The Paranormal Database

Beaten Nun

Location: Cannington - Bridge over brook, and in nearby public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: When the nunnery stood here, one sister was beaten to death after straying from the path. Her ghost can still be seen waiting on the bridge.

Witches dancing, from a chapbook.

Headless Horseman

Location: Cannington - Cannington Park
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Galloping across the parkland under the light of the moon, this rider could be searching for his missing appendage. Some also say that the area is haunted by a coven of witches.

Carantoc's Dragon

Location: Carhampton - General area
Type: Dragon
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Saint Carantoc, while searching for his altar, met with King Arthur who voiced concerns about a dragon terrorizing the county. Carantoc agreed to help the King (in return for the location of the altar), and tamed the dragon using his stole. Locals wanted to kill the creature, but the saint set it free after making the dragon promise never to hurt anyone again.

Violinist

Location: Castle Green - Castle Hotel
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century?
Further Comments: Wearing an evening dress, sightings of this female violinist have slowly petered out as time has gone by, and the only recent reports of her say she can only be heard playing the instrument she carried.

Knight

Location: Chard - Chough Hotel (aka The Choughs)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A knight in full armour reported in the hotel could be connected to the tomb stone that stands behind the fireplace, said to be impossible to photograph. If not, maybe another hotel ghost, an old woman, can claim it as her headstone. Judge Jeffries reputedly stayed at the hotel while busy executing locals involved in the Monmouth Rebellion, and as such is said to haunt a bedroom.

Gliding Monk

Location: Chard - Forde Abbey
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Last sighting unknown, dog reaction in summer 2009
Further Comments: Possibly dating from the thirteenth century, this ghostly monk has been witnessed along monks' walk. He may be the man after whom the town of Chard was named. One witness has reported their dog reacted very badly in the area, while under an archway it turned so cold that those present could see their breath.

Large Bird

Location: Chard - High Street
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: February 1975
Further Comments: A witness watched a huge bird, with a fourteen foot wingspan, pass overhead. Moving with great haste, it quickly disappeared over nearby shops.

Multiple Suns

Location: Chard - Skies over the town
Type: Other
Date / Time: July 1662
Further Comments: At two points during this month, two suns were seen in the sky, appearing at dusk. One night revealed three moons.

Car Stopper

Location: Cheddar - B3135 between Green Ore & Cheddar
Type: Other
Date / Time: 23 October 2003, 19.45
Further Comments: A witness reported driving by a figure standing on the side of the road; just after passing, the vehicle cut out. While the car lights remained on, they were quite dim, and the vehicle would not turn over. After several minutes trying the engine, the figure appeared again, and moved into nearby woodland. The vehicle suddenly started, and the witness quickly drove away.

Young People

Location: Cheddar - Car park near Tesco
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: 14 June 2018, 17:30h
Further Comments: Just after parking and walking towards the grocery store, this witness found himself around ten steps behind two young people. The couple turned and walked through what the witness thought was a side door to the shop, but as he approached, realised that the section of wall was solid with no doorway.

Bar Woman

Location: Cheddar - Cox's Mill hotel, The Cliffs
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2008
Further Comments: As well as the phantom woman who sits by the bar, small items have been known to move themselves to new locations.

Coffin

Location: Chesterblade - Small Down Knoll
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Nine barrows can be found here, but only one is said to contain a golden coffin.

Misty Woman

Location: Chilcombe - Bicknoller Hill
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This phantom female is said to herd deer around the area.

The Hanging Judge

Location: Chilcompton - Court Hotel
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: Eternally busy, Judge Jeffreys' has been seen at this establishment, where he once pronounced judgement on criminals and rebels.

Theophilu Brome

Location: Chilton Cantelo - Higher Farm
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: Local legend says that when the skull of Theophilu Brome (or Broome) has been removed in the past, the house has been besieged by howls and wails. When the tomb of Theophilus Brome was opened in the local church, the skull was found to be missing.

Kitchen Hand

Location: Chilton Polden - Rumbling Tum restaurant (still present?), off the A39
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1970s
Further Comments: A tall, lean female form was reported in the kitchen of this roadside restaurant. A little old man has also been reported by guests.

Old Lady

Location: Chipping Sodbury - Horton Court
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1930s
Further Comments: This old lady would appear at night and stand over the bed of a child in the house. The household was unaware of the ghost until the boy queried who the strange woman was.

Dragon being slain by a knight.

Wormstall

Location: Churchstanton - Area where Stapley Farm now stands
Type: Dragon
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The dragon which took up residence in this area was killed by a knight; the lashing of the dying dragon's tail is said to have carved out a hollow in a field known as Wormstall.

Trotting

Location: Churchstanton - Merlan Corner
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The clip-clop of phantom hooves has been reported in this area, normally accompanied by a strange pale mist which (it is said) sometimes transforms into a horse with a headless rider.

Flapping Serpent

Location: Clevedon - Off coast
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: 28 April 1907
Further Comments: A man rowing towards Portishead claimed to have been attacked and pushed overboard by a long snake-like creature which jumped out of the water at him. He managed to climb back on board his boat and row onwards.

Figure in Mist

Location: Clevedon - Pier
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2012
Further Comments: Fishermen on the pier have reported seeing a figure in dark clothing which appears and disappears in the mist. A long exposure photograph was taken by a student which may show either the phantom or a flesh and blood fisherman (most likely the latter).

An old postcard showing Clifton Down.

Jenkins Protheroe?

Location: Clifton - Clifton Down, Lady's Mile
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1977, around 23:00h
Further Comments: A driver and passenger witnessed a dark figure standing in the middle of the road with long arms stretched out in a 'stand and deliver' stance. Several days later the driver found out about the ghost of Jenkins (or Jenkin) Protheroe, a former highwayman hanged in the area.

Woman

Location: Clifton - Private house along Alma Vale Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early twentieth century
Further Comments: Described as wearing clothing from the 1860s, this phantom woman was seen by one witness descending the staircase. Loud crashes were also heard at night, though nothing in the house was ever disturbed. The property was said to have been built on a pond where several people had drowned themselves, and was the reason given for the haunting.

Red Haired Woman

Location: Clifton - Private house along Southleigh Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early twentieth century?
Further Comments: Three sisters living in the house encountered a red headed girl wearing a dirty dress kneeling by the fireplace in the kitchen. Her pallid face gave the impression of great sorrow. The girl stood up and vanished into the scullery. The sisters were later told the property was haunted by a former maid who drowned herself in a nearby pond.

Gravedigger

Location: Combe Down - Area around Union Chapel
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: May 1992
Further Comments: A woman passing the chapel noticed an out of place man with a pickaxe by one of the graves. She thought it 'strange' at the time, and stranger still when she encountered the man one week later riding an old fashioned bicycle.