Believed to be the ghost of Anne Treble, former housekeeper of the church and rectory. Her apparition has been seen walking between the church and the vicarage, and in the bedroom window of the rectory . On ALL SOULS DAY (Nov 1) she has reputedly been seen during the mass inside the church.

 

 A tunnel is supposed to link Anstey Castle with with a blocked up ‘cave’ enterance at Cave Gate. The legend in question tells of a blind fiddler who entered with his dog at one end, never to be seen again. The dog, however did emerge, smelling strongly of sulphur!

 

 Corner Hall house is a 16thC house once believed to be a hideout for smugglers.  The area around Corner Hall House (known as ‘Corner Hall’) is reported to be haunted, but details are scarce.

 

 A ‘white lady’ is said to walk across the golf course.

A former employee working in the Gym had the responsibility for locking up after the public had left. On several occasions after everyone had gone, and he was left there alone he did his usual checks, set alarms and left the building. As he walked to a friends car to go home, the alarms in the Gym would start to go off..and from outside lights had appeared to have been turned back on…..he returned…checked everything (including the building was empty) set the alarm, and left… this happened several times… the motion detectors on the alarm system were picking up something,which seemed to move from room to room, setting off the motion detectors in each one as it did so, yet, upon  checking there was never anything to account for this happening.  Batteries would also be ‘drained’ in equipment, again, for no obvious reasons...despite them being replaced with new ones, it would happen time and again, enough for it to become something ‘unexplainable’ .  Shendish Manor also supposedly has a doorway leading to Hidden Tunnels – these tunnels lead (it is said) to the nearby church.

 

 The road from Ashridge to Tring is said to be haunted by the ghost of Simon Harcourt and his phantom coach, which is never seen, but heard…”the rumble of wheels and reigns jingling….”

 

 

 

A 16thC knight in full regalia has been seen riding into the woods, where he dissapears.

 

 This modest abode, where the writer George Bernard Shaw lived for almost half his life is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of his close friend T.E. LAWRENCE, author.

 

The ghost of former rector, John smith can sometimes be seen here.

 

Sir Geoffrey De Mandeville, former sheriff of Middlesex and Herts appears around here every 6th Chrismastime. Occassionally his ghost is seen accompanied by a beautiful grey lady. A headless dog has also been here!

 

Nothing remains of the original moat, and the area is now overgrown. The ghost of Dick Turpin is reputed to haunt the area. The shadowy figure of what is believed to be an old witch also haunts the area.

 

 

 

A headless black apparition has been seen here, and also the full apparition of a man in Edwardian clothing.

 

A ghostly steam train was seen here some months after it had been decommisioned and destroyed!

 

the unusual house at the corner of this road has a ghostly lady inhabitant. Strange, unexplained smells have also been noticed in the house.

 

 In a lane near here, called, appropriately ‘Soldiers Bottom’ a group of ghostly roundheads from the Civil War have been seen at dusk.

 

 

Maslens Store (as was) has the ghost of a grey lady, responsible for throwing things around, and interfering with electrical items.

 

A large black figure has been seen walking through the headstones here.

 

 

No reported sightings in this area, but locals report 'a feeling of dread' here. Skeletons were uncovered during alterations, but nothing is known as to who they were, or why they were buried there.

 

A spectral horse and cart has been seen leaving the hall, and a ghostly gardener and dog seen in the grounds. A grey lady also haunts here, believed to be the ghost of a servant girl who took her own life.

 

 

Strange lights have been reported in Box Lane, and Murvagh House (as was) reported Poltergeist activity.

 

It is believed that the dead cannot rest in peace here, due to the bloodshed the graveyard has seen.

