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Examining folkloric, paranormal & cryptozoological locations in the UK and beyond

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Strange Creatures from around the Isle

Shaggy Dog

Location: Mulbarton (Norfolk) - East Carleton Road
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 27 January 2022, 05:55h
Further Comments: An extremely large shaggy grey coloured dog darted out ahead of this witness travelling to work on a clear morning. The creature, around 1.8 metres in length, had short, pointed ears, and oversized snout and feet.

Large Creature with Five Humps

Location: Mundesley (Norfolk) - Off coast
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: August 1936
Further Comments: While walking along the beach, a couple watched the creature move at fantastic speed through the water.

Chicken Eater

Location: Myross (County Cork) - Forests in the area
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1921
Further Comments: After the local population of chickens took a dive, the problem was blamed on an unpleasant creature which one local man spotted in the nearby woods. The witness said he passed the monster as it sat on a rock - the size of a dog, the creature resembled a cat, though it had a tapering, bald tail.

Forty Foot Creature

Location: New Quay (Dyfed) - Off coast
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1960s?
Further Comments: This sea serpent reportedly took a liking to the local seal population, though the pinniped's objected to the new arrival and their fleeing was an indication the creature was near.

Sea Cows

Location: Nisabost Beach, Harris (Outer Hebrides) - General area
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Eighteenth century
Further Comments: A herd of sea cows that immerged from the sea were prevented from returning by locals, who moved to the shoreline with weapons and stood between the animals and their home. The sea cows, which looked identical to regular cattle, spent the remainder of their days on a nearby farm.

Man Monkey

Location: Norbury (Staffordshire) - Bridge
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: January 1879, circa 22:00h
Further Comments: A man driving a horse and cart crossed this bridge in the evening. A black creature with white eyes leapt from a bush upon the horse, causing the horse to panic and bolt. The rider used his whip to lash out at the creature, only for the whip to pass through the entity. The man eventually arrived home, with little memory of how he managed to shake off the attacker. Sharing the experience with another local man, the witness discovered that the 'creature', known locally as a man-monkey, had come into being after someone drowned in the river.

Sea Monster

Location: North Norfolk Coast (Norfolk) - Sea
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1930
Further Comments: This saltwater creature was observed by the steward on a small boat.


An old woodcut of a large fish-like creature with legs.

Whale like Creature

Location: North of Island (Orkney) - Sea
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1537
Further Comments: Fishermen reported a whale with characteristics of a boar in the sea in this area.

Therianthropy

Location: North Ronaldsay (Orkney) - Exact location not known
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The Goodman of Wastness, a farmer by trade, stole a selkie's seal skin and hid it, forcing the woman to become his wife. After many years of marriage and a house full of children the selkie found her seal skin and ran off back to the sea, never to be seen again.

Long Black Creature

Location: North Shields (Northumberland) - North Sea (exact area not known)
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: July 1945
Further Comments: After setting off from North Shields, the crew of a boat spotted what they believed to be a piece of wreckage floating in the sea. The men investigated and realised the object was alive and actually the head and neck of a black creature. The creature swam away and dived, revealing a nine-foot (2.74 metre) wide body.

Giant Spider

Location: Nottingham (Nottinghamshire) - Stonebridge Road, close to site of Wrights & Dobson factory (no longer standing)
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 2004
Further Comments: A local librarian driving along Stonebridge Road at night caught sight of a giant spider. The creature was over sixty centimetres at the legs with a body the size of a dinner plate. The spider crawled across the road and disappeared into a disused factory, leaving the witness in shock.

Salamander-Que

Location: Nottingham (Nottinghamshire) - West Lake, Colwick Country Park
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1970s onwards
Further Comments: Cryptozoologist Adam Bird reported fishermen believed a large creature to reside in the lake, around fifteen feet (4.5 metres) in length and resembling a salamander.

