The Paranormal Database

Pie Eating Madman

Location: Stow Bardolph - The Hares Arms public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Capon is believed to be one of the first landlords to run the pub, and he killed himself after eating a pie that his wife made for him - some think she spiked her baking with a heavy metal, which drove him mad.

Highwayman

Location: Stratton Strawless - Shortthorn Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000s
Further Comments: A ghostly highwayman was observed by one person at a site along this road.

Sailor

Location: Strumpshaw - The Goat Inn (currently the Huntsman)
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: 1960s?
Further Comments: A supposed haunting caused by the spirit of a drowned sailor from the Second World War, at least one previous landlord has reported seeing ghostly figures and hearing the piano playing by itself. One story connects the phantom sailor to a goat's head once kept in the pub, considered cursed after ill-fortune befell owners and anyone who touched the object. The location of the goat's head is currently unknown.

One Man and his Dog

Location: Surlingham - Ferry House inn
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The ghostly man and his dog were said to empty any half-finished glasses of beer if left out overnight.

Screaming Shade

Location: Swaffham - Five bedroom house in the area
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: Early 2004
Further Comments: UK lottery winner Michael Carroll was reportedly driven from his house by the wailing ghost of a woman whose grave had been disturbed after a swimming pool was constructed there. Some believe that his court appearance for drug possession may have some influence on the sighting.

Green Lady

Location: Swaffham - George Hotel
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000s
Further Comments: Little is known about the history of the phantom woman in green spotted at the hotel over the years. She is sometimes seen holding a pan, though her manifestations are normally limited to tapping people on their shoulders or backs or appearing as a fleeting shadow from the corner of an eye.

Market Cross pub, Swaffham.

Cat

Location: Swaffham - Market Cross public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early July 2007
Further Comments: A cat has been seen in the building running across the bar area. A member of staff who spotted the animal in July 2007 mistook it for a real creature, only to be told otherwise when she mentioned her encounter to others. There are also stories of a phantom man who sits by the fireplace with a beer.

Squelching

Location: Swaffham - Area around Wood Farm
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Disembodied footsteps have been heard in fields in the area, sounding as if crossing marshy land.

Grey Monk

Location: Swaffham - Captain's Close footpath
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A phantom monk is rumoured to walk along this footpath, travelling towards Castle Acre.

John Chapman

Location: Swaffham - Church
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Fifteenth century
Further Comments: John Chapman was a pedlar living in the town who dreamt that if he stood on London Bridge, he would hear good news. He travelled to London where he waited on the bridge for three days before telling a shopkeeper about the dream, but avoiding sharing any personal details. The shopkeeper laughed at Chapman and said that he himself had a dream of digging up treasure under a tree belonging to a pedlar in Swaffham but was too wise to pursue 'silly dreams'. The pedlar returned home, dug under his tree, and found great wealth that he used to rebuild the church.

Swaffham Churchyard.

Seeker

Location: Swaffham - Churchyard
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: One local man recalled how, as a boy, he was told about a ghostly woman who walked up and down the graves, as if looking for a particular headstone.

Grey Figure

Location: Swaffham - Cottage near Northwell Poll
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Almost completely transparent, a phantom grey figure is reported to appear in the back garden of a cottage before moving away.

Old Bicycle

Location: Swainsthorpe - Outskirts of Swainsthorpe, along the road from Brooke
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early twentieth century
Further Comments: Heard on one occasion, and seen on another, the bicycle was reported to look and sound as if it had hard iron tyres, and upon observation, was riderless.

Cat Dog

Location: Swannington - Woodland
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Circa 1975, after dark
Further Comments: A large black dog was seen by two witnesses as it ran across the road ahead of them. It moved more like a cat than dog but did not look feline. One of the witnesses, a vet, was not able to identify it.

Whistle

Location: Swanton Morley - Church
Type: Legend - Old Nick
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: An old belief from this area of Norfolk was by running around the church at midnight and whistling through the keyhole, the Devil would be seen.

Raining Liquids

Location: Swanton Novers - Rectory
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: 08 August - 08 September 1919
Further Comments: Over a thirty day period, paraffin, sandalwood oil, and water (among others) ran from the walls and ceilings of the building - up to fifty gallons in one day.

Poltergeist

Location: Syderstone - Rectory near Old Syderstone Hall
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: Circa April 1833
Further Comments: Believed to have moved here when Syderstone Hall was demolished, a poltergeist had the habit of opening windows, even if closed and locked by people living at the Rectory. Phantom knocking reportedly drove one servant away, while moaning could be heard by occupants.

Syderstone Village Common.

Highwayman with Horse

Location: Syderstone - Village Common
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Appearing under the light of the full moon, the ghostly highwayman on horseback is reported to say, 'Your money or your life', and other such cliche expressions.

John and Amy

Location: Tasburgh - Rainthorpe (or Rainthrorpe) Hall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 08 September (reoccurring)
Further Comments: Early evening of 8 September, a ghostly pair meet in the gardens of the hall, named by some as Amy Robsart and either John Appleyard (her half-brother) or Robert Dudley (her husband). The date of the manifestation is the day Amy died after falling down the staircase at Cumnor Place.

Ruggers Ball

Location: Taverham - Skies south of Red Woods
Type: UFO
Date / Time: May 1972, 18:45h
Further Comments: A group of school children reported seeing a flat-bottomed UFO shaped like a ruggers ball hovering above woodland. The object had three bands of lights, hummed, and appears to disturb the tree line.

Marge in a Bridal Gown

Location: Terrington St Clement - Parish Church, the 'Lovell' pew
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Every Sunday before Christmas (reoccurring)
Further Comments: Legend says that the chest next to the west door once contained the remains of a bride trapped inside after a game of hide and seek went wrong. She is reported to emerge once a year to join in with the church choir.

Knocking

Location: Tharston - Private residence
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: January - February 1937
Further Comments: Hollow knocking emanated from a teenage boy's room for a two month period, with no apparent explanation. Crowds would gather outside to listen to the mysterious raps. After four investigators contacted the supernatural entity responsible, the sounds ceased.

Bear

Location: Thetford - A1066 at Snare Hill
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: June 1979
Further Comments: Several witnesses reported seeing a bear on the outskirts of the nearby forest.

Gamekeeper

Location: Thetford - A11, dual part of the road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 20 November 2006, between 23:45h - 00:15h
Further Comments: Driving to pick someone up, this witness claimed to have seen a ghostly figure on his car bonnet. The figure wore a light thorn coloured suit with a thin red pinstripe and had dark hair. The figure was said to be smiling. The driver turned to his passenger who was asleep, and when he looked back the ghost had gone.

1930s Motor

Location: Thetford - A11, slip road from Thetford
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2006
Further Comments: A driver and their passenger were stopped at temporary traffic lights. Both spotted a man wearing googles and hat in what they thought was a classic vehicle from the 1930s. As the witnesses drove away, they noticed the old car had disappeared.