 

 Used during WWII as a station and airfield for English and American pilots and staff, the Airfield has a long and varied history of  Paranormal activity. Ask those who have visited the location after dark, and most will have a tale (or several!) of ‘unexplained’ phenomena. After speaking to several people about their experiences, all at different times, and all unknown to each other, it became obvious that more than one account co-oberate each other almost entirely…. Some of these are given below:

 

 

From doing some research on the subject of ‘Haunted Airfields’ we have found numerous reports of airfields used during WWII that have also experienced similar Paranormal Phenomena. Biggin Hill Airfield, in Kent, has very similar ‘ghostly airmen’ and the distinct sound of a Spitfire plane, followed by an explosion, then deathly silence. ……. The sound of ‘phantom planes’ being heard near unused airfields is probably more common than people would think…..

 

 The grave of Robert Snooks, the last highwayman to be hanged in England can be found on Boxmoor Common, marked by an innoculous white stone. He reportedly haunts the Common in May - the month of his hanging. His ghostly body has supposedly been seen hanging from a tree. A ghostly 'mist' also covers the moor at times, and an 'eerie' feeling has often been felt by people walking through the moor after dark.

 

 

 

 

A well recorded haunting took place in this Farm, which manifested itself in rapping morse coded messages to the children living there, it was however discovered that the 'hauntings' were ingeniuously devised by the children themselves!

 

 

 

Formerly The White Hart Inn, ghostly footsteps have been heard here.

 

 

A pond once here was reportedly the site where a monk drowned a baby. The ghostly monks apparition has been seen, it's believed still looking for the child.

 

A white figure has been seen here.

 

 

Strange, unexplained lights have been seen in the water here.

 

Windows and doors open by themselves, and unexplained noises have been recorded

 

The headless ghost of a Peddler, murdered at nearby Bygrave arm, ahs been seen walking here, holding his severed head under his arm. Sometimes he is seen alone, at other times with a woman and child. Remains of a headless skeleton, and those of a woman and child were found at the farm.

 

Strange noises, and a lady in black have been experienced here.

 

A lady in Grey haunts the staircase here.

 

 

 

the ghost who haunts this residence is believed to be the former owner.

 

 

the sounds of a ghostly woodcutter can be heard on Christmas Eve.

 

A modern Housing Estate covers what was a farm and barn. The ghost of 'old Charlie' can still be seen walking the streets - the area his former residence once stood.

 

 The apparition of a headless white horse is said to gallop down Whitehorse lane in the dead of night. It is believed to date from the time of the Civil War. Animals are supposedly frightened to walk down this area after dark.

 The ghostly figure of a little old lady in a black dress has been seen shuffling along the road, seen from the front, the apparition appears to have no head!

 

The apparition of a phantom coach is seen passing along Rectory Lane with legs hanging from the back of the cart. – Believed to be those of a poor family given a paupers burial in the area sometime in the 18thC.

 

A house on this lane has its own resident ghost - a flame haired lady who is seen on the landing.

 

Several apparitions haunt the Green, including a phantom horse and cart, a spectral female, a figure of an elderly lady gathering sticks, and a middle aged man who haunted the nearby Plough Public House.

 

 

Fleeting spectres have been seen here

 

A plain wooden post on this road marks the spot where Walter Clibbon, Highwayman was captured and shot. The ghostly apparition of a horse dragging Clibbons writhing body has been seen here.

 

 Dick Turpin haunted the ancient hollow way of Monks Walk leading to Sherrards Wood.

 

Reportedly haunted

 

the ghostly spectre of a beautiful girl riding a white horse has been seen here.

 

Dame Barbara Cartland lived here until her death, and she reported the place as haunted, saying she herself had seen a ghostly dog.

 

A ghostly woman in a grey shawl, accompanied by a small child has been seen here.

 

the churchyard is supposedly haunted by the ghost of a Mr. Arnott who likes to sit there in death, as he did in life!

 

 This is another apparition imparted by a friend who was walking from Great Gaddesden along the Leighton Buzzard Road with a friend one dusky Summers evening in 2007. They did not know the area well, and were trying to find the Red Lion, knowing it was the nearest pub in the area! In front of them they could make out the form of a man, and thought they’d ask him for directions, so they tried to catch him up. They made up some distance, and saw him turn into what they thought was a side road, by the time they had got there (a matter of seconds later) the ‘man’ had dissapeared though there was nowhere for him to disappear into! Both of these people (and one is extremely sceptical about the Paranormal) said that it was ‘strange’ and both were of the general consensus that they may have seen a ghost.

