Stories of spooky goings-on have long since been told in Dorset, so, as Halloween approaches we take a look at the most hair-raising tales.
1. The Horrid Old Woman of Weymouth Promenade
It's said that a nasty old lady who 'reeks of death' sits on a corner seat along the promenade.
Only visible to a few, it is said one witnesses' fianceé sat in the exact spot he'd seen her and died of a heart attack.
2. The Shadowy Man of Bincombe Tunnel
The train line from Weymouth to Dorchester cuts through the hills in a tunnel at Bincombe. Train drivers have reported hitting a shadowy figure while passing through the tunnel. Police investigated after one reported incident in 1991 but could find signs of an accident. It is said the tunnel is haunted by a man with a 'stumbling tread and bowed head'
3. The angry vicar of St Peter's Church
It is said that the ghost appeared at St Peter's Church, Dorchester on Christmas Eve 1814- just a few months after the death of popular vicar Nathaniel Templeman.
The new vicar had left the task of decorating the church for Christmas Day to the sexton and warden. After many hours of hard work, the pair decided to have some communion wine and sat down on a pew to enjoy.
But as they did, the ghost of Rev Templeman stormed towards them in a rage. Such was the shock that the warden fainted. The ghost of Templeman is said to have returned several times since- and he's always angry.
4. One of England’s most haunted houses
In 2016, Athelhampton House near Dorchester was named as one of the nation’s most haunted houses, with no fewer than seven ghosts, including that of an ape. There has been a structure at the site since Saxon times and owner Andrea Cooke, who has lived there for more than 20 years, said that, when her sons were younger, their friends would refuse to sleep over because of ‘figures at the end of your bed, figures stood in doorways, the sound of rapid footsteps, backwards and forwards in your bedroom’.
5. The unsolved murder
John Daniel was believed to have died from a fit and was found dead in a field. Soon after, his ghost was seen at Beaminster School, which is now part of St Mary’s Church. A new examination of the body found that John had been stranged, although the killer was never found.
6. The ghosts of Wolfeton House
One owner of the property won a large amount of money when he drove a horse and coach up the stairs inside the house - his victorious ghost reportedly re-enacts the antic. A separate entity is that of a headless grey woman, a member of the Trenchard family who slit her own throat, while a priest is said to haunt the gatehouse (where he was held prisoner).
7. The phantom stair climber
At the Old Malthouse in High East Street, Dorchester, The sounds of someone climbing the stairs and opening a door were heard several times by a former occupant of the building, though they never heard anyone come back down. Upon investigation, the upper part of the building was always found empty.
Has this whet your appetite for spooky stories? Head on over to paranormaldatabase.com which lists sightings of the unexplained (and there’s more than 300 listings for Dorset).
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