Tuesday, 22nd September, 2020

The tiny village of Ruyton XI Towns stands in the borderland between England and Wales, on the very Western edge of Shropshire.  Atop a hill in the village, overlooking the surrounding, picturesque countryside, is the mid-12th Century church of St. John The Baptist, which houses - in it's weathered graveyard - the remnants of a small castle......      

During our recent trip to nearby Whittington Castle (see the following blog post), John Chance had mentioned to me that he also wanted to view this intriguing site and intended to visit during our journey homeward.

Local legend has it that anyone passing through the graveyard at midnight will be privy to a spectral mist, rolling in from the nearby valley.  This fog will eventually engulf the whole churchyard and Ruyton Castle ruins.....  At this point, the apparition of a man, seated on a mount, will be seen riding towards the site of the castle keep, before finally disappearing into the ever thickening mist........!?!

Who the rider is, no one can actually say..... but what better setting for such a lovely legend: a castle ruin, situated inside a church yard, atop a wind-swept hill, overlooking such beautiful Shropshire scenery.....!?!

Now, without waffling on unduly, I guess it could be said that regular visitors to this page will, by now, know me as something of a hard-nosed sceptic when it comes to alleged, paranormal matters.  I am certainly not a person that flits from one supposedly haunted spot to another, experiencing 'paranormal happenings'; in fact, as anyone who knows me will be able to attest, I have - in an entire lifetime of interest and 32 years of actual, hands-on, paranormal investigation - had possibly 2 or 3 separate experiences that I would go as far as suggesting might have been 'mildly strange' in nature, at best.......

Keeping this firmly in mind, however...... read on.......

At one point during our visit, John and myself were pretty-much standing, side by side, at the spot indicated by the pink arrow in the photograph above. We had been walking in the direction also indicated by the arrow, when we happened to stop and look at the extremely clear inscription on the side of the table-top tomb.   The small gap between the wall of the church tower and the side of the tomb - occupied by John and myself - was possibly 5 or 6 feet maximum.

I was bending forward slightly, to view the text, and John was standing up straight, to my immediate right.  I believe one or the other of us was saying something at the point in question, but (from my point of view) I suddenly heard a vocal 'Huhhhh...' type noise from - I would personally be willing to bet - just a foot or perhaps two in front of my face, at a position approximate with the top-right / 'broken' corner of the side of the tomb we were facing!?  (see pic below, supplied by John Chance).  The noise sounded 'vocal' and 'male-ish', to my hearing... i.e. coming from the throat of a 'man'?

I didn't actually say anything as the sound occurred, but John then, instantly afterwards, said (words to the effect): 'Did you hear that noise then...?' I indicated I had indeed heard something and, in trying to emulate the sound, we clearly agreed on having heard the very same effect!?  The only possible thing that I could think of to explain away the strange noise was that if an animal of some kind had potentially taken up residence inside the tomb - as occasionally happens with such structures - and had made a sound in an attempt to warn us away from it's home, perhaps?  A quick investigation of the row of table-top tombs in question, however, revealed no sign of an opening at all, where an animal could possibly gain entry.....?

In ending this post, I should just like to take a moment to say a MASSIVE 'Thank You' to my friend John for, once again, kindly inviting me to accompany him on this most enjoyable excursion to Whittington and Ruyton XI Towns!!  As always, a lovely day out in equally lovely company!!

Tuesday, 22nd September, 2020

I'm greatly indebted to my friend, John Chance - paranormal researcher and head of the 'Ghostcallers UK' association [Facebook Page] - for most kindly generating the opportunity for this post to be made...... 

I had first heard of 'Whittington Castle', near Oswestry, in Shropshire, a number of years ago now, having first come across the site in one of the books by author, Ascott - Davies, in the early 90's... and later in other, Shropshire-related, paranormal literature.  Sadly - until this past weekend and John's generous offer of accompanying him on a visit to the location - I'd never had the chance to actually see the place 'in the flesh', as it were....   It must be stressed that the site had invariably looked a most charming and picturesque location in photographs, but this was - no exaggeration - nothing at all in comparison to being able to view the castle at first-hand!  As the stunning ruin first came into view, entering the village from a Southern direction, it was like being smacked in the face with a 'best of...' feature from 'This England' magazine!!

