The Paranormal Database

Footsteps

Location: Torbryan - Church House Inn
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: The disembodied footsteps can be heard moving towards a bathroom, though they fade away if followed. A phantom man in a cloak has been reported in the inn.

Lilly

Location: Torquay - Audrey Court Hotel, Lower Warberry Street
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The ghost of Lilly Langtry walked around this old hotel, knocking on doors. Edward VII purchased the building for Lilly at the turn of the twentieth century.

Eyeless Face

Location: Torquay - Barton Hall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1868
Further Comments: The ghost in this building could have been mistaken for a real person, apart from the fact that it had two gaping holes where its eyes should have been. Another report said that the entity possessed a white face that had no features, just smooth skin.

Grey Light

Location: Torquay - Castel a Mere, Middle Warberry Road (no longer standing)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1920s
Further Comments: This misty light transformed into a man-sized shadow and attacked a visitor to the house, forcing him to flee. A neighbour penned a letter to the local newspaper in 1956 and claimed that owls were probably responsible for the haunting.

Pixies at home.

Pixie Home

Location: Torquay - Kents Cavern (aka Kent's Cavern)
Type: Fairy
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: One of the stories the tour guides share is that the cave was once inhabited by pixies.

Henry Newman

Location: Torquay - Montpellier House (former school)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1885 onwards
Further Comments: At the funeral of Newman, the church organ played itself; since then, his shade has been reported in the vicarage.

Spanish Girl

Location: Torquay - Old Spanish Barn, King's Drive, and seafront in area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Dying of illness while being held prisoner immediately after the destruction of the Spanish Armada, this teenage girl now haunts the area near where her life was lost.

Bishop Henry Phillpotts

Location: Torquay - Palace Hotel
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: November 1978
Further Comments: A head porter reported seeing this entity dressed in Victorian clothing - it faded from view when approached.

Crying

Location: Torquay - Private residence along Ilsham Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2003-2007
Further Comments: Spooky occurrences were reported from this property, including the sounds of children crying and furniture being thrown around, a dark shadow moving past the door, the outline of a woman in a cloth cap, and items being moved.

Stout Woman

Location: Torquay - Private residence along Queen Street
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: December 1965 - March 1966
Further Comments: After purchasing a Victorian chair, Irene Howard witnessed a stout older woman in old fashioned clothing sitting in it. Poltergeist activity also broke out in the property and the adjoining house and flat - items would be found strewn around rooms, a plate was snatched from Howard's hand, and on one occasion, potatoes were carefully arranged in a row on the kitchen floor. The previous owner of the chair claimed to have heard footsteps walking around the room where they kept the chair. Howard took an axe and reduced the chair to firewood, although it is not reported whether this ended the haunting.

Reverend Hitchcock

Location: Torquay - St John's church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1950s
Further Comments: The Reverend Hitchcock died whilst working on a composition - he was heard playing the unfinished piece on the church organ during the 1950s. After a blessing on his grave in 1959, Hitchcock appears to have not returned. Prior to this, the church had a reputation as being haunted by another organist by the name of Henry Ditton-Newman. Henry could be heard walking around and playing the organ. After a service to move on Henry, a third organ playing phantom (Francis Crute) would also be named as haunting the site; he would be swiftly moved on after a blessing over his grave.

Agatha Christie

Location: Torquay - Torquay Museum
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: 2020
Further Comments: An unseen hand took to throwing Agatha Christie books off the shelves in the museum giftshop, some naming the author as the guilty party (although why she would throw her own work around rather than that of another author is not clear).

Footfalls

Location: Torquay - Torre Abbey
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: Heard moving around the gallery, the owner of the footfalls has never been seen. A phantom coach, also reported in the area, carries the ghost of Lady Cary who still insists on wearing a ball gown.

Footsteps

Location: Torrington - Black Horse Hotel
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: July 2019, and April 1998
Further Comments: According to a TripAdvisor review, a couple staying at this hotel in 2019 heard someone trying their door handle. When they opened the door, no one was present, but footsteps could be heard entering their room, walking towards the bathroom, and then back towards the bed. Another witness encountered a figure wearing what resembled Civil War era clothing in their room in 1998.

An old postcard of Torrington in Devon.

Soldier

Location: Torrington - Castle Hill
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Killed in the Battle of Torrington, this shade still patrols the area.

Former Stationmaster

Location: Torrington - Puffing Billy restaurant and B&B (former station)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2016
Further Comments: Both a former stationmaster and his wife are said to haunt this old station, which (at time of writing) is a guest house and restaurant. The female ghost is said to have been heard walking around, moving towards the room where her children once slept.

Black Dog

Location: Torrington - Torrington/Bideford road
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: This wish hound has been seen running along this stretch of road.

Black Cat

Location: Totnes - Area around Dartington Hall Estate
Type: ABC
Date / Time: Late 1990s
Further Comments: A farm worker watched a large black cat, the size of a dog, leap over a high boundary fence in a single bound.

Man in Red Coat

Location: Totnes - Bay Horse Inn
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: Seen near the bar, this silent stranger could easily be recognised by his bright red jacket. It was last seen by a retired policeman, who mistook it for a member of the public.

White Lady

Location: Totnes - Dartington Hall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Mostly unknown, but cloaked figure October 1976 and circa March 1995
Further Comments: This pale figure is said to be one of a handful of ghosts reported here over the years, normally seen in the garden. A woman who starved to death in a bedroom and an old nurse also continue to reside here, while a headless horseman has been reported just outside the grounds of the building. In 1995 a member of staff spotted a glowing man wearing a cloak who faded away, remarkably like an event in 1976 where a young man watched a cloaked figure wearing a tricorn hat glide silently across the road outside the hall before passing effortlessly over the hedgerow.

An old postcard of Totnes in Devon.

Gog and Magog

Location: Totnes - General area
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Gog and Magog were giants (or one giant, depending on the source) who once lived in this area before Brutus, leader of the Trojans, fought them. Brutus either spared their lives and used them to guard his palace or drowned them in the sea.

Mary Brown

Location: Totnes - Kingsbridge Inn
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1970s
Further Comments: A former barmaid here, Mary was killed by the landlord after a brief affair with him - it is said she only appears to other women.

Totnes' ghostly grey lady.

Grey Lady

Location: Totnes - Leechwell Street area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This entity, possibly a nun, has been reported along several streets in the town.

Presence

Location: Totnes - Police station
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2002-2007 (approx)
Further Comments: After the old cells at this police station were closed, they were used as storerooms. In these storerooms a few police officers reported feeling they were not alone, and the door to the rear car park could be heard opening and closing.

White Lady

Location: Totnes - Shinner's Bridge area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A phantom woman dressed in white is reputed to haunt this area, possibly the same entity from the nearby Dartington Hall.