The Paranormal Database

Off the coast of Thorpeness, Suffolk.

Creature with Many Humps

Location: Thorpeness (Suffolk) - Off coast
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1931
Further Comments: Witnessed by three women sitting on a lawn, this sixty-foot long sea creature with an estimated thirty humps was said to move at great speed.

Wild Dogs?

Location: Thundersley (Essex) - Wensley Road
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 2001
Further Comments: A pair of large dog-like creatures have been observed in this area and are thought to live in the nearby woodland. The disappearance of neighbourhood cats has been blamed on the creatures.

Naked Mermaid?

Location: Thurso (Highland) - Sandside Bay
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1798
Further Comments: William Munro, a schoolmaster from Thurso, watched a naked woman combing her hair on a rock in the bay. After a few minutes she dived under the water and vanished.

Wolf

Location: Thurton (Norfolk) - A146 northbound, between Ferry Road and Hall Road
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 12 October 2012, approximately 20:30h
Further Comments: A taxi driver reported seeing a large, silver grey creature resembling a wolf eating something in the middle of the road. As the driver passed the creature, it looked up briefly before continuing to eat.

Sea Serpent

Location: Tintangel (Cornwall) - Off coast
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1907
Further Comments: A student and a chaplain watched a large sea beast swim by while watching from this point.

Lizard-like Creature

Location: Tiree (Argyll and Bute) - Waters off the island
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 19 July 1934
Further Comments: A fishing boat reported being attacked by this creature, resembling a lizard but fifty foot (fifteen metres) in length with a long neck. The creature took a bite out of the boat before retreating into the deep.

Each-uisge

Location: Trotternish, Isle of Skye (Highland) - Shieling
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A young woman invited an Each-uisge in the guise of an old woman into her shieling overnight only to awake during the night to find it eating her companion. On discovering the Each-uisge, the young woman fled, only managing to escape the clutches of the beast by crossing a flowing stream that the Each-uisge was unable to cross.

Snake

Location: Trusthorpe (Lincolnshire) - Off coast
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Late 1930s
Further Comments: A boy reported seeing a large snake-like creature a few hundred metres off the coast.

An old postcard of Tynemouth in Durham.

Captured Sea Serpent

Location: Tynemouth (Durham) - Coastline off Cullercoats, and 57 Grey Street
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1849
Further Comments: Though a good description of the creature is lacking, fishermen from this area chased and killed a sea monster, the body of which they brought back to land. The carcass was taken into a shop along Grey Street, and entry was charged at several shillings per view.

Drowned Beast

Location: Tywyn (formerly known as Towyn) (Gwynedd) - Llyn Barfog (aka Bearded Lake)
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A monster which made a nuisance of itself in the neighbourhood was killed by the hero Huw Gadarn, who drowned the creature. Another tale says that the hero involved was King Arthur. The area is also known for its fairies and was said to be the place where the legendary fairy cows first came from (before they vanished after one was almost butchered for being too old).

Black Horse

Location: Uig, Isle of Skye (Highland) - Unnamed lake
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: To pass the time, a young herder rolled several boulders into a lake - the splashing caused an Each-uisge to appear out of the disturbed water in the guise of black horse.

Woman in the Sea

Location: Uist (Outer Hebrides) - Sea south of islands, heading towards Skye
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Early nineteenth century
Further Comments: Caught in a storm at sea, Lachlan McArthur watched a creature resembling 'a woman in upper parts' rise from the water, leaving him terrified.

Mer-creature

Location: Unknown (Suffolk) - Off coast
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: November 1750
Further Comments: A five foot (1.5 metre) long creature found in the sea was described as having a head like a dog, beard like a lion, tail of a fawn, and four hand-like fins. A contemporary account of the encounter stated the creature was most likely a bearded seal.

Water Horse

Location: Unst (Shetland) - Unnamed loch
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Nineteenth century
Further Comments: A tired traveller mounted a horse he found at the side of the loch only to find that the creature tried to drag him into the waters. The traveller managed to jump clear just before the horse entered the water - the horse disappeared in a blue haze.

Shaggy Creature

Location: Vale of Leven (Dumbartonshire) - Woodland near Tullichewan Castle
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: June or July 1991
Further Comments: Two teenagers reported seeing a creature just over three metres tall covered in black shaggy hair as they hunted rabbits in this area. One witness said the creature had white eyes but no pupils. After watching the creature for what felt like a minute, both witnesses fled.

Wolf?

Location: Vale of Lorton (Cumbria) - Low Fell range
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: March 1936
Further Comments: Two witnesses encountered a 'strange animal' on multiple occasions. It was described as larger than foxhound, with a big head, long jaw, and a very long tail that was bushy at the tip. and long black legs. One witness said it resembled wolves he had seen at the zoo.

Each-Uisge

Location: Vaterstein, Isle of Skye (Highland) - Exact location not known
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A grieving widow was comforted by an Each-uisge which took the guise of man who appeared at her cottage after the death of her daughter. He used magic to keep the fire alight before vanishing in the morning.

Non Sinking Church

Location: Vigeans (Angus) - Church of St Vigeans
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Circa 1736
Further Comments: Legend said that building materials for the church were carried into position by a water kelpie. The creature said if anyone working for the church ever took their own life, the church would sink into a great lake which lay deep under the building. In the eighteenth century the minister of the parish committed suicide and some stories say many people gathered near the church to watch it being consumed into the ground. Needless to say, many people were also left disappointed when their expectations were not met.

An old stone carving showing a pair of griffins.

The Brentford Griffins

Location: W5 (Greater London) - Brentwood Eyot and general area
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A griffin given by King Charles II to Nell Gwynn made its home on the Brentwood Eyot, joined by another one many years later which was brought to the region by Sir Joseph Banks. The pair of mythological creatures are said by some to remain in the area.

An old postcard of Wadebridge.

Wallaroo

Location: Wadebridge (Cornwall) - Exact location not known
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: September 2007
Further Comments: This medium-sized marsupial was spotted in Cornwall.

Long Creature

Location: Wast Water (Cumbria) - Water of the lake
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1980s
Further Comments: England's deepest lake is reportedly home to an unknown creature several metres in length.

An old woodcut of a tall, strange-looking, bird.

Black Winged Creature

Location: WC1 (Greater London) - Old Chambers, Lincoln's Inn (no longer standing)
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Circa 1901
Further Comments: Charles Appleby was found dead in his room, large claw marks on his arms and neck, the door and windows locked from the inside. Witnesses outside the building who could see into his room through a window said they could see the man fighting a shadowy bird like creature, though it was at least the same size as Appleby. Reports of the creature continued for a while afterwards, and one team of investigators who put down chalk dust during their stakeout recording finding large claw marks in the powder the following day.

Glowing Owls

Location: West Bilney (Norfolk) - West Bilney Hall
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 1897, 1908
Further Comments: Barn owls observed throughout Norfolk were reportedly glowing in the dark, as if they were large fireflies.

Sea Horse

Location: West Wemyss (Fife) - Off coast
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: July 1939
Further Comments: A six metre long monster with the head and mane of a horse and large eyes was spotted by a team of fishermen.

Long Neck

Location: Westcliff on Sea (Essex) - Mouth of the Thames
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: August 1923
Further Comments: Two crew members, one of whom being the captain, spotted a two metre long snakelike neck twice rise from the river, the monster's head briefly looking around before vanishing.