Mermaid's Grave

Location: Nunton, Benbecula (Outer Hebrides) - Exact location not known
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Still present?
Further Comments: The area reportedly contains the grave of a mermaid killed in the early nineteenth century. The mer-creature had been seen for a couple of days, before a teenage boy threw a rock at it, killing the entity. Accounts stated that the upper part of the creature was the size of an infant, while the bottom resembled a salmon.

Knight or Bear?

Location: NW8 (Greater London) - St John's Wood - general area
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1830
Further Comments: A strange entity was rumoured to frequent NW8 and the surrounding areas during the 1830s. Some reports said it wore chainmail, others saying it was more bear-like.

Road Crossing Serpent

Location: Oban (Argyll and Bute) - A85 between Oban and Perth
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 30 September 1965
Further Comments: Two independent motorists reported a six metre long legless creature alongside the road, grey in colour. One witness said it propelled itself along like a giant caterpillar.


An old postcard showing Oban Bay.

Coiled Serpent

Location: Oban (Argyll and Bute) - Oban Bay
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 18 November 1873
Further Comments: A one hundred foot (thirty metre) long black creature was observed swimming in the bay for around fifteen minutes. A story which may be a hoax states that the same or similar creature was killed in 1877, and the locals dragged the carcass above the high water mark to use as fish bait.

Boar

Location: Odiham (Hampshire) - General area
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1972
Further Comments: Odiham and the surrounding area appeared to be home to one or more wild boars during the autumn of this year.

U-28 Monster

Location: Off Coast (County Cork) - Iberian Wreck
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 30 July 1915
Further Comments: U-boat commander Freiherr George G von Forstner claimed to have encountered a giant 'crocodile-like' creature as the U-28 torpedoed the British steamer Iberian. As the Iberian sank, a huge explosion occurred from under the sea. Moments later, the monster appeared, blown out of the water before travelling back down and sinking beneath the sea.

Rostron's Monster

Location: Off coast of Cork (County Cork) - Sea
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 26 April 1907
Further Comments: Sir Arthur Rostron, while the Chief Officer of the Campania, sketched a long necked sea monster off the coast of Cork. Rostron later became the Captain of the Carpathia, involved in rescuing Titanic survivors.

Wolves

Location: Ogmore Vale (Mid Glamorgan) - Forest near the former Abba school
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1990 onwards
Further Comments: A local has claimed that several people in the area have spotted wolves stalking the forest. There is an unsubstantiated report that a boy disappeared in the woodland and was eventually found torn apart.

Mermaid's Stone

Location: Old Cambus (Borders) - Road leading to Church of St Helen
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The concave nature of a stone on the road leading to the church was attributed to the foot of a mermaid (an untraditional untailed one) escaping from her jailor.

Albino Wallaby

Location: Olney (Buckinghamshire) - Countryside surrounding the village
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: May 2007
Further Comments: After spotting a white creature with red eyes, IT trainer Stacey Purdy pulled out her phone and used it to photograph and video an albino wallaby. Even though wallabies live in several places over the UK, it is estimated by experts that the chances of a white one being born is 100,00-1.


The Tarroo Ushtey, or water bull.

Tarroo Ushtey

Location: Onchan (Isle of Man) - Exact Location not known
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Eighteenth century
Further Comments: The entity known as Tarroo Ushtey, or water bull, was a bovine version of the water horse - the creature looked like a normal bull, although had fairy traits and would live under the water. In Onchan, one was seen crossing the road, and was recognised as a Tarroo Ushtey due to the fire burning in its eyes.

Capybara

Location: Outer London: Barnet (Greater London) - Darlands Lake
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 20 September 2009
Further Comments: Normally found in South America, a capybara was spotted by actor David Dayan Fisher and his nephew and niece while walking through this area.

Shark Attack

Location: Outer London: Heathrow Airport (Greater London) - Unnamed reservoir south-east of Heathrow Airport
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 16 August 1997
Further Comments: A woman swimming in this reservoir was attacked by a creature under the water that grabbed and held her foot with its mouth. She managed to kick the creature off, and when the bite marks were examined by marine biologist, she was told the creature must have been a shark.

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