The Paranormal Database

Blue Lady

Location: Dawlish - Sefton Hall Convalescent Home (no longer operational)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1970s / 1980s
Further Comments: This spook would haunt the kitchen and may have been seen in other parts of the building (unless, of course, it was a different ghost).

Esmeralda

Location: Dawlish - Shaftesbury Theatre
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: This ghostly thespian turns the theatre lights on and off to attract attention.

Strangling Presence

Location: Dawlish - Smugglers Inn
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1960s
Further Comments: A room where a murder once took place is home to an entity that tries to strangle sleepers. A barmaid staying in the room was subjected to this event several times, before finding out why.

Jar Thrower

Location: Dawlish Warren - Mount Pleasant Inn
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: Not wanting to feel neglected, this polt would through food stuffs and keys around.

Black Dog

Location: Dean Combe - Area near waterfall
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The ghost of a local weaver metamorphosed into a great black dog when the village vicar threw consecrated earth into his face - the hound was then taken to a pool by the waterfall and instructed to only harass people once it had emptied the water using a small, cracked shell.

Weaver

Location: Deanscombe - Pool in the area (houndpool?)
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Said to briefly appear at midday and midnight (reoccurring)
Further Comments: A weaver returned to continue work after he died, refusing to leave until a vicar convinced the weaver he was dead. The weaver transformed into a hound and was taken to a pool of water by the vicar, who issued the dog with a broken shell and told the creature he could only leave when the pool was emptied.

Horse and Rider

Location: Denbury Down - Woodland in the area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A figure on horseback has been observed in the distance, holding a shield and sword. Perhaps connected to this entity, the sounds of a horse charging through woodland have been reported. There may be an additional relationship to the nearby Denbury Hill Iron Age hill fort which folklore says contains golden treasure.

Flying Beast

Location: Dolbury (aka Dolebury) - Exe valley between Dolbury Hill & Cadbury Hill
Type: Dragon
Date / Time: Every night (reoccurring)
Further Comments: To guard the treasure buried under both hills, this beast flies between the two locations each night.

Lady in Black

Location: Dousland - Burrator Inn
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This strange dark figure was seen walking around the building rattling a large bunch of keys.

Black Hound

Location: Down St Mary - General area
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This dark hound reportedly patrols the village from dusk until dawn.

Pooling Blood

Location: Drewsteignton - Bloody Corner, private house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A small pool of blood is said to appear on the site of a long forgotten murder.

Woman in Padded Coat

Location: Drewsteignton - Prestonbury Hillfort
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 06 March 2016
Further Comments: A woman walking to the hillfort with her family and two dogs spotted a lady wearing glasses, a long black padded coat and knee length boots. The lady briefly moved out of sight, during which she seemed to have descended the debris covered hill at an impossible speed. As the lady passed the family, she looked scared and started to run toward the nearby river while looking over her shoulder at the woman and her family. The family's dogs tugged at their leads towards the lady, but did not bark (like they normally would have). The woman asked her family if they had considered the lady's behaviour strange, only to be told they had not seen her, even though they had walked past moments before. The family walked quickly down the hill to see if they could find the lady, but she had vanished.

Tapping

Location: Dunchideock - Haldon House
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This ghost has been named as a son of a former owner who grew tired of the lad. His raps and taps have been reported many times over the years, and his faceless head and shoulders have also been reported.

Squire Fulford

Location: Dunsford - Roads in area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Driving a coach pulled by four headless horsemen, the squire passes though the village only at certain times of the year.

Shakespeare Lookalike

Location: East Ogwell - Jolly Sailor public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2015
Further Comments: The landlord of this public house said in the local press that the 'friendly' ghost which haunts the site looks like William Shakespeare.

Woman

Location: East Portlemouth - Former shop
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A former employee who took their own life reputedly remains on the site.

Dropped in a Huff

Location: East Worlington - Standing Stone (private land)
Type: Legend - Old Nick
Date / Time: Stone still present
Further Comments: Angered after hearing the bells of East Worlington church, the Devil dropped this stone - some say it cannot be moved by man or beast. Four crosses decorate the stone.

Black Shadow

Location: Exeter - Alleyway that runs from the top of South Street to the Cathedral Green
Type: Other
Date / Time: 18 April 2010, 01:00h
Further Comments: As a man walked down the alleyway, he became aware of a dark shadow looming over him and felt a presence over their right shoulder. The man turned and saw a black mass which seemed to dissipate upwards into the night.

Portrait of Queen Henrietta Maria.

Queen Henrietta Maria

Location: Exeter - Barnfield House
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This Queen stayed here to give birth before escaping to France, though she also appears to continue to remain here today.

Three Headed Entity

Location: Exeter - Cathedral Green
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: Multi-headed entity unknown, hand felt circa 1998
Further Comments: Seen moving silently across the Green, one strange apparition is reported to possess three heads. A man walking with a group of friends across the yard felt a hand grab his right shoulder and pull him backwards. Thinking it was one of his friends, the man turned around, but nobody was there - all the group were ahead of him.

Fish Man

Location: Exeter - Coastline
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: November 1737
Further Comments: Fishermen on the shore caught a four foot tall humanoid, with duck-like feet and a tail protruding from its back. The creature tried to escape but was killed when the fishermen beat it with sticks. Another fish-man was caught a few months later in the same area, though this one was described with more seal-like qualities.

Wandering Monk

Location: Exeter - Cowick Barton Inn, Cowick Lane
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This holy man has been seen walking around outside the pub, as well as inside two nearby houses and in a local field.

Plague Victims

Location: Exeter - Devon Air Radio Studios, St David's Hill
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Late twentieth century
Further Comments: Built on an old plague pit, the ghosts of the inhabitants are blamed for the sounds of closing doors (in places the doors are already closed) and other unexplained events.

Vanishing Woman

Location: Exeter - Ernest Jones, next to the Guildhall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000s
Further Comments: A female ghost is said to vanish as quickly as she appears. She is blamed for knocking over displays and setting off the fire alarm.

Nun

Location: Exeter - Exeter Cathedral
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: July, 7pm (reoccurring)
Further Comments: Seen only around this time, the nun quickly disappears once spotted. A monk has also been reported in the area surrounding the cathedral, while a small group of witnesses heard music coming from within the building although it was dark and empty at the time.