prowls the underground tunnels. Ghostly episodes from Canterbury and Chatham also feature, together with Blue Bell Hill, where drivers have reported colliding with phantom pedestrians.Illustrated throughout, Paranormal Kent will appeal to those interested in the supernatural and local residents who want to discover their county’s haunted heritage. Are you brave enough to read on?

Anyone familiar with the town of Burton upon Trent may associate it with one thing above all else – brewing. Hardly surprising when you consider that at its peak, around a quarter of all of the beer in the UK was produced here. What many people don’t realise, however, is that this Staffordshire town has a diverse history that dates back to the Roman period. Later, it had the most important monastery in Staffordshire, and its medieval bridge was the scene of two significant battles in 1322 and again during the English Civil War. Burton was also home to the powerful Paget family and the Peel family who played a significant role in the Industrial Revolution.It should be no surprise that the echoes of this town’s long and varied past can be heard and seen in the form of countless ghost sightings. These range from fleeting glimpses of opaque figures crossing roads and the chiming of bells from churches long since demolished, to the more sinister visions of murderous monks, and of the recently deceased rising from their graves to torment the townspeople.Paranormal Burton upon Trent takes you on a spooky tour from the heart of Burton to the surrounding parishes of Repton, Hanbury, Newton Solney and Church Gresley in which readers will encounter exclusive reports from real paranormal investigators who have spent over a decade studying this town’s many spirits, and uncover historical events including the accident that resulted in the world’s largest ever man-made non-nuclear explosion. The book combines well-known local legends with first-hand encounters from current residents to provide the most in-depth account of Burton’s haunted heritage to date.

Wales is one of the most haunted countries in the world, and its capital city is no exception. Steeped in history, it has shaped and witnessed many of the country’s defining moments, from fierce clashes with invading armies to its leading role in the Industrial Revolution. The echoes of these events resonate through time, and the ghosts associated with them do not rest easy. Paranormal Cardiff takes the reader on a spine-chilling journey to dozens of supposedly haunted locations, from well-known tourist destinations to more secluded spots off the beaten track. They include a poltergeist named Pete who baffled the experts, a ‘famous’ séance that wowed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a vengeful eagle that protects a fairy-tale castle, a vampire bed that sucked the blood from those who slept in it, and the spooky streets of Llandaff, which fired the imagination of a young Roald Dahl.Paranormal Cardiff invites the reader to take a step into the unknown and explore the haunted places, supernatural happenings and weird phenomena of the city and the surrounding area. From the dark folklore of centuries gone by to modern-day sightings, these tales will delight ghost hunters old and new and fascinate everyone who knows and loves Cardiff.

Swansea has long been a place of magic and mystery. Ruined castles with ghostly inhabitants dot the landscape, while the golden sands of Gower are steeped in Arthurian mythology and seafaring tales of smugglers and pirates. Yet it has also seen much upheaval and destruction, from the early Viking invaders to the Luftwaffe’s devastating ‘three-nights’ blitz’ during the Second World War. Paranormal Swansea and Gower takes the reader on a spine-chilling journey to dozens of supposedly haunted locations, ranging from well-known tourist destinations to more secluded spots off the beaten track, each with its own eerie tale to tell. These include the spirits of ancient soldiers who wage war on the beaches at dusk, the Gothic ruins guarded by the most terrifying of apparitions, the family home where the wraith of a murderer returned to haunt his former neighbours, the Swansea Devil, a ‘cursed’ work of art which lurks in the museum, and the workaholic miller who refuses to down tools at an historic watermill long after shuffling off this mortal coil.Paranormal Swansea invites sceptics and believers alike to delve into these uncanny accounts of ghosts and spirits from across the city and county, guiding them through the mysterious and unknown. These tales of haunted places, supernatural happenings and weird phenomena will delight the ghost hunters, and fascinate and intrigue everybody who knows Swansea and Gower.

