Favourite Haunts :: Edinburgh South Bridge Vaults & Greyfriars Kirkyard



A city beneath the city: Edinburgh Vaults



"There are mysteries which men can only guess at, which age by age they may solve only in part." ~ Bram Stoker

 

 

Scotland loves a ghost story. The country has all the key ingredients necessary for one: Dark, gloomy skies; a dark and bloody past; old stone towns with old cobbled streets; and an abundant ancient folklore.

 

It is easy to be consumed by the possibility that ghosts abound as you walk down the Royal Mile, with the fog settling in around you...

 

 

SOUTH BRIDGE VAULTS - NIDDRY STREET SOUTH

 





Notice by the entry to the Niddry Street Vaults

The history of the Edinburgh vaults is somewhat sketchy. The vaults were initially used as storage for the businesses above, all of which vacated in the 1700s due to the increasingly poor conditions.

 

When the industrial revolution swung into motion, they became dwellings for the city's poor. Prostitution, murder and other atrocities were rife, and then, rather mysteriously, at some point during the 1800s the residents abandoned the vaults and the whole place was sealed with rubble, and promptly forgotten. It wasn't until the 1980s that they were uncovered, completely by accident.

Edinburgh was a superstitious place at the turn of the 18th century, both of real and imagined harm. The citizens' fear of what the unearthly and supernatural could inflict was exacerbated by their inherent mistrust of the invading English, which resulted in the building of the defensive Flodden Wall, part of which is still visible in the city today in Greyfriars Cemetery.

 

The enclosed city forced residents to live virtually on top of one another: Rather than expanding out, Edinburgh went up.

When the South Bridge was finally completed in 1788 it was deemed to be an appropriate and fitting honour that the Bridges’ eldest resident, a well known and respected wife of a local Judge, be the first to cross. Unfortunately, she passed away prior to the opening and crossed the bridge entombed in her coffin. Naturally, the superstitious locals pronounced the bridge cursed and subsequently refused to cross it.

 

Some of the paranormal experiences reported in the vaults include sightings of a man known as "The Watcher"; disembodied footsteps and voices; a small boy referred to as "Jack"; unexplained cold spots and the feeling of unease; and let's not forget the infamous "Mr Boots".

Inspired by these reports, on 30 October this year, the night before Halloween, I booked a City of the Dead tour for both the Niddry Street Vaults and Greyfriars Kirkyard. After weeks of rain, the night was completely clear and calm, and our tour was fully booked with around thirty adult participants.

 

Whilst the tour was informative from an historical perspective, I was surprised to find the time spent within the Niddry Street Vaults short, uneventful and somewhat disappointing. This may be influenced by my having recently watched the Ghost Adventures paranormal investigation of the Edinburgh Vaults, though: I had imagined them more vast. However, I now know that there are two underground vaults: Blair Street and Niddry Street. In addition, there is also Mary King's Close (an underground close), so I suspect most paranormal investigation shows encompass parts of all three.

Our tour guide was both knowledgeable and humorous, but I found our tour lacked the telling of the ghost stories that you come to expect from a well-organised ghost tour. We did hear one or two, but I found our guide spent more time on Edinburgh's historical past rather than on its ghosts, which I found perplexing since it was almost Halloween.

 



Niddry Street

However, well before our guide had even mentioned the little boy ghost known as Jack, I had picked up on an unseen presence standing to the back of the group, which I felt to be a child. I could not tell if that child was male or female, only that it was a child of around 5 or 6 years of age.

 

Was this presence Jack?

 

GREYFRIARS KIRKYARD & THE COVENANTER'S PRISON

 



On a fine day, Edinburgh's Greyfriars Kirkyard is a peaceful place with a fine view of Edinburgh Castle. It houses a well-preserved section of the Flodden Wall, and is surrounded by ornate and impressive mausoleums.

 

It is also a popular haunt for tourists on the trail of Greyfriars Bobby, a somewhat famous little terrier in Edinburgh's history. A statue of the little canine is located just outside the Kirkyard gates, and it is local belief that touching the terrier's nose will bring good luck.

 

Greyfriars Kirkyard Gates

Greyfriars Kirkyard dates back to the 1560s. The land, formerly a monastery garden, was given to the city by Mary Queen of Scots to be used as burial grounds to cope with the overcrowding in St Giles churchyard. 

 

In 1679, following the Battle of Bothwell Brig, 1200 supporters of the National Covenant were brought to Edinburgh. Four hundred were held in Greyfriars Kirkyard in an area now known as the Covenanters Prison. They spent more than four months there, awaiting trial. During this time they had no shelter, and were given a daily food allowance of just 4oz of bread. Conditions were so inhumane that the Covenanters Prison is often described as the world’s first concentration camp.

