Sunday 27th August 2023
The former graveyard of St. Andrew’s Church stands along a small footpath, off the Dowles Road, on the outskirts of Bewdley, Worcestershire. More commonly known as ‘Dowles Graveyard’, the site has, seemingly, become highly popular with ‘ghost hunting types’ in more recent years.
As with most places of this kind, however, there clearly seems to be no ‘recorded’, historical record of haunting here and – more tellingly – any online data concerning the spot boils down to the same, few (very few indeed!) lines of data being parroted from website to website, blog to blog, etc. Hooded figures, the ghost of a child and the figure of a mysterious man is about as detailed as you can find, with regards to recorded lore…
Personally, I would raise a query as to whether the site has any real ghostlore attached to it and posit that it is now just ‘known to be haunted’ purely because of ‘what the place is’… mixed with the poaching, plug-and-play attitude of the mainstream, so-called, ‘paranormal field’ of today? Of course, many a site is wrongly claimed to be ‘notoriously haunted’ now, simply because of the latter. Is Dowles Graveyard just one of those places that someone has claimed is haunted (for whatever reason) – probably via a comment or video on the net – encouraging the inevitable slew of ‘paranormal experiencers’ to then visit?
Having only just learned of the location in fairly recent times myself, I have had to draw all of my own research from references on the internet. In truth, there seems to be little known about the site – from any angle – which has, most likely, only helped to build the mysterious reputation of the place…
In traveling to the region and momentarily referring to a map on Sunday – trying to get my bearings in a town I’d not seen for almost 40 yrs now – one kind local spotted my slightly puzzled expression and asked ‘what I was looking for?’ In explaining myself, Dowles Road was pointed out to me (I was literally standing next to the street sign bearing its name!), ‘But I don’t know of any graveyard up that way…!?’ the man said with a shrug.
In scanning online references to the location, I’ve seen it described as ‘lost’, ‘forgotten’, ‘hidden’… though – apart from the aforementioned, baffled local – most people certainly seem to know where it is! Again, the cemetery stands alongside a public footpath… and just the amount of dog-walkers I called out ‘good morning’ to, while scrutinising the site, seems to indicate it’s anything but ‘lost and forgotten’!?
All of the above being said… the graveyard itself is a pretty and pleasant place. Overgrown and secluded as it is, even a mildly imaginative visitor can well foresee a somewhat ‘creepy’ atmosphere manifesting after darkness falls here…?
Referring to the map above, the church would have stood just to the North-East of the graveyard, if it hadn’t been demolished in 1956 (some records saying ‘because of a fire’?) There was, supposedly, some form of ecclesiastical structure here as early as 1170… though certain sources say the site was 14th Cent or 17th Cent(?) Apparently, it was re-built in 1798, with further alterations in 1882…
A number of websites mention that a local witch – Susan Wowen – was buried here… suggesting that she was so wicked, she sprouted 3” ‘horns’ on her head! It was said that she ‘shed’ these protrusions at certain times, in order for fresh ones to grow through… One Mr Soley, of Sandbourne, is said to have kept one of these horns and had it ‘tipped with silver’ Another was supposedly sent to the Ashmolean Museum, in Oxford, and is allegedly kept in storage there to this day?
Another, online, source suggests that a formerly ‘possessed’ woman – by the name of Joyce Dovey - is also buried here… though I haven’t had sufficient time to chase this particular matter up, as yet? There was indeed such a case of alleged possession in the Bewdley area, during the early 1600’s, but it’s not known whether the victim was finally interred at St. Andrews – as indicated - or not?
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