The paranormal history of Cumbria is brought vividly to life in this guide to the haunted and uncanny sites of this most beautiful of counties. In this book psychical researcher Steve Watson travels from the county’s northern towns of Carlisle, Brampton and Penrith, through the beautiful Lake District, before finishing in the county’s southern seaside towns of Grange-over-Sands and Barrow-in-Furness, exploring the area’s often grisly past and its present-day hauntings so the reader can go on a journey through the county’s history and feel the levels of activity it has witnessed over the years.Paranormal Cumbria takes the reader into the world of ghosts and spirits in the county, following their footsteps into the unknown. These tales of haunted places, supernatural happenings and weird phenomena will delight ghost hunters, and fascinate and intrigue everybody who knows Cumbria.

Regarded worldwide as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the Black Country has a long and diverse history, where countless ghostly tales are born. From the blistering heat of the blast furnaces and the deafening din of the steelworks, the spectres of industry emerge. Yet, the region’s history spans over a thousand years, with sightings of ghostly monks and Civil War soldiers still reported today. In this book, author Richard O’Connor travels the breadth and depth of the Black Country to uncover the region’s darkest and most mysterious ghost stories. From murderous villains who lurked along the many canals to hooded riders fleeing musket battles with the sheriff, Paranormal Black Country offers spine-chilling stories for both history buffs and paranormal enthusiasts alike. Spend a night with Richard at one of the most haunted hotels in the country before venturing into the crypt at Dudley’s famous castle and zoo, where exotic animals aren’t the only unusual inhabitants of the ancient battlements. Uncover the region’s explosive connection to the infamous Gunpowder Plot, before enjoying one last drink at the legendary Crooked House pub. Though the collieries and foundries that once illuminated the night sky with a fiery hue have long since closed, the landscape of this vast region still bears the scars of its past – along with the whispers of those who haunt its shadows.

Gloucestershire is a county rich in beauty, history and a high level of spiritual, mysterious and paranormal activity. With a profusion of haunted inns, castles, houses and landscape features, the presence of the past is absorbed into the fabric of places as diverse as the Neolithic burial chamber of Belas Knap Long Barrow, the prisons at Gloucester and Littledean and the twelfth-century Ancient Ram Inn at Wotton-under-Edge. Hauntings have been reported at Sudeley Castle, Chavenage House, St Briavels Castle, Woodchester Mansion and Owlpen Manor, and many report unsettling experiences at the abbeys in Gloucester and Tewkesbury, the villages of Prestbury and Arlingham, and in the Montpelier and Pittville areas of Cheltenham. In this book author S. C. Skillman visits eerie locations around Gloucestershire to unearth a selection of chilling tales about them and explores the strangeness of the hauntings of this fascinating county.Paranormal Gloucestershire takes the reader into the world of ghosts and spirits in the county, following their footsteps into the unknown. These tales of haunted places, supernatural happenings and weird phenomena will delight the ghost hunters and fascinate and intrigue everybody who knows Gloucestershire.

London’s shadowed alleyways, ancient buildings and misty open spaces simply swarm with phantoms – spirits of the famous and the forgotten, the lovelorn, the loveless, the damned, and the damnable. Paranormal London takes the bold ghost seeker on a hair-raising journey to visit and explore some of the capital’s spookiest places. We visit the haunts of murderers and sail on a phantom boat. There are close encounters with chilling manifestations at infamous No. 50 Berkeley Square and you can hear wails and tormented screams from Jack the Ripper’s eternally restless victims as they roam the East End’s cobbled streets. You can find a headless duke, visit the graves of plague victims and come into contact with an unseen force that tries to push you downstairs.Many of the city’s most famous landmarks are haunted, but hundreds of lesser-known sites claim paranormal happenings – pubs, hotels, parks and tunnels, churches, roads, Underground stations, banks, cinemas, council estates and the lake in St James’s Park. If you are not a true believer in the paranormal when you start to read this book, you will be by the end.

Cornwall has a long and fascinating history of ghost stories, from ghostly ships seen traversing the coastline, phantom smugglers and pirates to grisly murders and lonely suicides. Those who live in Cornwall or visit the county are never far from a place associated with the paranormal. In this book author David Scanlan investigates the myriad ghost stories that are to be found in Cornwall. These tales of phantoms, spooks and spectres include the multiply haunted Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor and its Smugglers Museum, made famous by Daphne du Maurier; the mermaid who spirited a man away at Zennor and took him for her husband; and the lonely and eccentric vicar of St Bartholomew’s Church in Warleggan whose ghost haunts the pathway leading to the vicarage.Paranormal Cornwall contains these and many other narratives which will delight the ghost hunters and the spiritualists, make the sceptical think again, and send chills up and down every spine.