                                              

the ghostly figure of a monk haunts the area.

                                        

 St.Marys is an 11thC church. They ley line in question is believed to run through the length of the church to the raised earthworks outside. Churches at Hitchin and Graverly are also supposed to be in direct alignment.

 

 

The ghostly figure of an elderly lady has been seen here.

 

Supposedly haunted by the spirit of a young girl who took her own life after killing her illigitamate child. Her sad ghost is said to still be searching for her child.

 

 

 Hatfield House is probably most famous for its strong association with Elizabeth I, for it was her childhood home.  It also has a ‘Phantom Coach and horses’ which is said to materialise at the gates and pulls at furious speed up the drive. At the enterance to the house it passes through the doors, and continues up the stairway before fading into invisibility. Although no account for why this should haunt the house is accounted,  it is believed that the Devil himself, in collecting unrepentant souls sends a Phantom Horse and coach to do the work for him…maybe that is why this particular horse and cart mounts the stairs looking for it’s sinful soul to collect!

 

 

 

A cloaked figure has been seen here floating through locked doors!

 

 Supposedly tunnels run from this building to the nearby St.Marys Church. An old account is that a sailor in the 18 C, home on leave, got drunk in one of the High Streets many inns. He was then ‘dared’ to go into the tunnels at the Bury, which he did. He went in, and someway down them, but appeared quickly pale faced refusing to go back in there claiming something had frightened him too much to return.

The house known as 'Corner Hall House' is believed to have been a hideout for smugglers during the 17thC. The area around it, is, supposedly haunted - but details of this are difficult to find - it may be no more than local legend?

 

 This claim was found on the Internet?! And isn’t one that anyone we know of has heard, but here goes!

Headless nuns are supposed to haunt the park…….hmmmm…..anyone know anything more??                                                                   

 

This is where the ghost of a former tenant starts his ghostly walk along the High Street. He is supposedly seen in the early hours of the morning, leaving no.58 by the side door, where he then walks along the High Street, stopping at the local inns! – Details are scarce as to who this ‘ghost’ is, but a few residents of the High Street have told us this ‘tale’, and that it goes back some years.

 

 

 

 

this particular building is reportedly haunted by more than one ghost, although the person we spoke to admits to never having actually seen anything themselves, it is believed that there are certain parts of the building which have a 'strange' atmosphere, and maybe, a ghostly 'resident' or two!

 

 Although no longer a Woolworths, most locals will know where Woolworths stood in the Marlowes, being one of the largest stores in the Town Centre since the 1960s. What people may not know is that a row of impressive old houses once stood on the area prior to being knocked down to make way for the ‘New Town’ development.  The ghostly apparition seen in Woolworths  may well date from this time, as it is described as ‘a man in Victorian dress, with a tophat, and tailcoat’ who was seen by several storeroom workers at various times in the late 1960s early70s. The ghost was believed to be that of a gentleman who had lived in one of the old houses once occupying the site. He had hung himself from attic beams in his house, and his unhappy spirit was said to haunt .the stockroom of Woolworths (which was above the shop floor) The reasons for his suicide are unknown, but some limited research did find that a recession had hit the town in the early 1830s – could this have driven this ‘gentleman’ to take his own life?? The person who told me of this ghost, it should be added, saw the ghost more than once, and it had been the reason they had left there job not long after!