Greyfriars Kirkyard has also received attention in recent years due to the Harry Potter phenomenon. It is believed that the grave of Thomas Riddell, who died in 1806, and nearby William McGonagall were the inspiration behind JK Rowling's Voldemort and Professer McGonagall. The nearby George Heriot's School is also said to be the inspiration for Hogwarts.

 

Greyfriar's Kirkyard

Paranormal experiences seem to be confined to the Covenanters Prison and the Black Mausoleum. The majority of these seem to be poltergeist activity: Visitors have passed out for seemingly no reason; they have been punched, scratched or tugged.

 

There have also been reports of shadow people, of cold spots and a feeling of unease upon entering the Covenanters Prison. It is alleged that the malevolent activity started when a homeless man stumbled into Mackenzie's tomb one night seeking shelter, and desecrated the sealed tomb.

Our tour entered Greyfriars Kirkyard after having toured the vaults. The cemetery was still quite active - generally churchyards tend to be a place to avoid late at night, but not so Greyfriars! 

 

The City of the Dead tours are reportedly the only tour group given access to the Covenanters Prison; due to the alleged poltergeist activity, the council has closed this particular section off from the public.

 

Our tour guide led us through the prison directly to the Black Mausoleum, which is resting place of George Mackenzie, the man responsible for imprisoning the Covenanters. His mistreatment of the Covenanters led to his nickname "Bluidy (Bloody) Mackenzie". I noted the sudden change in mood of our tour guide, who seemed almost afraid to tell any of the experiences in this particular location. He seemed to be on guard, and the air was decidedly tense.

 

However, is the ghost reported there really a spirit or poltergeist? Could it be possible that the majority of experiences are actually due to psychokinesis (an alleged psychic ability allowing a person to influence a physical system without actual physical interaction)? I do wonder.

 

Regardless of who or what is haunting the Covenanters Prison and the Black Mausoleum, our tour group had no disruptions, although I did pick up on a restless energy within the Covenanters Prison upon entering through its gates. Otherwise, I felt quite at peace within the walls of the Black Mausoleum, and whilst I find the mistreatment of the Covenanters to be truly appalling, perhaps this sense of ease had something to do with the fact that I am of Mackenzie blood, after all...

Whilst I could think of nothing more exhilarating than to investigate these locations for myself, by myself, it must be noted that for anyone interested in the ghostly and historical aspects of Edinburgh's past, you need to book a tour to explore its underground vaults, as well as the Covenanters Prison. If I were to go back, I would book a tour that explores the Blair Street vaults and Mary King's Close as well. 

 

A visit to Edinburgh Castle is also highly recommended, as is Saint Giles Cathedral.

 

Edinburgh is definitely a city worth visiting, for its ghosts and its history.

 

Further reading:

The Ghost that Haunted Itself by Jan Andrew Henderson (filled with visitor experiences at Greyfriars)
City of the Dead Tours
Real Mary King's Close

Laura  

[Find out more about your hosts here]

 

Favourite Haunts :: A Sea of Ghosts on Kangaroo Island (Karta)

Land of the Dead: Kangaroo Island, South Australia
© Ghost & Girl

"Ngurunderi’s final act on earth was to leave instructions for his people, that after death, they should follow his steps to the western end of Kangaroo Island.  There he leapt from a pile of rocks into the sea, where he drowned, but his cleansed spirit rose to the sky, to await the arrival of his descendants."

~ Ngurunderi's Final Action, Ngarrindjeri Dreaming

 

 

South Australia's Kangaroo Island lies 112km south-west of the city of Adelaide, and is Australia's third largest island. Today it is inhabited by around 4000 people, most of whom live on the east coast of the island, closest to the mainland. Over half the island is national parks and protected wilderness areas, and the largest of these are found on the island's western end.

 

The island has been inhabited by Europeans since the early 19th Century. It was sealers, escaped convicts, and awol sailors who first took up casual residency on the island. These were rough, uncouth men, infamous for kidnapping Aboriginal women from Tasmania and the South Australian mainland, to keep as slaves. A number of these women died in their attempts to cross the unforgiving waters surrounding the island to return to their people. Only one woman is known to have survived the journey.

 

When the island was first occupied by Europeans, they found it uninhabited by Aborigines. However, the presence of Indigenous Australians on the island is undisputed: There is archaeological evidence that suggests Aboriginal people occupied the island as recently as 2000 years ago, but their history on the island stretches back at least 16,000 years. Why the indigenous population chose to leave the island remains a mystery; however, the Aboriginal groups on the mainland refer to Kangaroo Island as "Karta", which means "Land of the Dead", the stories of which is reflected in their Dreaming.