Lincolnshire has many well-known stories of the supernatural, among the best known of which is that of the Lincoln Imp. In this book author Daniel J. Codd explores the supernatural lore of Lincolnshire. It includes all manner of phenomena, from forgotten poltergeist incidents and village miracles to recent allegations of werewolf and yeti-type creatures seen in the wilds of Lincolnshire. There are many hitherto unpublished accounts such as reports of the ghost of a small man who appeared to builders renovating a house in Lincoln; a ghostly lady who approached a house in Skellingthorpe (whereupon previously unnoticed footprints were found in concrete outside the door); and a phantom Second World War soldier who crossed a road leading to his old house in Lincoln. There are also stories of UFOs, two tall humanoid figures seen crossing wasteland, monkeys and panthers running wild, and a smoky cross that allegedly appears outside Scunthorpe’s hospital when someone is about to die.Paranormal Lincolnshire takes the reader into the world of ghosts, spirits and poltergeists in the county, following their footsteps into the unknown. It captures the spectrum of ghosts, haunted places, UFOs, strange creatures and weird phenomena reported across the county, old and new. These tales will delight ghost hunters and fascinate and intrigue everybody who knows Lincolnshire.

In this book, author Robert Bard guides readers on a spine-tingling journey to discover the paranormal and unexplained happenings that have occurred throughout Berkshire. From haunted sites to spectral figures and supernatural phenomena, here is an eerie exploration of the royal county and a collection of its chilling tales.Each of the chapters in Paranormal Berkshire focuses on a different location linked to ghostly occurrences and among the places featured are Windsor Castle, Old Windsor, Reading Abbey, Maidenhead, Ascot, Newbury, Hungerford, Bisham, Caversham, Cookham, Datchet, Slough, Thatcham and some of the smaller villages in the county. The author visits the traditional sites of paranormal activity and, with the assistance of the Oxfordshire and Berkshire Paranormal Research Group, reveals newly discovered material. He also participates in a local ghost hunt and provides a fascinating account of his observations accompanied by his own photographs.As well as detailing the nature of his own interest in the paranormal, and his experiences at the various paranormal sites, author Robert Bard also selects his own haunted highlights from his chilling exploration through the county.Paranormal Berkshire will appeal to those with an interest in the supernatural, and to local people who want to discover their county’s haunted heritage. Are you brave enough to read on?

Wales is said to be the most haunted country in the world. Restless spirits roam the ancient land, from the lofty peaks of Snowdonia to the dark depths of the abandoned mines. In Paranormal Wales author Mark Rees takes the reader on a spine-chilling journey to dozens of these locations, which include well-known tourist landmarks and more secluded spots well off the beaten track.These accounts of disembodied voices, supernatural mists and pesky poltergeists range from centuries-old legends to modern-day sightings. Visit the ‘oldest pub’ in Wales, where more than 180 people are claimed to have been sentenced to death by hanging. Explore the majestic opera house built by a world-famous soprano, who some say continues to perform on her beloved stage from beyond the grave. Spend the night in a seemingly idyllic manor house, where the presence of a Victorian housekeeper is said to reduce unsuspecting guests to tears. Or step back in time at one of the many ivy-strewn castles, where ladies in white patrol the Gothic battlements as tortured screams ring out from the dungeons below.Some of these stories might be familiar, others less so, but they all have one thing in common – they will make you think twice about turning off the light at night. Illustrated throughout, Paranormal Wales will be of spine-tingling interest to those wanting to discover more about the country’s haunted and hidden heritage.

