The Paranormal Database

Cow Bone

Location: Stanion (Northamptonshire) - Church
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: The church is home to a bone just under two metres in length, which is claimed to have come from a giant cow. The cow would provide free milk for the whole village until approached by a jealous witch who made the creature try to fill a perforated bucket - the cow dropped dead of exhaustion.

Altered Interior

Location: Stanningfield (Suffolk) - St Nicholas Church
Type: Environmental Manifestation
Date / Time: 1933
Further Comments: A passing gentleman noticed the church doors open and went in to investigate - he said he found the altar adorned with flowers and set up for a Roman Catholic service, even though it was an Anglican church.

Moved

Location: Stanstead Abbotts (Hertfordshire) - Church
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: An unknown agency moved the site of the church to here from its original location.

Moving Coffins

Location: Stanton (Suffolk) - Church
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: Circa 1850s
Further Comments: Opened to inter a recently deceased family member, the French family vault was found in disarray. The vault was tidied and sealed; five years later the seal was broken and the heavy coffins once again found moved from their places. Tidied and sealed for a second time, a couple of years passed until another death in the family. This time one of the coffins that required eight men to lift had moved to the stone staircase leading to the vault. While flooding was suspected to have moved the coffins, some believed an otherworldly force had played a part. A similar story exists of the Chase Vault in Christ Church, Barbados.

From Hocus Pocus; or, the Whole Art of Legerdemain in Perfection

Bottled Brown

Location: Stanton upon Hine Heath (Shropshire) - Church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Circa 1777
Further Comments: Elizabeth Brown died aged 92 in 1777 and was buried in a wooded area close to her home. After she was spotted wandering the area, it was decided that Elizabeth should be buried in the churchyard. She returned once more, this time sitting on a large stone, frightening passersby. A team of parsons gathered and together banished Elizabeth's ghost into a bottle which was then buried inside the church.

Devil's Gold

Location: Staple Fitzpaine (Somerset) - Devil's Stone, near the church
Type: Legend - Old Nick
Date / Time: Stone still present
Further Comments: The stone was once thought to have gold concealed underneath, hidden by the Devil. However, when moved to make way for a new road, nothing was found.

Running Dog

Location: Stevenage (Hertfordshire) - Saint Nick's church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Upset by the continued yapping of the gravedigger's dog, the bellringer poisoned the pet pooch. The animal died an agonised death, and some people claim the dog now runs around the church, floating slightly above the ground.

Cloaked Figure

Location: Stevington (Bedfordshire) - Church of St Mary the Virgin
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This church is home to a spectre that wears a cloak and old fashioned hat. The site also possesses a holy well that is reputed never to freeze over.

Milian

Location: Steyning (Sussex) - St Andrew's Church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Drifting amongst the headstones, the female phantom here is thought to be a thirteenth century lady named Milian.

Thomas Hardy's Grandfather?

Location: Stinsford (Dorset) - Churchyard
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 24 December 1919
Further Comments: After Hardy placed a sprig of holly on his grandfather's grave, a figure in eighteenth century clothing appeared and said, 'A green Christmas'. Hardy replied, 'I like a green Christmas', and watched the figure enter the church. Hardy followed but found the church to be empty.

Monk

Location: Stoke (Devon) - Church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1973
Further Comments: A phantom monk which haunts the churchyard was last seen by a vicar. Several monks walking in a line are said to walk from the church towards Hartland Abbey, though no witnesses exist for this event.

Headless Nectan

Location: Stoke (Devon) - Church
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The church is built on the location where St Nectan had his head chopped off - he bent down and stuck it back on his neck before walking off!

Hungry Witch

Location: Stoke Dry (Rutland) - Area around the church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This woman haunts the place where she was held against her will; denied food and water, it was not too long before she died.

Stoned Man

Location: Stoke on Trent (Staffordshire) - Shelton Churchyard
Type: Other
Date / Time: 1886
Further Comments: A crowd gathered to see a ghostly figure in white moving amongst the gravestones. A couple of braver members in the crowd lobbed stones at the ghost before grabbing the figure, who turned out to be a corporal in the Hanley Volunteers. The man was handed over to the police and issued a caution.

Relocation

Location: Stoke upon Tern (Shropshire) - Church
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The church was supposed to be built on top of a hill, but every night the stones were moved to the bottom by an unknown force. The church was constructed at that place instead.

Richard Jorden

Location: Stondon Massey (Essex) - Church and churchyard
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Eighteenth century onwards
Further Comments: After Richard Jorden died, his body was found outside his coffin so often that his friends decided to wrap the casket in chains to prevent Jorden from climbing out again. His ghost walks the church grounds in protest.

Soft Ringing

Location: Stourpaine (Dorset) - Church
Type: Fairy
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The little people ring the church bells after covering them with dew, ensuring the soft ringing is seldom heard by mortals.

Construction Devil

Location: Stowe Nine Churches (Northamptonshire) - Church
Type: Legend - Old Nick
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The foundation stones of the church were moved around the village by Old Nick nine times before the rest of the building could be constructed. Another version of the story blames fairies.

Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Shakespeare's Grave

Location: Stratford-upon-Avon (Warwickshire) - Holy Trinity Church
Type: Curse
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: The tomb of Shakespeare has the following curse written upon it: Good frend for Jesus sake forebeare, To digg the dust encloased heare; Bleste be the man that spares thes stones, And curst be he that moves my bones.

Nun

Location: Stratton St Margaret (Wiltshire) - Church and general area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Dressed in white, the ghostly nun is said to haunt not only the church, but the entire village.

Ettie

Location: Strelley (Nottinghamshire) - Church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Ettie has been named as the ghost that walks around the churchyard.

More Monks

Location: Stubbington (Hampshire) - Church of the Holy Rood, Crofton
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: A phantom monk is said to walk around this area. He may be connected to the sighting at the nearby Manor Hotel - an underground passageway is said to connect the two buildings.

St. Gregory's Church, Sudbury.

Simon

Location: Sudbury (Suffolk) - St. Gregory's Church
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1381 onwards?
Further Comments: After Simon was murdered in 1381, the former archbishop of Canterbury's head was removed and buried here after being displayed in the Tower of London. He has reportedly been seen in the church. Simon's shade could also be to blame for the disembodied footsteps that also haunt the church.

John Chapman

Location: Swaffham (Norfolk) - Church
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Fifteenth century
Further Comments: John Chapman was a Swaffham pedlar 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 (Norfolk) - 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.