From an 'associated ghostlore' aspect, the aforementioned Ascott-Davies offers the information that two children are often witnessed peering from the small windows of the twin entrance towers.  Exactly who the children are is unknown, but he suggests that they may well be related to former occupants of the castle... while other authors posit they could possibly be 'prisoners' of some kind?  Harking back to the conflict-ridden days of border skirmishes with the Welsh, maybe these unfortunate children were taken as a form of leverage, in the hope that warring parties might be encouraged to 'toe the line' and behave themselves?  Certain references suggest that the ghostly children are never encountered by anyone inside the confines of the fortress, but only witnessed by 'passers by'...?  However, other sources contradictorily state that people had also possibly 'heard them', going about their ghostly business internally too.....?

In 'Haunted Places Of Shropshire', by Rupert Matthews, another 'ghost' for Whittington village is mentioned.  This supposedly appears in the form of a mounted figure, clad in early 13th Cent. armour, seen riding around the general region!  Matthews suggests this is the phantom of Sir Fulk III Fitzwarin, who kept the castle until his death at the remarkable age of 80!

Of course, all of the above are purely snippets of 'lore' that have been repeated about the castle and this can - it has been proven time and again - differ greatly than potential, 'real life' and / or 'ongoing' activity.  John Chance has visited Whittington Castle on a number of occasions previously and even actively investigated the site, in the past.  He assures me that the castle is what he describes as an 'active location'.... something bore out by the fact that the site regularly plays host to night-time paranormal investigations....!?

Whittington Castle website can be accessed HERE and contains a wealth of relevant information - pretty much anything and everything the potential visitor should need to know about this most beautiful location!  On site, there is a shop, tea rooms, archaeological exhibits, amenities.... and even a charming little book shop!  Not only does the castle play host to numerous public events and activities throughout the year, but - akin to some of the aforementioned paranormal investigations - the location can also be hired for private events too!

Tuesday, 22nd September 2020

Since my first and only visit to the beautiful city of Chester - some 28 years ago now - I had always intended to go back one day!  It could probably go without saying that this, now distant, break was 'ghost related': entirely based on the fact that I'd previously read so much about the ghostlore of this historic city and decided to go and take a look-see for myself.....  On a personal 'Best Of...' list - i.e. a mixture of history and ghostlore - the locality is only, potentially, surpassed by the likes of York (I.M.H.O.), and easily on par with the likes of Oxford and Cambridge, etc.....(?) 

As anyone who has made the same kind of (historic-cum-paranormal based) visit would know, Chester is simply not a location that can possibly 'be done in a day' though....... so, it was with intense pleasure that I was finally given another chance to see the place once again, in mid-August, this year!!  

One, key site that I'd previously managed to completely 'miss' was the ruin of St. Johns Church.... The most intriguing aspect of this particular haunting is that it supposedly didn't actually 'begin' until April 14th 1881, when the great tower of the structure suddenly collapsed!?!

Almost immediately afterwards, a figure in a long cloak was reportedly seen lurking around the ruins!? The form was observed so clearly, however, it was initially believed that it may well be a real, flesh and blood, person afoot?  Subsequently though, it was later witnessed 'vanishing into thin air', which seemed to 'put pay to' any further notions of human-based skullduggery!!

The black robed form is often said to be seen in the aptly titled 'Haunted Passage': a high-walled alleyway, at the side of the remains of the church tower, which leads down to the river......  During the early 1970's, the apparition supposedly accosted a college lecturer here and 'muttered at him in an ancient language'!!! The night was said to have been one full of 'heavy snow', but, as the two figures separated and the lecturer turned to view the strange vision once again, he found not a living soul in site..... nor any footprints but his own in the fresh snow!!  

More than one person has seen this ghost so closely as to be able to hear that it was muttering in a language that sounded like German? Historians have suggested that this may well have been Anglo Saxon, perhaps?

Apart from the ghost itself, one of the main points of interest associated with St. Johns is a Medieval, 'wooden coffin', which is said to have been discovered by workmen in the 19th Cent. and - for whatever reason - housed by them in the upper portion of one of the church walls?  (Above image).  The coffin has the legend 'Dust To Dust' painted in the middle of it, which, needless to say, is a grim reminder, to anyone who reads it, concerning the fleeting nature of their own mortality....... 

St. Johns isn't - by any means - the only haunted location in just this tiny portion of the city, however, and actually shares the immediate region with a handful of other sites known for their ghostly reputations!   

Within a hundred yards  - heading back in the direction of the city centre - stands 'Peppers Gate' [marked as '1' in photo below], the remains of a 'Roman Amphitheatre' [main focus of photo] and the base of a 'Roman Tower' [marked as '2' in photo].  All of these locations have associated ghost stories.   