 

 Despite being a relatively new, modern, development, Leisure Wold has at least 2 reputedly haunted locations. The first is the nightclubs, and this was bought to our attention by an email from a member of staff asking if we knew anything about the ‘ghosts’ in there? They supposedly are the spirits of children, and they move keys, glasses, etc when the clubs empty apart from a few members of staff preparing for the day ahead. The D.J. booth is also supposed to be a place where a ‘presence’ is felt, and the temperature drops suddenly to being icy-cold for no reason. Someone who worked there, when I told them about these occurrences said that they too remember the DJ area being ‘very cold’ and the feeling of ‘something’ being there…other than that details are very sketchy, and without a proper investigation it is impossible to say if these events are Paranormal in nature. The only thing we could find  was a possibility that when the area was lime pits (used for the quick dissolving of waste matter) children may have died whilst playing there, unaware of the ‘quick sand’ nature of quick lime….this, however, would seem little more than speculation…

The second area supposedly ‘haunted’ is one of the screening rooms in the multiplex cinema (unsure of which screen though…?) Unexplained sounds have been heard in there when the room is empty, and this has been witnessed by several members of staff…..however, we couldn’t find anyone to verify this… The spirit in question is supposed to be that of a man who died while the complex was being built, the area being where the room in question now stands……again, without further investigation it is difficult to ascertain the nature of this particular ‘haunting’.

This may be a rumour……. UFOs reportedly ‘seen’ over the Jarman Park area some years ago, in the form of strange lights in the sky…..we do remember in the early years of Jarman Park the beams of lights coming from the complex, for publicity……..are these the ‘UFOs’ in question – a case  of mistaken identity???

 

 

 The ‘Nicky Line’ has attracted some interest in terms of Paranormal research, and those who have walked along it after dark have reported that it may, indeed, be haunted. We have long been aware of a tale that a baby was thrown over the bridge and died below, and that it’s ghostly cries have been heard. The ghost of a male has been seen at a distance, and as you walk towards him he disappears, and a ‘ghostly mist’ has been known to descend, only to fade as quickly as it appears.  Another ‘tale’ is that a train travelling along the line derailed, veering into a ‘shanty town’ in the area, several people were killed, and their spirits are said to haunt the area, along with the 'Phantom Train' that killed them. Given the age of ‘The Nicky Line’ finding evidence to support or disclaim some of these occurrences should be easy….or maybe someone local knows more?

 

 

 

 The sound of screams and a baby crying are said to be heard on stormy autumnal evenings, believed to be the spirit of a young boy who died in a tragic accident at Hinxworth Place many years ago. The sound of running water has been heard outside the house, the memory of the vain attempt to revive the dying boy by running cold water over him.

 Unfortunately, the reports of this particular haunting give no definite location for it, but it is acknowledged as a ‘ruined mill’ The spectral figures of a man and woman are sometimes seen in the window, which would lead you to believe that enough of the mill is still standing to identify it?…. The figures that are seen are said to be that of the past mill owner and an unfortunate young girl who was lured there by him on a proposition that would see her family escape eviction from their home. By all accounts the mill owner was of dubious virtue, and young girls were often lured by him to the mill, where they were attacked, or never seen again.  Rather than succumb to his lewd proposition, this particular girl fought with him, and threw herself from a window, where she died on the ground below. It is said her screams can be heard some September nights.

Minsden Chapel has a long, varied and interesting history, and to write about it all here would take far too much time..better to get a local history book and read about it at your leisure! In very abbreviated form, Minsden Chapel (now known as ruins) has an Anniversary haunting, that of a phantom monk who is seen on Halloween,  the legend of a murdered nun, and a ghostly ‘figure in white’ who haunts the area. The sound of faint music has also been heard, usually in association with the appearance of the apparitions in question. In 1908 a spectral monk was supposedly captured on film here.

 

 A Grey Lady apparition is said to walk through Hitchin Priory. While in the grounds of the Priory each June, the spectral apparition of a headless Cavalier named Goring is said to appear, riding a white horse. He appears at Hitchin Priory after riding from nearby PIRTON, (see Pirton for further details)

 

 

 

 

 

Medieaval paintings were discovered on a wall in one of these old houses, and subsequently poltergeist activity was reported after they were unearthed. A house next to them also witnessed the manifestation of a ghostly monk.