 

For example, the Ngarrindjeri people regard the island as the place to which the spirit travels after death, where it meets with the ancestral spirits for the final journey into heaven. The Ramindjeri also refer to the island as being the "gateway to star heaven in the Milky Way". It is also said that the ghost of a Ramindjeri woman makes her presence known by appearing to people on the island in the form of a small, native bird.

 

Weir's Cove, Cape du Couedic, Kangaroo Island
© Ghost & Girl

The island was settled by the British as part of the Colony of South Australia, with the first ship of free settlers arriving at Reeves Point on 27 July 1836. However, a shortage of fresh water and suitable materials for building saw the settlement moved to the mainland less than four years later.

 

The waters surrounding Kangaroo Island are notoriously treacherous. The island has four lighthouses, all still in operation: Cape Willoughby (1852), Cape Borda (1858), Cape du Couedic (1906), and Cape St Albans (1908). Destructive cliffs make up most of the island's coastline, and the lighthouses have been integral to the safe passage of ships in and around the island for more than 160 years.

 

Kangaroo Island is infamous for its shipwrecks, with the west coast of the island being particularly unforgiving. One tragedy is that of the Loch Vennachar, which sailed into cliffs off remote West Bay in 1905. All 27 crew on board perished, and only the remains of one sailor was eventually washed ashore, later buried in the silver-grey sand-dunes of the bay.

 

The island presented a difficult, and sometimes tragic way of life for its inhabitants, too. The island's lighthouse keepers and their families were completely isolated, not just from the mainland, but for a long time there were no roads connecting the lighthouses to the rest of the island. At Cape Borda and Cape du Couedic, supplies were brought in by ship and hauled up the cliff-edge at Harvey's Return and Weir's Cove respectively. Sailors, light-keeper's and their family members make up the island's early dead, the magnitude of which can been seen in cemeteries like that found at Harvey's Return near Cape Borda.

 

Cottages at Cape du Couedic, Kangaroo Island
© Ghost & Girl

If you believe the reports, it seems that some of these dead continue to wander their island home. The old light-keeper's cottages at Cape Borda are now rented out to visitors as self-contained accommodation, and many who stay report ghostly happenings, which includes the apparition of a small girl in and around the cottages themselves.

 

The visitor books at Cape du Couedic report similar ghostly activity in and around the old cottages. An "old man" is frequently reported, as are countless tales of strange, unexplained sounds and lights coming from within the cottages, including those that should be empty, and the unshakable, eerie sensation that one is never quite alone, no matter where on the Cape one finds themselves.

 

It was far too easy for me to relate to this unfathomable sensation of being watched during my own stay at Cape du Couedic. The three charming light-keeper's cottages are set in behind a rise that provides suitable protection from the winds that roar in over the cape, with the lighthouse a short stroll to the top. Renting one of the assistant keeper's cottages in the off-season meant that we were the only two people for miles, surrounded by windblown scrubland on one side, and the brutal mass of the Southern Ocean on the other.

 

We arrived at the Cape just on sunset. The blinds on the cottage windows were all drawn, and the place appeared to be completely uninhabited - by the living, at least. But from the moment we stepped out of our car and made our way to the cottage entrance, it became undeniable that our first impression of the cape as uninhabited wasn't entirely accurate.

 

I was completely restless the entire first evening of our stay. Inside the cottage, it felt as though we were constantly watched. I know it sounds terribly cliché, but this sensation was so intense that it made the hairs on the back of my neck remain permanently raised, as if something was hovering just behind me, deliberately staying out of sight. Whenever I looked up, or turned around, or walked out of one room and into another, I could not escape the feeling that at any moment I would find a stranger staring at me from within the shadows.

 

Then on the first night, not long after I had dozed off, I was woken suddenly by what I thought was someone whispering in my ear: "My name is John..."

 

I live in an old, stone house, and am therefore familiar with the sounds that old, stone houses make in the night: The pop and crack of the roof and floorboards as the house cools; the knocking of the stones and the rattle of sash windows and doors as it shifts and settles; the howl of the wind as it makes it way down the chimneys. And for the first two nights at Cape du Couedic, the wind howled and the sea crashed in a way that only the Southern Ocean is capable of, and all the noises we heard during those two nights we could confidently say were nothing more than the normal sounds that an old stone cottage makes during nights of wild weather.

 

On the third night, though, we were blessed with perfect calm. The eerie sensation of being watched and followed had abated, and we found ourselves quite comfortable within the walls of the old assistant keeper's cottage. It made for an undisturbed sleep.

