The Paranormal Database

An old portrait of Horatio Nelson.

Nelson

Location: Chatham - Dockyard
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The ghost of Nelson has reportedly been seen here, though there are few details as to why. A more recent addition to the ghost world is a female supervisor who died here in the 1980's; she prods workers who are not pulling their weight!

Soldier

Location: Chatham - Fort Amherst
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Although the site is reputedly haunted by a former soldier, people on site have also reported a wailing woman and crying children. One witness became frightened after seeing something white in one of the tunnels.

Footsteps

Location: Chatham - Fort Horsted
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2020s
Further Comments: The tunnels beneath this Victorian fort are claimed to be home to unidentified figures and untraceable footsteps. A photograph taken of a ghostly child's face is likely to be pareidolia.

Woman with Dogs

Location: Chatham - Great Lines (grassland / park)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A young woman who was murdered in the eighteenth century walks the lines together with her two dogs.

Edgeborrow

Location: Chatham - Hill House (demolished late eighteenth century, site was north of Chatham Church, now Medway Council Offices)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Circa mid seventeenth century
Further Comments: Kenrick Edisbury, nicknamed Edgeborrow, was Surveyor of the Navy between December 1632 and September 1638. After Edgeborrow died, he was said to haunt his former bedroom. Samuel Pepys spent a night in this room but did not see the ghost (although he was briefly unnerved by a pillow).

Marine

Location: Chatham - Old Royal Marine Barracks, former guardroom section, Dock Road (building since demolished)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1950s
Further Comments: Even after the Royal Marines vacated their former barracks in 1950, one of their number remained. A marine who had committed suicide refused to leave and was spotted by Naval personnel who took up residence in the building.

Wooden Leg

Location: Chatham - St Mary's Barracks
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1949
Further Comments: The sound of someone walking around with a peg leg has been heard late at night, and reportedly seen in Room 34 of the Cumberland block.

Humphrey

Location: Chatham - Theatre Royal (no longer operational)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: The ghostly Humphrey would sit and watch shows in the mid-twentieth century - if he liked the performance he would stay, otherwise he would walk out. Humphrey would also lower seating just before someone sat down. Other shades remain in the building - a woman in a long evening dress has been seen and possibly heard, and mild poltergeist activity reported.

Taps and Footsteps

Location: Chatham - Two houses along Magpie Hall Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1960s onwards
Further Comments: A nasty suicide occurred in one of the buildings, and now it would appear the ghost has involved his former neighbouring house in the haunting. Loud taps are heard, stopping abruptly upon investigation, and footsteps approach closed doors, never to enter.

Upper Bell Inn, Chatham.

Turpin

Location: Chatham - Upper Bell Inn (no longer standing)
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This public house was said to be haunted, possibly by the ghost of Dick Turpin, although there is a distinct lack of accounts of any sightings. A headstone which stood in the beer garden most likely added to its spooky atmosphere, as did its location, close to Blue Bell Hill and its infamous vanishing hitchhiker (but more on her another day). One paranormal group claimed to have photographed 'orbs' on this site.

Ann

Location: Chiddingstone - Chiddingstone Castle
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This female ghost is rumoured to ride her horse along the lanes that lead to the castle, recognisable by her tricorne hat.

Medieval Girl

Location: Chilham - Chilham Castle
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The bar, built into the castle for the enjoyment of tourists, is rumoured to be haunted by an unknown girl who has scared staff. There is an old story that she was bricked up alive by a previous owner of the castle, for reasons unknown.

Barrow Dog

Location: Chilham - Pilgrim's Way, opposite the Woolpack Inn
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: January 1947
Further Comments: A witness watched this large black creature bounding towards the barrow, where it promptly disappeared.

Man in Black Gown

Location: Chilham - The White Horse public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 10:10h, reoccurring, started 1956, end date unknown
Further Comments: The haunting started soon after the discovery of a small secret hole in an old fireplace. The figure disappeared only when spoken to, and is rumoured to be Sampson Hievar, a former vicar from the nearby church.

Grey Lady

Location: Chilham - Wool Pack Inn
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This place is allegedly haunted by a phantom grey woman.

Footsteps

Location: Cliffe - Black Bull public house, Church Street
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Footsteps can be heard in the upstairs part of the building, and locked doors have been known to open themselves.

Glowing Figure

Location: Cliffsend - Site of old gibbet
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The burial site of crooks and suicides, a glowing figure appears here and was blamed for a handful of weird car accidents near the site.

Sea Creature with Horses Ears

Location: Cliftonville - Off coast
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1950
Further Comments: This sea monster was seen briefly off the coast.

Sir Thomas Kemp

Location: Cobham - Darnley Arms public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The pub claims to be haunted by the fifteenth century noble Sir Thomas Kemp, who returned to the site to live out his days after being reprieved from hanging at Rochester.

Victorians

Location: Cooling - St James' churchyard
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Phantom women in Victorian clothing are said to walk amongst the headstones.

Sir Richard Bloody Baker

Location: Cranbrook - Cranbrook House?
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: An early serial killer, Sir Richard's girlfriend caught him carrying a body. His ghost now haunts the scene of his last crime.

Cloaked Figure

Location: Cranbrook - Road towards Marden
Type: Other
Date / Time: 29 September 2011
Further Comments: A driver and passenger watched as a cloaked figure jumped down from the trees in front of their car before leaping over the vehicle. The cloak could be heard 'whooshing' over the car. The figure was too tall for the driver to see the head, although the rest of the entity was described as human-like.

Theresa Benenden

Location: Cranbrook - The Pest House
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1970s
Further Comments: A 'pretty' woman has been reported as gliding from the fireplace to the staircase, where she disappears - the shade is thought to be Benenden, and her initials are still carved into a door over 230 years old. She has been seen in other parts of the building, sometimes holding a candle.

George

Location: Crawley - Unidentified old cottage in the area
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: Mid 1970s
Further Comments: This entity nicknamed George would be tolerated when restricting itself to moving chairs, creating cold spots, and being heard walking around, but after the family's newborn child was found removed from their cot and sleeping on the ground, he was threatened with a visit from the local Vicar.

The Black Prince

Location: Dartford - A2 road between Dartford and Bexley
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1940s
Further Comments: Dressed in black armour, this ghostly figure on horseback was observed several times walking along the road during the Second World War.