Essex Ghosts, Folklore and Forteana
Depressed Bed
Location: Southend-on-Sea - Private house along Ambleside Drive
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1993
Further Comments: Whilst sleeping in the house, one person awoke to see an area of the bed depress, as if an invisible presence sat on it. After a minute or so the area raised suddenly.
Victorian Woman
Location: Southend-on-Sea - Private house along Hartington Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1996
Further Comments: This phantom woman in a Victorian dress was described as frightening by the witness.
Invisible Presence
Location: Southend-on-Sea - Private house along Orchard Side, Eastwood
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: June 2001- August 2002
Further Comments: The haunting presence here appears to have made itself primarily known to a baby in the house; the young child would appear to watch an invisible presence move around rooms, and on one occasion a parent observed the baby tracking the movement of the entity only to see a couple of cards on a high shelf fall over as the child looked up. Mild poltergeist effects were also reported by the occupants.
Frances
Location: Southend-on-Sea - Private residence along Ashburnham Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: September 2008 - February 2009
Further Comments: Occupiers of this residence reported cold spots, the sensation of someone walking past them in the hallway, and doors which would unlock themselves. A male visitor to the property encountered the ghost of a young girl who stared at him for several seconds before fading away. The occupiers nicknamed the phantom 'Frances'.
Footsteps
Location: Southend-on-Sea - Private Residence along Gordon Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1990-2010
Further Comments: Two different residents at this property are reported to have heard sounds of footsteps running across the landing. It was speculated that they belonged to a young girl.
Mr Barber
Location: Southend-on-Sea - Private residence in Southchurch area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1996 to mid-2000s
Further Comments: A family living at this site reported seeing moving shadows without obvious source, poltergeist activity (including the throwing of a coffee pot), loud footsteps on the staircase, and the smell of pipe tobacco. The source of the activity was nicknamed Mr Barber.
Calf Sized Dog
Location: Southend-on-Sea - Road between Rochford/Ashingdon & Hullbridge
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: 1991
Further Comments: A calf-sized dog walking on the other side of the road was spotted by the passenger in a car (although not by the driver), unnerving the witness considerably.
Flying Disc
Location: Southend-on-Sea - Skies over the town
Type: UFO
Date / Time: 14 October 1954
Further Comments: A fighter pilot, while out on routine patrol, reported a near miss with a silver domed disc - the UFO travelled towards him at fantastic speed, veering off at the last possible second.
Person Holding Lantern
Location: Southend-on-Sea - Southchurch Lawn (was also Eton House School before closing in 1993)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Possibly the ghost of a smuggler, this spirit takes credit in saving the life of Princess Charlotte in 1801.
Self-Playing Harmoniums
Location: Southend-on-Sea - Southchurch Street, a three story Victorian flat
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: 1956
Further Comments: The sounds which came from the harmoniums, along with the phantom footsteps and banging, drove a couple from this flat.
Tall Man in Long Coat
Location: Southend-on-Sea - Southend pier, lower deck, near to the lifeboat house.
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: August or September 1992, 21:45hrs
Further Comments: The end of the pier has been the scene of several suicides, and it may have been one of these lost souls which were chased by a staff member - the entity vanished at the burnt section of the pier, where access is not possible.
Noises and Footsteps
Location: Southend-on-Sea - Sutton Rectory, outside Southend
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: One witness heard footsteps walking towards him and then through him down a corridor.
Power Up
Location: St Osyth - Amusement arcade
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: 1966
Further Comments: Machines in this arcade were said to turn themselves on even though unplugged, and ashtrays would be found piled up. One witness in the toilet reported hearing someone trying to enter their cubicle, although when they opened the door no one was present.
Dragon Attack
Location: St Osyth - Exact location unknown
Type: Dragon
Date / Time: 09 March 1170
Further Comments: Recorded on old documents, a large dragon attacked a house in St Ostwyth, the air surrounding the creature so hot that it set the area alight.
Lion or Teddy Bear?
Location: St Osyth - Field off Earls Hall Drive
Type: ABC
Date / Time: 26 August 2012
Further Comments: Residents of this village were asked to stay indoors while people at a nearby caravan park were evacuated after the police warned the public that a lion may be on the loose, having been presented with a grainy image of a cat in a field. After police helicopters and armed officers found nothing, the photo was released in the press. The owner of a large domestic cat named Teddy Bear said the 'lion' looked like her pet, which is known to bask in the sun in the same field.
Middle Aged Woman with Flowery Hat
Location: St Osyth - Priory Gate House, along road
Type: Post-Mortem Manifestation
Date / Time: 1991
Further Comments: Appearing mysteriously in the back seat of a car driven by a young man, this ghostly hitchhiker disappeared when the shaken driver pulled over. A pedestrian in the area also reported a strange petite person who slowly faded away.
White Monk
Location: St Osyth - St Osyth's Priory
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 07 October Saint Osyth manifests (reoccurring), monk seen late 1970s
Further Comments: While legend states that Saint Osyth herself haunts the building, a pale monk has also been spotted walking around at night carrying a candle. One witness reported seeing the ghost of a woman standing by a washing machine while the building was being used as a nursing home, while several new residents to the centre claimed to have watched a procession of monks walk by a window.
Witch
Location: St Osyth - The Cage (private house)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000s
Further Comments: Possibly haunted by a witch and a former occupant, the house was finally sold to in 2020 to a new owner.
Servant Girl
Location: Stanford le Hope - St. Cleres Hall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000s?
Further Comments: Dating back to 1690, the building is reported to be haunted by several entities, including that of a servant girl.
Death Eater
Location: Stansted - Kings Arms Hotel
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: November 2012
Further Comments: A photograph taken on a mobile phone revealed a strange looking entity which the photographer described as resembling a 'Death Eater' from the Harry Potter films, although others believe it is nothing more than the back of someone's hooded top.
Flickering Lights
Location: Stansted - Mountfitchet Castle
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: 2002, reoccurring at midday
Further Comments: Despite several electricians' efforts, the lights in this castle still flickered erratically at midday, causing the owners to call in an exorcist.
Footsteps
Location: Stansted - Stansted Airport, Hangar 4
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000s
Further Comments: The spooks reputed to haunt this hangar include a legless man laughing in a chair, a gentleman wearing 1940s clothing and bowler hat, carrying a briefcase, and the sounds of footsteps moving around empty parts of the building. The footsteps are said to have freaked a night guard out to such a degree that he locked himself in a room and refused to leave until morning.
Faked Footage
Location: Stansted Mountfitchet - Path running along the river
Type: Other
Date / Time: Circa April 2019
Further Comments: Local press carried unconvincing video footage taken by a Rob Wakefield which was supposed to show a phantom figure briefly moving along a path.
Trotting Man with Hands Deep in Pockets
Location: Stanway - Turkey Cock Lane
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Late twentieth century
Further Comments: The ghost in a raincoat materialises through a quickthorn hedge, moves down Turkey Cock Lane and turns towards the old London Road, before slowly fading from view.
Clanking of Chains
Location: Steeple Bumpstead - Bower Hall, drive towards cow sheds
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The area is reputedly home to the phantom sounds of chains.
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