 

Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island
© Ghost & Girl

However, in the early hours of that last morning, before the sun had even peaked above the horizon, I woke from my slumber, unmoving, but fully awake and alert. Outside it was perfectly still, not even the sound of a bird could be heard. And then, just as it had been reported countless times in the visitor books, there came the sound of movement from the other end of the corridor outside the bedroom: A shuffling, thumping and tapping, the distinct sounds of someone pulling on boots, followed by footsteps proceeding down the hallway to the front door, first becoming louder at their approach, before gently fading away.

 

The tales of the ghosts of Cape du Couedic do not reveal, nor even hazard a guess at the identity of the spirit whose footsteps are so regularly heard making their way down the hallway in the cottage. I like to think that it is one of the old assistant light-keepers making his early-morning check of the lighthouse.

 

Whilst it's easy to make assumptions, it's more difficult to confirm if any of the assistant light-keeper's stationed at Cape du Couedic, and resident of the same cottage, were actually named John. It'd be a neat coincidence if there was, though.

 

 

Want to know more about Kangaroo Island (Karta)? Try these links:

Kangaroo Island: A Rich History

Flinders Ranges Research: Kangaroo Island

Aborigines on Kangaroo Island

Nunkuwarrin Yunti: Ngurunderi

Wulde Waiirri: Kangaroo Island Aboriginal Cultural Tours

Sarah  

[Find out more about your hosts here]

The Ghosts of Sydney's Quarantine Station :: A Personal Experience

 



Sydney's Quarantine Station
© Ghost & Girl



"Having endured the long voyage to Australia in the hope of starting a new life, immigrants could find themselves detained in quarantine and in some cases seriously ill. Separated from healthy family members and prohibited from any contact, those in quarantine had no way of knowing whether they would see their loved ones again. Some children left the Quarantine Station as orphans, and women as widows, alone in a strange country with no means of support." - From Quarantine to Q Station: Honouring the Past, Securing the Future by Jennifer Cornwall & Simon McArthur

 

 

Sydney's Quarantine Station is located in North Head, Manly, in the state of New South Wales on the east coast of Australia. Between 1830 and 1984, all vessels suspected of carrying sick passengers were sent straight to North Head to be quarantined. After an average of forty days, most passengers would be released into society.

 

The site of Sydney's Quarantine Station was chosen for three main reasons:

 

1. It was the first safe anchorage point within the Heads;

2. It was completely isolated, well away from the main settlement of Sydney; and

3. The site had its own natural spring, which ensured long-term habitation.

 

Quarantine Station's Second Class Precinct
© Ghost & Girl

Today the sights, sounds and smells of the sick and quarantined are all but an echo, with the site (now called Q Station) offering corporate, educational and historical services to the public, with fine dining and serviced accommodation. The Station also offers a variety of ghost tours. As a (once local) resident of the Sydney area, I have had the privilege of visiting (and staying at) the site on a number of occasions.  

 

There are ghosts at Quarantine Station, make no mistake. Many ghosts, in fact, some of whom have made themselves known to me during my stays there. I thought I would share with you some of my most memorable encounters:



(i) A significant experience happened on a recent tour of the Station that I undertook with my mother. The tour began down by the dock in the Wharf Precinct, after which it proceeded towards a small building located by the Luggage Fumigation. The guide asked us to split into two groups and enter one of two rooms, then she closed the doors. Although the darkness consumed us in the room, I was aware of being "rushed at" by an entity that I felt was decidedly male. Whilst I couldn't see him, I was able to sense him as he got up in my face. I got the distinct impression that he wasn't happy about the fact that I knew he was there. It was an awful experience. I felt assaulted. It resulted in my bursting into tears!

 

Gravedigger's Cottage, Quarantine Station
© Ghost & Girl

(ii) During an overnight stay on site in the Second Class Precinct, my mother and I both experienced being touched on the face during the night in our bedroom. The light in the room was also mysteriously turned on at one point, and we could "feel" someone walking around in the early hours of the morning.

 

(iii) On a separate occasion, but also whilst staying overnight in the Second Class Precinct, I awoke during the night to find a grey cat on the bed, which promptly vanished before my eyes. The raucous woke my sleeping companion. 

 



(iv) During a ghost tour at the Station, I experienced the smell of potatoes as we walked towards the second class dining facilities. I wasn't the only one, as a handful of other tour attendees also picked up on the smell, but there were others who couldn't smell anything at all. The tour guide then proceeded to reveal to the group that the smell of potatoes is often picked up by members of tour groups. This event sticks out in my mind due to the fact that at the time, the Quarantine Station did not have a restaurant or accommodation, so there was no obvious explanation for the smell. As the Station is quite isolated, there is little opportunity for contamination from other sites.

