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Examining folkloric, paranormal & cryptozoological locations in the UK and beyond

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Wiltshire Ghosts, Folklore and Forteana

Henry Watts

Location: A4 - Memorial between Marlborough and Hungerford (now relocated)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: October 1956
Further Comments: Henry Watts erected a memorial along this road to his son Alfie after the boy was killed in a cart accident in 1879. Four people spotted a tall man in a long coat standing by the memorial one evening as they all travelled home, but he vanished when they stopped the car nearby. Some speculated the ghost was concerned that the cross would be destroyed by the planned widening of the road, but instead the memorial was carefully relocated close by.


A ghostly figure walks down a hill.

Hanging Man

Location: Aldbourne - Dor's Grave, aka Dyer's Grave, aka Doll's Grave
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This area is said to be haunted by a man who hanged himself. His ghost was said to appear either dangling from a tree between the memorial hall and social club or walking down the hill.

Pony

Location: Aldbourne - Road leading to the village from Braydon
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: A white pony silently galloped past two men as they returned to the village. It has been speculated that the pony was King Arthur's mount Sigral (ridden at the Battle of Baydon) or belonging to a local man who committed suicide.


Ghostly monks using a secret tunnel.

Monks

Location: Alderbury - Green Dragon public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A secret tunnel is rumoured to connect this pub with the nearby church and is haunted by phantom monks.

Barn Gates

Location: All Cannings - Area behind the village hall (was the reading rooms)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Mid twentieth century?
Further Comments: A barn that stood in a field behind the reading rooms may have been demolished many years ago, but some people still reported the sound of its gate creaking open after it had gone.

Woman in Green

Location: All Cannings - Campfield
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: September 1972
Further Comments: The occupier of the cottage at the time reported sitting in bed and spotting a young woman in a green dress with fair hair who materialised in a corner of the room. The woman in green appeared to descend two steps (though there were no steps in the room) before vanishing from view. The owner of the cottage in 1910 believed his home to be haunted by a woman murdered by her husband after she was caught having an affair.

Green Woman

Location: All Cannings - Campfield House
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1970s
Further Comments: After finding his wife in the arms of another in their bedroom, a husband dispatched the unfaithful woman and tried to burn down the house to conceal his crime. However, the fire was quickly put out, and now the woman dressed in green returns to the room where she was murdered.

Leaper

Location: All Cannings - Footpath between village and Allington, close to canal on the All Cannings side
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This corpse way was home to a violent entity which leapt out at people and pushed them into the cold canal waters.

Joshua Cowdry

Location: All Cannings - House opposite Cliff Farm
Type: Post-Mortem Manifestation
Date / Time: 1946 or 1947
Further Comments: Observed by a neighbour, Joshua walked up his garden path and appeared to enter his house. The neighbour discovered a few hours later that Joshua had died in hospital around the time of the sighting.

Elizabeth Bynge

Location: All Cannings - The Old Rectory
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: Manifesting as a grey lady with a beautiful face, this wraith has been seen by several people over the years, once observed standing at the foot of a bed.

Ruth King

Location: All Cannings - White Rose Cottage
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early twentieth century?
Further Comments: After Ruth died, many villagers believed that her ghost had returned to protect the money which she had hidden in her home. One subsequent owner reported a woman in black who moved from bedroom to bedroom. Eventually the sightings died away, but no money has ever been found (only an empty purse concealed behind some plaster).

Man in a Red Cap

Location: All Cannings - Wickham's Lane area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Described as a smallish man wearing a red floppy hat, this figure walks the streets in this area of the village.

Hound

Location: Allington - Area between village and All Cannings
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Early twentieth century
Further Comments: The story of the black dog was used to frighten children in this area. One man may have been chased by the creature (though it was dark and stated it might have been a pony), while another couple who spotted the hound said it stood almost as tall as their pony.


An old postcard of Allington village.

Parson

Location: Allington - Around village
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1840s?
Further Comments: After the death of the local parson, several villagers pushed his body down a nearby well. The justification for this action was never given, and all concerned died before they gave up their reason. For many nights after the parson's death, horses in the village were released from their stables, and the parson was blamed.

Woman in White

Location: Allington - Road to Horton, near Tan Hill
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 30 October 1904
Further Comments: Seen by two lay preachers driving a horse and trap, this phantom was mistaken for a real woman as she walked towards them in the rain. They could see she had auburn hair and a beautiful face, before she vanished without trace.

House

Location: Allington - Tan Hill
Type: Environmental Manifestation
Date / Time: House seen 1962 or 1963, coffin seen around 1940, and previously in 1870s
Further Comments: A young girl walking on the hill came across a horse which appeared to be empty. She later discovered that the building had been demolished many years before her encounter. Twenty years previous, three shepherds watched a phantom funeral procession, complete with a horse-drawn hearse and figures carrying burning torches. Upon the coffin sat a golden crown. As a side note, the hill once had a carved white horse upon it.

Sound of an Army

Location: Alton Barnes - Adam's Grave, aka Walker Hill, aka Walker's Hill, aka Walkers' Hill
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Summer, 1965 or 1966
Further Comments: Close to the hill, Miss Muriel Cobern heard dozens of horses galloping, as if an invisible army were passing. The sound suddenly stopped as she fled the area. The site is also said to be the resting place of a giant, who will awaken if the hill is run around seven times.

Devil's Trackway

Location: Alton Priors - Knap Hill
Type: Legend - Old Nick
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This causeway was said to have been constructed by the devil. There are also reports of buried treasure in the area.

Saint Mylor's Relics

Location: Amesbury - Amesbury Abbey
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: A sadistic uncle cut off Mylor's left foot and right hand to prevent the lad from becoming king. A silver hand and a bronze foot were made to replace the missing body parts, and they started to work as flesh and bone. Unfortunately, Mylor was executed soon after. His relics are currently housed at the abbey. There are also reports of phantom figures and ghostly hounds on the site.

Soldier

Location: Amesbury - George Hotel
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A soldier from the First World War is reputed to haunt this site, and the sound of horses trotting can occasionally be heard from the courtyard outside.

Whooshing

Location: Amesbury - London Road area where railway line once ran
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early 1990s
Further Comments: Two friends heard steam being released, as if from an old engine which could not be seen. One of the people had previously heard clanking and a whistle in the same location.

Outlined Lady

Location: Amesbury - Lords Walk, along London Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Winter 1985/1986
Further Comments: This petite phantom lady, grey in colour but with a brighter outline, was observed by two friends taking a shortcut through the woods - they ran away from the figure, turning to look back only to see the woman had vanished. The walk may also be home to a ghostly Gypsy caravan that was briefly spotted before vanishing.

Farm Labourer

Location: Amesbury - New Inn
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This phantom farm labourer is reputed to periodically appear to have a drink. Once he has finished his beverage, he promptly vanishes.

Children

Location: Amesbury - South Mill track
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Winter, 2010
Further Comments: A man walking his dog spotted some children playing near the river, the dog edging away from the nearest child, who was a girl who wore a long white dress. The man assumed the children were from a party at a nearby house, but soon realised that the path and area were very muddy, but the girl in white's dress was pristine. On the return walk, the children had gone.

Rider

Location: Atworth - A365
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Winter 1944
Further Comments: A driver was forced to brake hard when a horse and rider emerged from a hedge on one side of the road and crossed in front of him. The apparition then vanished into a wall on the opposite side of the road.

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