The Paranormal Database

ABC

Location: Kesgrave - Exact location not known
Type: ABC
Date / Time: 1996
Further Comments: Part of a rash of sightings of ABCs in and around the Ipswich area during 1996.

The sea off Kessingland, Suffolk.

Long Beast

Location: Kessingland - Off coast
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: July 1912, and 1978
Further Comments: A sea monster, sixty feet in length with thirty 'blobs' running along its back, has been seen three times during the twentieth century. The first sighting was documented by the daughter of author H. Rider Haggard, which she described in a letter to her father on 20 July 1912. The most recent sighting occurred in 1978. It has been speculated that the creature was a procession of seals leaping in and out of the sea.

Old Bill

Location: Kirton - Village public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2004?
Further Comments: The ghost nicknamed Old Bill was once a regular at this public house. He believed that drinking ruined his life so returned to the building which he now haunts.

Shadowy Figure

Location: Knodishall - Church ruins
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This figure emerges from the church and crosses the road to a pond.

Steeltoes

Location: Lakenheath - Area between Sedge Sheaf Inn (no longer standing) and Farthing Drove
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Mid twentieth century?
Further Comments: The ghostly cyclist known as Steeltoes (or Old Steel Toes) glows a deathly green as it pedals along the road at midnight, and kills anyone who steps out in front of him. The deaths of two people have been attributed to this entity, the last in 1950.

Smoking RAF Pilot

Location: Lakenheath - Lakenheath Air Force Base, perimeter road
Type: Post-Mortem Manifestation
Date / Time: Spring 1951
Further Comments: A phantom hitchhiker was seen along the road, dressed as a RAF pilot. An American policeman picked him up, only to find that the pilot had disappeared a few minutes later.

Australian Pilot

Location: Lakenheath - Near Brandon Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1945 onwards
Further Comments: Seen walking across the airfield on bright moonlit nights, the ghost here is believed to be that of an Australian pilot who died when his bomber crashed during the Second World War.

Becky

Location: Lavenham - De Vere House (aka the Harry Potter House)
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: 2010s
Further Comments: Becky the poltergeist is blamed when small valuable items are taken, although if you ask nicely, she is said to return them. The non-threatening spook is also said to turn the radio and television on and off.

That Voodoo that You Do

Location: Lavenham - Private residence off High Street
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: 1972 - 1974
Further Comments: Mrs Clake claimed a poltergeist outbreak which caused items to disappear and a neighbour to fall over was due to a wooden 'voodoo devil' that her daughter had given her. Rev Ian Davidson blessed the house, but the entity returned a week later to drink Clarke's sherry and sabotage her knitting.

Under Housekeeper

Location: Lavenham - Swan Hotel, Room 15
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1991
Further Comments: The ghost of this housekeeper, a suicide victim, was said to haunt Room 15 with such intensity that no staff would go near the room after nightfall. A secret tunnel connected the building to the priory, with another tunnel leading along the street.

Mrs Goodhew

Location: Lavenham - The Angel public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Late twentieth century
Further Comments: The ghost of an early landlady, Mrs Goodhew, has been seen standing around the building, smiling at any witness before vanishing.

Blonde

Location: Lavenham - Tickled Pink tearoom, Tickle Manor
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2008
Further Comments: A blonde woman has been observed shrouded in mist at the base of the stairs, and children have been heard singing Greensleeves. The sound of church bells has also been heard, even though the nearby church has been silent.

Glowing Gravestone

Location: Lawshall - Churchyard
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: Late twentieth century
Further Comments: Two men reportedly saw a glowing gravestone whilst returning from the pub one evening, though when they returned the following day, they could find no trace of any gravestone that resembled the stone that they had seen.

Feeling Pushed

Location: Layham - Village Hall
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: 2006
Further Comments: Suffolk and Norfolk Paranormal Investigations (SNPI) were asked to investigate this village hall after one resident experienced the feeling of being pushed while on the site. One member of the SNPI reported experiencing the same sensation, although the chairman of the parish council was unaware of any previous paranormal activity related to the site.

Giant Pumpkin Smelling of Acid Drops

Location: Leiston - Beach north of Leiston, in the skies
Type: UFO
Date / Time: 1980s
Further Comments: This strange UFO was reported over the sea.

Leiston Abbey

Shuck Skeleton?

Location: Leiston - Leiston Abbey
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: 2013
Further Comments: In 2013, the remains of a hound, initially reported to be two metres long, were unearthed on the abbey grounds. Because of the proximity to the village of Bungay, some media outlets claimed the remains belonged to the Black Shuck; an old local legend says the area was home to the large phantom dog. A propagated descendant from the Holy Thorn at Glastonbury was said to grow here, and treasure rumoured to exist on the site - it is worth noting that 321 11th century silver coins (nicknamed The Pasty) were discovered at the nearby Sizewell C construction site in 2025. Finally, a network of secret tunnels were rumoured to connect the abbey to Dunwich's Greyfriars and Framlingham Castle, which would have been an amazing feat of engineering.

Leiston Churchyard, Suffolk.

Gallytrot Leaping over Wall

Location: Leiston - Near Churchyard
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Early twentieth century
Further Comments: Seen by Lady Rendlesham and Lady Walsingham, the shuck appeared at midnight, leapt over the low churchyard wall, and disappeared towards the sand hills.

A beam of sunlight shines down on the sea close to Leiston.

Large Yellowish & Greenish Ball

Location: Leiston - Off coast near Sizewell
Type: UFO
Date / Time: 1980s
Further Comments: Observing the power station here (or maybe formed by it?), the unnatural ball only hung around briefly before leaving the scene.

Sizewell A power station, Suffolk.

Fallen Worker

Location: Leiston - Sizewell A power station
Type: Post-Mortem Manifestation
Date / Time: 1950s?
Further Comments: During the construction of the station, one worker fell to his death from a crane. Less than twenty four hours later, another worker reported that a voice had called for him from the base of a deep pit, and that he would have fallen into it if a close friend had not called him back. The worker identified the luring voice as that of the dead man and was convinced that the deceased had tried to kill him.

Leaping Bottles

Location: Leiston - White House Inn
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: An exorcist was called to dispatch this entity which caused bottles and glasses to leap from shelves and doors to open and close on their own accord.

John Bullard Hanging from Beam

Location: Letheringham - Watermill
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1994
Further Comments: Seventeenth century miller John Bullard and his son were murdered by hired helper Jonah Snell, who hung their bodies from the rafters. Though the original building has been replaced, it is believed the restless shades of the victims can still be seen hanging (as was the case in 1994).

Food Smell

Location: Lidgate - House named John O'Lydgate's
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1940s onwards
Further Comments: The smell of cooking has been reported, as well as the smell of incense.

Dragon Duel

Location: Little Cornard - Location known locally as Sharpfight Meadow, but now called Shalford Meadow
Type: Dragon
Date / Time: 26 September 1449
Further Comments: A black dragon from Suffolk and a spotted red dragon from Essex met at this location. After fighting for an hour, the Essex dragon won, and both dragons disappeared back to where they came.

Children's Voices

Location: Little Glemham - Glemham Hall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: When this property appeared on the market, a couple of media outlets made reference to the building's previous ghost hunting events, that focused on ghostly children's voices heard in the nursery and cold spots in the servants' area.

Talking Skulls

Location: Long Melford - Churchyard
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A local legend speaks of a pair of skulls which once resided in the churchyard which would chatter away after dark.