 

(v) Whilst passing the Gravedigger's Cottage during another tour, the guide was relaying the history of the cottage and its most infamous resident, when the windows to the cottage were suddenly opened and closed quite forcibly by someone (or something) inside. This was well before the cottage became accessible to the public, and the group initially assumed it was some kind of prank. However, when the perplexed guide contacted security to come and investigate, it turned out that the building was completely locked, and no one could possibly have been inside. This revelation rattled all of us, but none more than the guide herself.



Quarantine Station's notorious Shower Block.
© Ghost & Girl

I seem to be sensitive to this type of activity. When in a location I am able to pick up on energies and can sense the presence of spirit, although I find that spirits do not wish to communicate with me in a more direct manner, or perhaps I am not yet able to communicate with them in a conversational way. However, these experiences and encounters, and the intensity of them seems to depend on environmental factors, particularly the weather. On those occasions where I have experienced quite a lot of activity, such as shadow people and one-on-one interaction, it has been stormy and wet. In these instances, the presence of thunderstorms has left the atmosphere feeling almost "charged", delivering some unexpected events as a result.

 

The types and intensity of paranormal experiences at Quarantine Station seem to vary; however, Shadow People are common, as is the sight of an elderly Chinese gentleman in and around the Asiatic Quarters, or the hand of a little girl that will tug (or hold onto) unsuspecting visitors.

 

Then, of course, there's the unmistakable sensation of being watched, and of feeling uncomfortable in certain areas, such as the notorious Shower Block.

 

If you're ever in Sydney, and aren't afraid of a little ghostly interaction, then I strongly recommend an overnight stay at the Quarantine Station.

 

It'll be an experience you're not likely to forget in a hurry.

 

For more information, visit Q Station.

 

Laura  

[Find out more about your hosts here]

 

The Ghosts of Hampton Court Palace :: A Personal Experience





  Hampton Court Palace

© Ghost & Girl



Hampton Court Palace was originally built for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in the 16th Century. After the refusal by the Pope to grant King Henry VIII a divorce to his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, the blame was laid on Cardinal Wolsey,  who promptly fell from grace. The palace then became the royal property of King Henry VIII. Under his reign, it became one of the most magnificent, lavishly constructed buildings in England - and remains so to this day.

There are numerous ghosts associated with Hampton Court Palace. The most famous is that of Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard, who is said to linger in the passageway outside the Chapel Royal (also known as the Haunted Gallery). Upon her arrest for adultery, Catherine managed to escape and run down the gallery, only to be dragged, screaming, back to her apartments. Catherine was later beheaded. It has been reported that her screams can be heard, and two women have fainted in the same spot, during two separate night tours, on the same day.

Catherine is known as an anniversary ghost, as most of the activity associated with her is reported around and on the anniversary of her arrest, the 23 November 1541.







Portrait thought to be Catherine Howard by Hans Holbein
the Younger, curtsey of The Royal Collection
 



Another ghost that is regularly seen at Hampton Court Palace is Sybill Penn, also known as the Grey Lady. She was a servant to the Tudor monarch and nurse to Elizabeth I and Edward IV. In 1829 her tomb was disturbed, bringing about the first sightings of the "Grey Lady" around the Clock Court and the state apartments.

Probably the most famous haunt of Hampton Court Palace is known as "Skeletor". There has been much debate as to whether this spectre is King Henry VIII, or perhaps a lady of the court. Many have questioned the authenticity of this footage, some believing it to be a publicity stunt to draw tourists.  This apparition was witnessed on CCTV footage in 2003 by security staff.

Having recently relocated to the United Kingdom from Australia, I couldn't wait to visit Hampton Court Palace. So, it was on a crisp wintery morning that we set out to investigate.

We arrived at Hampton Court Palace upon opening, so as to enjoy the rooms before they became overcrowded with tourists. During this visit, I had a personal experience in the Chapel Royal, which has left me somewhat troubled. I believe I am able to sense energies; meaning, I can pick up whether a particular place is haunted, or whether a spirit is present in the room with me. So, as we walked onto the balcony (Holy Day Closet) that overlooks the Chapel below, I was instantly overwhelmed with emotion and burst into tears - that is, uncontrollable sobbing.

 

Later that day, we entered the Chapel from below and again I experienced the unwavering need to cry. I was so overwhelmed that I had to run out of the Chapel. The feeling left as soon as I had exited the Chapel. I wouldn't describe it as sadness, per se, but rather an overwhelming, powerful sense of emotion. It is difficult for me to describe. I have scoured the internet looking for similar experiences, but to date have not found a single one. 

