The Paranormal Database

Tall Man

Location: Rhos-y-garth (Dyfed) - Church
Type: Legend - Old Nick
Date / Time: Nineteenth century
Further Comments: One of several churches in Wales where the Devil was once said to have appeared in the form of a man with an evil looking face (or the head of a dog), with his appearance causing illness to witnesses.

An orchard haunting.

Lydia Atley

Location: Ringstead (Northamptonshire) - Old orchard & near the churchyard
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1850 onwards
Further Comments: Rumoured to have been murdered by the village butcher (though it was never proven), the restless spirit of Lydia was seen around the area where her body was discovered. The spirit would also sometimes be seen moving towards the churchyard but would always turn around just prior to reaching it.

Roman Soldier

Location: Risca (Gwent) - St Mary's Church Hall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1996
Further Comments: A local theatre troupe that used the hall for rehearsals and productions reported a phantom Roman soldier and hearing a voice that would call their names.

Relocated

Location: Rochdale (Greater Manchester) - St Chads church
Type: Other
Date / Time: Twelfth century
Further Comments: Construction of the church was originally planned on the other side of the river, but supernatural forces (possibly taking the form of 'strange-looking men') had other ideas and the materials were moved to the site the building now stands.

The Baum Rabbit.

Baum Rabbit

Location: Rochdale (Greater Manchester) - St Mary's Churchyard (no longer present)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Pre-twentieth century?
Further Comments: A ghostly bunny haunted this area for many years and was reportedly shot at least once - the buckshot passing straight through its body. The ghostly figure of a man was also reported at the churchyard, drifting slowly above the ground.

Thin Outline

Location: Rochdale (Greater Manchester) - Toad Lane, and area around St Mary's Church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1970s
Further Comments: The shady outline of an unknown man is said to have appeared here several times during the 1970s.

Mrs Dyer

Location: Rodbourne Cheney (Wiltshire) - Church area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Seen moving towards the church, this spectral lady carries in her arms a small baby. She is said to be Mrs Dyer, a local woman convicted and executed for infanticide.

Headless Horsemen

Location: Rodmarton (Gloucestershire) - Church
Type: Other
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This church was said to have been relocated due to the intervention of headless horsemen.

No Females

Location: Roscrea (County Tipperary) - Inishnameo, ruined church (may also be known as Monahinsha?)
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Two islands could be found here. On the larger island, it was said that no female of any species could land upon it. On the smaller island, no one could die - the sick would become worse until they could not stand the pain, only dying after being removed from the site by friends.

Lychgate

Location: Rostherne (Cheshire) - St Mary's Church
Type: Curse
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Newly married couples avoided passing through the Lychgate as it was believed the marriage would fail, either by discontent or death.

Seath Mor's Stones

Location: Rothiemurcus (Highland) - Churchyard (aka Old Doune Church Burial Ground)
Type: Curse
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: The stones resting on Seath Mor Sgorfhiaclach's grave are said to be cursed, with misfortune befalling anyone who touched them. An iron cage now covers the grave and stones; while some say it is to protect against people accidently invoking the wrath of the curse, the cage's placement may be due to the stones being stolen (and later recovered) in the 1980s.

The Rudston Monolith

Location: Rudston (East Riding of Yorkshire) - Churchyard
Type: Legend - Old Nick
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: The tallest monolith in the UK, one tale states the stone was thrown by the Devil with the intent of knocking down the nearby church. Another tale states that the rock was dropped from the sky, killing one or two people intent of desecrating the graves.

Rainaldus the Chaplain

Location: Runwell (Essex) - Our Lady of the Running Well parish church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: January - April (reoccurring)
Further Comments: Rainaldus is said to have practiced black magic, and that the Devil came for him (with the north door of the church still showing the scorch marks created by the Devil's hands). Now the ghost of a monk with a scarred face, dressed in black, haunts the area; and the old Chaplain is blamed.

Two White Ladies

Location: Ruston (Northamptonshire) - Site of St Peter's church (demolished 1799)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Circa early twentieth century
Further Comments: One of these phantoms was said to be a jilted Italian princess, and the other Lady Cullen, cursed by the former woman while they both lived. There were also stories of the site being haunted by a coach and horses, which once a year tore through the area and would vanish at Lady Cullen's grave.

Headless Woman

Location: Ruswarp (North Yorkshire) - Churchyard wall, Prospect Hill
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This headless phantom sits upon an old wall here.

Misty Horseman

Location: Ruyton (Shropshire) - Church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Midnight (reoccurring)
Further Comments: Sometimes, around midnight, a thick mist rolls into the churchyard. Soon after, a headless horseman rides in, vanishing into the mist, heading towards an old castle keep.

Mrs de Freville

Location: Saffron Walden (Essex) - Hinxton Churchyard, square stone vault
Type: Post-Mortem Manifestation
Date / Time: 08 May 1885
Further Comments: Shortly after her death, Mrs de Freville was spotted by a gardener standing by her husband's grave. The woman's ghost had a white face and wore a black dress. The gardener was unaware of the lady's death at the time of the sighting.

A phantom policeman.

Policeman

Location: Salford (Greater Manchester) - Church of Saint Thomas, locally called Pendleton Church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1950s onwards?
Further Comments: This church is reputedly haunted by a policeman who died ringing the bells on the Queen's coronation.

Woman in Grey

Location: Salisbury (Wiltshire) - St Michael's Church, Car Park
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: October 2018, 22:30h
Further Comments: A man walking his dog through the area spotted a female figure wearing a long grey dress slowly heading towards the church hall, with her back to him. Passing back the same way a short time later, the man spotted the woman now standing at the top of the car back. As he approached, the woman walked through the fence and vanished.

Grey Lady

Location: Salisbury (Wiltshire) - St Thomas's Church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1980s?
Further Comments: When last seen, this tearful woman in grey looked so real that the witness approached her to see what was wrong - the figure promptly vanished.

Anne Boleyn

Location: Salle (Norfolk) - Salle Church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The former queen sometimes returns to this church, where local legend says she was laid to rest after her body was clandestinely removed from the Tower of London.

Jangling Keys

Location: Sandford Orcas (Dorset) - Church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The church is said to be home to the phantom sounds of running feet and the jangling of keys.

Abraham Crichton

Location: Sanquhar (Dumfries and Galloway) - Churchyard and district
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The area was shunned by locals, as Crichton's shade would try to grab anyone who came too close. The ghost was finally exorcised by a preacher armed with Bible and a sword.

William Blake's Satan, circa 1795.

The Old Brick Mover

Location: Sarratt (Hertfordshire) - Church
Type: Legend - Old Nick
Date / Time: Eleventh century
Further Comments: The Devil was said to have moved the bricks from the church's original build site just as quick as the builders could lay them. The builders finally gave up and constructed the church where it stands today.

The Future Dead

Location: Scarborough (North Yorkshire) - St Mary's Churchyard
Type: Manifestation of the Living
Date / Time: 24 April (St Marks Eve) (reoccurring)
Further Comments: All those who will die between this date and next year's St Mark's Eve appear in this graveyard on the stroke of midnight and walk into the church.