The Paranormal Database

The Rufus Stone.

King William II

Location: Minstead - New Forest, the Rufus Stone
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 02 August (reoccurring)
Further Comments: Murdered (allegedly) on this spot by a close friend, William II is now doomed to rise on the anniversary of his death and walk to Winchester.

Tapping

Location: Mottisfont - Abbey
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: February 2021
Further Comments: After Romsey fire station responded to a false alarm at the abbey, they took to twitter to say that some of the crew believed the abbey to be haunted. At a previous call out a firefighter had felt a tap on their shoulder when no one was nearby.

Old postcard showing Netley Abbey in Hampshire.

Blind Peter

Location: Netley - Netley Abbey ruins
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 31 October (reoccurring) Grey Ladies seen
Further Comments: On Halloween three misty women appear and walk along the ruin's walls. The sounds of bells can also be heard on this night. Another presence is Blind Peter. He is less fussy on the date he appears and just wanders around the ruins of the abbey. Finally, there is a legend that a secret underground passage was sealed after the last man to enter it emerged shortly after, screaming 'block it up!' before dropping dead - the passage may be connected to the tales of treasure buried on site.

Blue Nurse

Location: Netley - Victoria Military Hospital (no longer standing)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Pre-1966
Further Comments: One story associated with this ghost stated that she fell in love with a patient but murdered him and killed herself once she discovered that he was seeing another woman. The ghost has not been reported since demolition of the building. In addition to this spook, a ghostly grey lady would appear to patients who would die a few hours later.

Cyclist

Location: North Baddesley - Rownhams Lane
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: November 2010
Further Comments: A cyclist reported hearing another person on a bike chasing them, even though no one else could be seen.

Relocated Church

Location: Nursling - St Boniface Church
Type: Legend - Old Nick
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The church once stood in Mary's Grove until the Devil appeared one night and moved the structure to its present location.

Searching Woman

Location: Oakley - Sheardown Lane
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This ghost, no longer seen as much as she once was, runs up to horse riders and carefully stares at them before turning and vanishing.

Boar

Location: Odiham - General area
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1972
Further Comments: Odiham and the surrounding area appeared to be home to one or more wild boars during the autumn of this year.

Song

Location: Odiham - Oliham Castle, also known as St John's Castle
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A phantom voice accompanied by a stringed instrument is sometimes heard to sing away in the ruins. Balls of light and wispy figures have also been reported drifting around the site.

Footsteps

Location: Odiham - RAF Odiham, Airman's Mess
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1991, around 03:00h, and circa 1995/7
Further Comments: Working in the building when it was locked up, one witness heard footsteps near the back of the building. Rushing to investigate, nothing was found, and all doors were secure. Footsteps were also heard coming from the kitchen on a different occasion - people investigating approached from the two exits to ensure the intruder could not escape, but no one was there. A few years later, another witness was awoken by mechanical whining and grinding, and heard what sounded like the emergency shut off lever to the electrical power supply box being moved up and down numerous times, although most of the visible electrical systems were not being affected.

Oliver Cromwell at Madame Tussauds.

Could be Cromwell

Location: Old Basing - Basing House ruins
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The jury is out on whether this shade is that of Oliver Cromwell, who is responsible for destroying the building, or that of a former family member looking for lost treasure (in the form of a golden calf). In addition, the ruins are also home to several phantom monks and a Puritan on horseback that gallops up the driveway only to vanish near the church.

Floating Lights

Location: Old Chilworth - Walnut Cottage
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early twentieth century
Further Comments: Paranormal occurrences have happened here, including lights that have appeared and floated around the house, sounds of horses trotting up to the back door (no such creature being found on investigation), and the roof glowing so violently, witnesses outside thought the building was on fire.

Farm Animals

Location: Old Milton - Myrtle Cottage, currently occupied by Rayment & Butler estate agency
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000s
Further Comments: Small, ghostly farm animals have been reported running around this building, and there are also reports of a 'country bumpkin' type lurking on the lower floors. The upstairs is haunted by a young girl.

Fox Saver

Location: Otterbourne - Oak woodland
Type: Other
Date / Time: Early twentieth century
Further Comments: A piece of hunt folklore claimed that foxes would vanish and remain undetected in this piece of woodland, protected by a witch who had died many years previous.

Voices

Location: Otterbourne - Old Forge (now a public house) and road outside
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1978-1979
Further Comments: One of the homes which was eventually converted into the pub was said to be haunted by a woman killed by a horse and coach on the road outside. A witness recalled hearing raised voices in an empty part of the building, and when a baby came into the home, crying would be heard in other parts of the site. Motorists would occasionally see a ghostly woman run across the road outside.

Coach

Location: Ower - Paulton's Estate (now an amusement park)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Pre-1935
Further Comments: The sound of trotting horses pulling a coach could be either heard in this area or spotted headless. Strange and beautiful music would emerge from woodland in the area, the source of which could never be found.

A portrait of Anne Boleyn, also thought to haunt this site.

Jane Seymour

Location: Owslebury - Marwell Hall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The Seymour family once owned this property, and Jane is thought to haunt the surrounding grounds. The shade of Anne Boleyn has also been reported loitering near a row of nearby yew trees. Finally, the hall is reputedly the location where the Mistletoe Bough bride story originated, with the chest still (?) being present today.

Running Child

Location: Paulsgrove - Private flat in Cotswold House, Cheltenham Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1990
Further Comments: A couple sharing the flat heard a child running down the stairs. Believing it to be one of their own children, they investigated to find both of their youngsters asleep. Shortly after the incident, they discovered that a former owner of the building had thrown his child from the balcony.

Figure Flagging Down Traffic

Location: Petersfield - A3 heading towards the town, near the Sheet Service Station
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: December 1991
Further Comments: A lorry driver reported running down a figure which stood in the middle of the road, looking as if he was trying to signal for help. The upset driver phoned the police who searched the area but were unable to find a body or any evidence that the driver had hit anything.

Marbles

Location: Petersfield - Sun Inn (aka Green Dragon public house), no longer an inn
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: 1950s
Further Comments: This pub was haunted by strange sounds, including marble playing, running, and banging. Several witnesses watched a jug swinging on a hook with no obvious means of motion.

Grey Haired Woman

Location: Pilley - Fleurs de Lys Inn
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Said to be the oldest pub in the New Forest, the Fleurs de Lys is haunted by a woman with grey hair, seen in the kitchen area.

Charlotte

Location: Portchester - Church by the castle
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This black haired lass is said to attend to a grave; some believe it to be her own.

Tall, White Figure

Location: Portchester - Portchester Castle
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The pale figure most commonly seen is thought to be Charlotte (see Portchester church entry), though there are other reports of a monk who walks about outside the front of the castle, a Roman soldier, and a lady on the back of a white horse.

Fox Terrier

Location: Portsmouth - 44 Laburnum Grove
Type: Post-Mortem Manifestation
Date / Time: Circa 1910
Further Comments: Elliott O'Donnell wrote that a medium who receded here believed her home to be haunted by several cats, which were mistreated by a former owner of the property. The medium also detected the presence of a fox terrier.

Murdered Sailor

Location: Portsmouth - Blue Posts Inn (destroyed by fire in 1870)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Pre-1870
Further Comments: This inn was haunted by the ghost of a sailor murdered therein. His corpse was secretly buried in the courtyard, though in 1938 a gravestone was placed in the area thought to house the body.