 



Orb in flight? Hampton Court Palace
© Ghost & Girl

A photo I took whilst walking into the Hampton Court Palace courtyard (pictured above) possibly shows a white orb travelling towards the second storey windows (mid-right in photo). Now, I'm not one who normally jumps up and down in excitement about "orb evidence", as I believe the majority can be explained away by dust, water, reflections, sun glare and the like. But this particular "orb" appears solid and must have been moving at significant speed for it to appear with a "tail". I feel it is worth noting and would appreciate any feedback.
 

What can you see? Hampton Court Palace
© Ghost & Girl

Orb? Dust? Water particle? Hampton Court Palace
© Ghost & Girl

Another photo that I thought may be of interest is this photo (above) taken in one of the closets. I have provided a close-up of the orb, which appears in the right of the photograph.

What do you think?

I recently came across Haunted Earth's Ghost World Blog in which the host, Chris Halton, posted about some photos that he has been privy to, claiming that two apparitions were caught on film at Hampton Court Palace in August 2013. The photographer claims that he had waited until the room was completely void of tourists before taking the pictures, so was quite shocked when his photographs show a young girl and a cloaked figure beside her, overlooking the balcony. I admit: The girl is semi-transparent, and the cloaked figure looks a lot like a man of the cloth. However, with modern technology, especially the endless software applications providing people with the means by which to manipulate photos, it almost seems too good to be true. But I still think it is worth looking at and ponder over. (The blog regularly posts interesting photos and videos).

Want to know more about the history of Hampton Court Palace? Visit here.
 

 

Laura  

[Find out more about your hosts here]

 

Well, you know, I see... stuff. :: Guest post by author Rae Gee

© Rae Gee
www.raegee.co.uk

I'd like to thank Sarah and Laura for giving me the opportunity to come and write for Ghost and Girl. It's an honour and a privilege.

 

Some people would call me mad. Others may call me possessed. My mother, bless her, calls me “spiritually sensitive”. She's a devout Christian and I'm sure that some of my experiences probably sit a little uncomfortable with her. But, nevertheless, she acknowledges that there are spiritual realms and has come up with a nice, easily packaged term for what I've seen and felt over the years. It sure beats having to say, “Well, you know, I see... stuff”.

 

My day job involves working in a nursing home. We see a lot of sick people and many of the staff believe in the paranormal to some degree. It goes with the territory and, even though the building is less than twenty years old, there are many tales of strange happenings. My boss also tells stories of what happened in her old work place. Ironically, it was the same place my mother had worked twenty years before. Both of them tell exactly the same stories of cold spots, moving shadows, and unseen eyes watching them.

 

I've seen my fair share during the four years I've been there. One morning I was working in one of our downstairs lounges. There was a pile of paperwork to do and it was far more fun to do it while sitting with some friendly faces and watching a couple of movies. I was sitting in one of the far corners of the room. To my left, and just in my line of sight, was the door. Sitting beside that was an upright piano.

 

It was the middle of summer and all the windows were open. There were a lot of calls for drinks, and, as I stood to fetch us more juice, something caught my eye. Turning, I looked to where the piano was and there, in the corner between the piano and the door, stood a figure. It wasn't much taller than me and had no features. The whole being was grey but you could make out the distinct features of a woman. She didn't turn to look at anyone, just stood with her back to the wall and faced the door. A shiver ran up my spine and she disappeared just as quickly as she'd appeared.

 

Asking around, I discovered that the grey lady wasn't an unusual spirit. She'd been around for a while and had always been spied in the downstairs lounge. No one's quite sure whether she's one of the old residents or not.

 

Stories have abounded about a shadow which is seen from the corner of the left eye. For the first year I was working there, I never saw it. From a spiritual perspective, our building has a relatively pleasant feel. I've never felt threatened while being there, even in the small hours (when I've popped in and out for various jobs). There have been buildings I've refused to go in to due to the energy they give off. But ours is generally a happy place to be.

 

Just before we lost several people, I started to see the shadow. And, as a few people had told me, it was there in the corner of my eye. A fleeting glimpse of a tall, human shaped figure that rushed by and disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. There was a distinct drop in temperature in that moment and, despite the warmth, I had goosebumps. Again, I asked around and there's the general consensus that the shadow we see is some kind of angel of death. I've seen it many times, normally in the days or hours before we lose someone. Despite the feeling of foreboding and the change in temperature, the being seems to harbour no malice or ill will.