Warwickshire is a county steeped in the supernatural, as befits the county of Shakespeare and the many ghosts and spirits that he conjured up in his works. The towns and villages of Warwickshire, its castles, houses, churches, theatres, inns and many other places both grand and everyday have rich and complex stories to tell of paranormal presences. In this book author S. C. Skillman investigates the rich supernatural heritage of this county at the heart of England in places such as Guy’s Cliffe House, the Saxon Mill, Kenilworth Castle, Warwick Castle, St Mary’s Church in Warwick, Nash’s House and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, and Stoneleigh Abbey, as well as in the towns of Rugby, Nuneaton and Leamington Spa. She explores the spiritual resonance of each location, recounting the tales of paranormal activity associated with it and examining the reasons for this within the history of the place.Paranormal Warwickshire takes the reader into the world of ghosts and spirits in the county, following their footsteps into the unknown. These tales of haunted places, supernatural happenings and shadowy presences will delight the ghost hunters, and fascinate and intrigue everybody who knows Warwickshire.

With a history as rich, yet bloody, as Northumberland has, it comes as little surprise that the county is widely regarded as being one of the most haunted in Britain.In Paranormal Northumberland, local author Rob Kirkup draws on contemporary and historical sources to investigate some of the famous and lesser-known haunted locations in the county. This compilation includes ghostly monks that walk the grounds of Blanchland Abbey after being killed by bandits, and the Pink Lady of Bamburgh Castle who is seen eternally falling from the castle to the rocks below. He also explores Chillingham Castle, regarded as one of the scariest places in the country, if not the world, where the torturer John Sage is said to lurk in its ancient dungeons to this day.Illustrated throughout, this book will be of interest to anyone who wants to discover more about the county’s haunted and hidden heritage.

Assorted strange phenomena abound in Scotland – witches, wizards, fairies, sea monsters, yeti-type creatures, UFOs and a plethora of female spirits called glastigs and caoineags who appear in various forms. There are bewitching grey, white and green ladies, naughty poltergeists, unwanted love children, kilted bagpipers, bloodstained clansmen and abstract, floating columns of light. Alongside everyday ‘spooks’ are ethereal drummers, phantom vehicles, spectral dogs and horses and a ghost with a marvellous sense of humour who revisited this world disguised as a bouncing cannonball.The Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui, the A75 Ghost Road, haunted Inveraray Jail, the Phantom of Melrose Abbey, and the ghostly Montrose aviator are well known but a myriad other phantoms reside among the ruins of draughty old castles or haunt battlefields, mountains, roads, barracks, beaches, railway lines, aerodromes, theatres, shops, houses, caves, standing stones, churches and factories and dozens stay in hotels and pubs all over the country. Maybe this surplus of spooky goings-on is triggered by the country’s long and bloody history, or maybe it’s down to the hauntingly bleak moorlands, craggy mountains and ancient Caledonian forests. Whatever the reason, Scotland is rich in blood-chilling tales and has more ghosts, hauntings and supernatural happenings than any other land on earth.

Author and paranormal investigator Bunty Austin reveals insights into Anglesey folklore and resurrected ghost stories, which have long been forgotten, in this compelling read. The ghosts of Anglesey are of great age, their manners and appearance hinting at beliefs older than the oldest books. They are bold and memorable, striking in appearance, forceful in character, often terrifying and sometimes even dangerous. Within the pages of this book you will discover the daunting behaviour of the ghost in Coal Hole and the terrible goings-on at Amlwch Lockup; you will find yourself drawn in as a spectator to the trial of Dic Richardson for blood-thirsty murder (and the haunting that followed); and you will uncover what really happened to Megan, who was led away on horse-back by a group of soldiers (if you're not too scared). Prepare for a fascinating tour of ghostly encounters from the haunted hub of North Wales - no other island has such a rich store of history, which must be kept alive at all costs.

Norfolk has many associations with the paranormal, from ancient tales of Shuck the hound that has haunted the county's lanes for a thousand years to tales of ghosts from the Second World War and of unidentified f lying objects. This book takes a new approach by looking at the paranormal as recorded in the archives of the county. The stories include those collected by some of the county's keenest folklorists such as W. H. Cooke, Mark Taylor, and W. G. Clarke, as well as first-hand records of paranormal experience. Many tales are published for the very first time, such as Mottie Green, the Wells 'witch', and a new light is thrown on more familiar stories such as the haunting of Syderstone Parsonage and the Snettisham ghost. Not least, the book also explains the key role of Norwich in the development of the vampire story! Read this book and your view of Norfolk will never be the same again!