It's said that Chester's 'oldest' ghost walks the area between the latter two sites: the figure of a Roman Decurion (officer), of the 11th Legion Adiutrix. We can be so precise about the appearance of this apparition, because witnesses have described him in such vivid detail, it seems!  Legend has it that the soldier fell in love with a local, Celtic girl and - when on duty at night - he would leave his post under the control of his subordinates and 'slip out' to meet his lover.   One evening, however, a group of Celtic tribesmen captured him as he left the tower and slipped inside to kill the remaining guards and steal what they could in the process....... The officer had only been 'trussed up' by the tribesmen, it seems, and he somehow managed to slip his bindings  during the incursion... rushing inside to try and raise the alarm!! Sadly, we don't know if he ever managed this final act, but it is suggested he was cut down by a Celtic blade in his attempt........!?!      

'Peppers Gate' also has a romantic ghost story associated with it, dating from the Tudor Period.  It is said that the daughter of a powerful Alderman fell in love with a lowly armourer. It should go without saying that the girls father disapproved of the association. Their secret love affair continued, however, until, one day, the girl was playing with friends next to Peppers Gate, when she suddenly leaped onto the back of a powerful charger, ridden by the armourer.... The pair quickly shot across the nearby River Dee into Wales and freedom!!

Some years later, there was a reconciliation between the girl and her father, resulting in a return to Chester. It is suggested though that the act of her escaping from her over-bearing parent is recorded in the area outside Peppers Gate, in the form of 'phantom hoofbeats' that are said to have frequently been heard at night.......?

Also, only a stones throw from St. Johns Ruins, is a public area called Grosvenor Park, the gates to which are often found 'locked' - or to have been inexplicably 'opened' - when park staff haven't been near them!?  This activity is usually put down to a little character called Billy Hobby, once said to have been the keeper of a pool and pure-water spring inside the park.  While some say that Hobby was a real character in the history of the area, folkolorists have suggested that his name intimates a more 'otherworldly' being.... i.e. a 'Hob' or 'Hobgoblin'?  Whatever the historical truth to this character - if any - the latter mentioned theory, considering the infamous 'trickster-like' activities of these creatures, would certainly fit in with the troublesome opening and locking of gates, eh!?

And... there are even more interesting sites that could be listed in close proximity to these mentioned above, but I shall just leave this post here... to save myself rambling on indefinitely, even though I have barely scratched the surface with regards to local hauntings and ghostlore!!!  Suffice it to say, this beautiful city has so much to offer pretty much anyone, no matter what your taste.  I'm certainly looking forward to my next visit to Chester and I hope you might take my advice and go there for a good look-see yourself, if you already haven't.....  You certainly won't be disappointed!!

 

Tuesday 22nd September 2020

It's been almost 30 years now, since members of the W.M.G.C. first visited Cosford Aerospace Museum in Shropshire.  Our decision to take a look at the site at that initial point was a direct consequence of a fascinating B.B.C. Radio 4 documentary, 'The Haunting Of RF398', which had been broadcast a month or so earlier.

At the time of tapping out this note, I couldn't accurately guess at the amount of further visits I've taken to the museum, over the years, in the company of 'ghostie-related' friends and family; but it's always been a pleasure to find myself standing in the shadow of the imposing - allegedly haunted - Lincoln Bomber, RF398, once more......

As visitors to this page will probably know, strange stories surrounding the aircraft in question began during the 1970's, while it was still in the process of being renovated and repaired.  Mechanics are said to have regularly discovered necessary tools being 'moved out of reach' inexplicably.... and rumours of a figure, in 'full flying gear', glimpsed around the workplace?  Interestingly, once the repairs were finished and RF398 installed in the museum itself, numerous visitors to the site - including TV / media staff and crew - have supposedly seen a head and shoulders, wearing typical pilot gear, up in the cockpit of the plane!?

During the 1980's, R.A.F. Cosford allowed a number of paranormal investigations to be held in the aircraft, at which point (supposedly) inexplicable sounds of operational 'gear' - switches, ratchet devices and so on - were recorded, seemingly being manipulated by unseen hands inside the cockpit!?  It was this, along with rumours of other ghostly activity, that led to the BBC interest in the location and subsequent coverage.  (*It should be mentioned here, however, that these 'operational sound' recordings have been an item of considerable debate, over the years, and where potentially 'faked' by certain parties for ulterior reasons?)

Whatever the truth behind the alleged 'hauntings' at R.A.F. Cosford Museum, it is always a most enjoyable and fascinating place to explore.  Needless to say, our most recent visit - on July 19th this year - came amid all of the hustle, bustle and concern generated by the ongoing 'Covid 19' affair.  While certain sections of the overall site were closed off to the public at this point - Hangar No.1, for example - the museum is still currently open to the public, though Covid related terms and conditions  obviously apply.......