 

We've also had many people speak of the final hours of the people in our care. They talk about how those who are dying will be speaking to people only they can see. Sometimes these are relatives. Sometimes they seem to be beings from another realm. Sometimes the dying person talks calmly to them. Sometimes they scream and lash out, as though in fear of what they're seeing. Obviously the question arises as to whether they're hallucinating or actually seeing spirits. We'll probably never know, although there are many studies into near death experiences where the person involved has experienced something similar.

 

Speaking of strange experiences in places, I used to work in a town called Dumfries. Just across the Scottish border, visually it's a beautiful place. Spiritually it's a nightmare. If there was ever a place which could be described as hell on earth, Dumfries would be it. The people are nice enough but you only have to look a little closer to see that things aren't all okay.

 

I used to take the train to work as I lived in a town about fifty miles away. The journey passed through beautiful scenery with the train lines running alongside the town before dropping in to it. Yet, as you began to draw closer, you could see a dark cloud hanging over the town. It wasn't smog, nor fumes from factories, but a dark cloud of fear and hate. The cloud lingered and was there on every visit.

 

It didn't improve once you were in the town centre and I suspect that much of the rest of the town was the same. The heavy weight of spiritual apathy hung over the town and, despite the presence of a fast flowing river, it never seemed to dissipate. Not only that, there was something about the people who lived there, something I'd never seen before and haven't really seen since.

 

I worked in a store in the middle of the town. Being in a central location was great for doing one of my favourite past times during quiet moments: People watching. On nice days, I'd prop the door open and watch the world go by. While the locals were nice enough, all of them appeared to have some kind of shadowy being that walked alongside them. It was the strangest thing I'd ever seen and felt like being in the Grand Central Station of spiritual activity. Yet I never really felt any malice or apathy coming from the people, nor the beings who walked beside them. And I've not figured out why it happened there and nowhere else. Maybe I haven't been watching hard enough. It's definitely going to be something I try when I visit London again.

 

 

Rae Gee 

[Rae Gee is the author of the Veetu Industries series of LGBT steampunk novels, published by Torquere Press. To find out more about Rae Gee and her books, visit www.raegee.co.uk, her Facebook page, or follow her on Twitter.]

 

Do you have a story to tell? :: Ghost & Girl, personal experience, and you

 

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here." - William Shakespeare

 

 

 

So, you're watching one of the many paranormal investigation shows on television, when one of the investigators has a profound personal experience, and you think WOW. THAT WAS AWESOME.

 

Yet, much to your amazement and annoyance, that same personal experience is later ignored or reduced to something insignificant by the rest of the team, or the person in charge, simply because it couldn't be documented and/or supported by the scientific equipment.

 

But what if the key to truly understanding life after death is to be found within that personal experience - and all other personal experiences of the paranormal that happen on a daily basis? If science, and therefore our knowledge of the world and how it works, is still developing, why is it that the personal experience is not receiving evidentiary consideration whilst (sometimes seriously unexciting) scientific "proof" is?

 

Sure, we understand that some paranormal investigators want to appear as legitimate as possible, but if the science isn't giving the evidence required, perhaps it is time to take a closer look at the personal experience.

 

In our first post, The Devil is the Detail, we mentioned that the purpose of this blog is to share our encounters and lessons in the paranormal with you, and that in doing so, we hope that you will share yours in return. Whilst we enjoy the EVPs and the videos as much as the next person, and agree that there is a lot to learn from them, we also believe that personal experiences have a lot to offer in trying to understand how the spirit world operates. For us, the biggest question we'd like to answer is: Why do some people experience the paranormal whilst others do not?

Thing is, we can't quite figure this out on our own, so this is where you come into the mix: We want to read about your encounters, right down to the finest detail. Nothing is insignificant. We don't mind if there is nothing or no one to "back up" your claims. We want to know what happened to you, or what you think happened to you. Just call us theoretical paranormal investigators!
 

We are keen to hear from you. Not desperate; just curious. We'd love to read about your encounters and the lessons you've learned, and then with your permission, share them here at Ghost & Girl.

 

You can get in contact with us via three avenues:

 

1. Email. It's quick, it's easy, and almost everyone knows how to use it. It's also a little more discreet, for the shy types. Our inbox is at ghostandgirl333(at)gmail(dot)com.

 

2. Blog Comment. All comments are moderated so that we can filter through the tripe. However, if you've a legitimate experience, please share it and we'll publish it. Please note that published comments are viewable to the public.

 

3. Twitter. If you're a person of few words, and would prefer to follow us or communicate in 140 characters or less, our twitter username is @ghostandgirl333.

Alternatively, if you have a blog, or website where you keep an online record of your paranormal experiences, please tell us about it. We'd love to read it and be given the opportunity to provide our opinion, theories and feedback.

You can follow us by email, or follow us using Bloglovin'.

Finally, if you are willing, we'd be most appreciative if you were to grab our button from the right-hand menu and share it on your own blog and/or website (if you have one). The more people who know about Ghost & Girl, the more likely we are to achieve our objective.

We don't proclaim to have the answers. Sometimes, all we have is more questions, but someone has to ask them.


So. Do you have a story to tell? And are you brave enough to tell it?

 

Laura & Sarah  

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Favourite Haunts :: Redruth Gaol



[Picture: Redruth Gaol © Ghost & Girl]

 

"We are born with the dead: See, they return, and bring us with them." - T.S. Eliot, Four Quarters

 

 

 

 

On the outskirts of an old mining town in South Australia's mid-north, surrounded by fields and guarded by gum-trees, is Redruth Gaol.

 

Built in the 1850s, Redruth was to be the first rural gaol in South Australia. The gaol had room for the gaolkeeper and his family, the turnkey, and up to thirty prisoners (both male and female).

 

Common offences resulting in imprisonment included drunkenness, petty vandalism, and debt. Punishment included hard labour.

 

In 1894, with the closing down of the mine, there was no further need for the town to have its own gaol, so Redruth closed its doors too, and the prisoners were sent to other institutions. However, in 1897, the gaol re-opened as the Redruth Girls Reformatory, and became home for thirty of the worst behaved girls in the State of South Australia. Girls from Kapunda Catholic Girls Reformatory (famous for its wayward priest) were sent here after that home was disbanded in 1909. In 1922, the girls staged a riot and Redruth was forced to close once again.

 

What actually happened behind its doors as both a gaol and reformatory is open to conjecture, speculation and imagination. However, upon its closure, the reformatory was compared in like to the Parramatta Industrial School for girls in the State of New South Wales, which was infamous for its hard, back-breaking routine, harsh (and sometimes terribly cruel) punishments, and its regular riots.

 

These days the gaol is controlled and maintained by the National Trust. Access to the gaol is made possible by a daytime history walk, and the occasional night-time ghost tour. It is one of the few South Australian gaols readily open to the public.

[Picture: Redruth Gaol © Ghost & Girl]

But, I hear you ask, is it haunted?

The most common unexplained activity that occurs at Redruth is the sound of heavy footsteps pacing the hardwood floors. Shuffling, movement and voices are sometimes heard from the empty cells as well. Doors open by themselves. The large, wooden gates rattle when there is no wind, and footsteps can be heard on the gravel outside when there is no one visibly about.

So, if it is haunted, who is doing the haunting?

The original gaolkeeper was Thomas Perry, who lived in and managed the gaol for twenty-five years. The prisoners that passed through its doors ranged from drunkards to the more seasoned criminals. The last Matron of the Girls Reformatory was a Miss Bubb, and the girls who called it home were classed as "incorrigibles": Damaged, difficult girls who were believed to be incapable of reform.

The source of the phenomena at Redruth may be any one of these people. Is the gaolkeeper, Mr Perry, still walking the halls, checking on his prisoners in the cells, and securing the gate? Does the Matron, Miss Bubb, remain in charge of her unruly crew of girls, almost 100 years later? Are the prisoners and the girls who were sent to Redruth still roaming its grounds, unable or unwilling to leave?

 

As a result of personal experience at the gaol, this writer is inclined to believe the reports of ghosts residing within its walls. I have heard the footsteps for myself - clear and unmistakable in the early hours of the morning from a room above, to which the only access door was locked. I've experienced the shuffling and sounds of movement from empty cells, and received a prompt smack on the back of the head (the Matron, perhaps?).



[Picture: Redruth Gaol © Ghost & Girl]

In relation to paranormal investigation, Redruth is still a new, mostly undiscovered location, but one which I believe has the potential to provide some fascinating evidence. As seems to be the thing with old mining towns found the world over, there are many ghost stories and tales of unexplained events here. For the moment, it seems that Redruth is content to spook its visitors with a variety of auditory phenomena, but I am yet to hear of any paranormal events that involve a visual encounter. That doesn't mean it won't happen, of course - in time.

 

On a perfectly still day, when there appears to be no one else within the gaol aside from oneself, even Redruth's silence seems oppressively ominous.

 

 

Want to know more? Try these websites:

 

Redruth Gaol

Redruth Girls Reformatory

The Burra Record: Girls' Reformatory, Redruth (newspaper article from 19 July 1922)

 

Ragged Schools, Industrial Schools and Reformatories (UK specific, however as a Queen's Colony, UK policy was implemented in South Australia)

 



Sarah  

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