The Paranormal Database

Jacobean Carriage

Location: Leek - Moors near to Blakemere Pond, on a road known as the roaches
Type: Other
Date / Time: Circa November 2013
Further Comments: Three friends on a vigil on the moors reported seeing a Jacobean style carriage with no horses travelling at speed across the moor. The experience lasted for five minutes and at its closest point, the coach passed about two hundred metres from the witnesses.

Not Known

Location: Leek - Well Street Gallery
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: 1992
Further Comments: A passing mention that the gallery had a reputation as a haunted site appeared in the local press, in an article about an exhibition launching on Friday the thirteenth.

Fred

Location: Lichfield - Acorn Inn
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000s
Further Comments: The Acorn Inn, like several other pubs scattered across the UK, is home to a presence that has been nicknamed Fred.

Screaming

Location: Lichfield - Langton House
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1962-August 1964
Further Comments: After being taken over as a Theological College, seminarians reported hearing screams and seeing a figure stalking the building. After the Bishop of Stafford conducted an exorcism, the site returned to normal.

Legless Men

Location: Lichfield - M6 toll road near town
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: December 2005
Further Comments: Sue Cowley, driving her husband and child home, stopped when she spotted what she first thought were animals crossing the road. As Sue stopped, she realised that they were shadowy figures; dressed in Roman clothing, the group of twenty or more men crossed the road waist deep in the tarmac as if it were water, though it did not impede their movement.

Thrown Broom

Location: Lichfield - Private site, Bird Street
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: 2016
Further Comments: During refurbishment, something tossed a broom across the floor and moved keys from a windowsill. A radio could be heard playing even when not plugged in. People have also reported rattling door handles, doors in empty parts of the building opening and closing, and a shadowy female form.

Second World War Sergeant

Location: Litchfield - Whittington Barracks
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1980s
Further Comments: A few of the soldiers on basic training briefly spotted a sergeant dressed in Second World War uniform when they were called to stand in front of the guardroom in the early hours of the morning. A couple of years past, and one of the soldiers attended a course back at the site. He spoke to some of the permanent staff at the barracks, who said the phantom sergeant was a common occurrence. A building known as the keep is said to have lights which turn on and off by an unseen hand.

Lady in Grey

Location: Little Haywood - Weetman's Bridge
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A driver spotted a woman in grey standing by the roadside. Assuming she wanted a lift, the driver pulled over but the woman had vanished. A local story says this has happened on more than one occasion.

Serving Wrench

Location: Longton - Albion Hotel
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early 1980s
Further Comments: This female entity, accompanied by a Caviller, moves along the bar area, only to vanish when reaching the wall. Other misty figures are reported to have been seen by regulars.

Flying Objects

Location: Madeley - Between Madely (now Madeley) and Whitmore, at a place once known as the Highwayhouse
Type: Other
Date / Time: 1651
Further Comments: Standing in the doorway, a woman with two children watched a dark disc briefly part cover the sun. The disc divided into small parts and flew towards the woman, creating the sounds of a great battle. The woman fled to the house, leaving one of the children behind. A maid ran to recover the child, by which time the sky had filled with a phantom battle and premature darkness fell. Eventually the battle ceased.

Pounding Hooves

Location: Manifold Valley - Road leading to Throwley Hall (no longer standing)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1960s
Further Comments: The local stories state that many years ago, a coach returning guests to the hall crashed along the road, killing all on board. The horses (and sometimes the wheels of the coach) can still be heard on occasion, thundering along the road.

Headless Woman

Location: Manifold Valley - Throwley Hall (no longer standing)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1960s
Further Comments: A farmer reported seeing a headless female standing amongst the ruins of the hall, a large bloody stain running down her front. The hall once belonged to the Cromwell's, and it is thought the ghostly figure had been beheaded after upsetting the family. Another phantom reported on the grounds is a ghostly coach and horses, which charges along the former driveway.

Runner

Location: Marchington - Dog and Partridge public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: One night in April (reoccurring), 1993 - 2001
Further Comments: One occupant of this building reported that every April a 'spectre' ran from an upstairs bedroom, descend through the landing and stop by the front door. Local folklore claimed that when the building was separate cottages, a man fell asleep while smoking and set himself on fire; running down the stairs which are now covered by the landing, he died trying to open the front door.

Hare and Hounds

Location: Meerbrook - Field near Frith Bottom
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: One piece of folklore says a witch would take the form of a hare and allow a neighbour and his hounds to chase her for practice. One night, a hound managed to take a bite of fur from the hare. A ghostly pack of dogs now haunt the area, as does a phantom witch who sports a head injury.

Micklow's ghostly greyhound.

Greyhound

Location: Micklow - Eccleshall Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Nineteenth century
Further Comments: This phantom greyhound began to haunt the area after a local lady drowned herself nearby.

Mermaid

Location: Morridge Moor - The Black Mere, also known as the Blake Mere
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Appears at midnight, daily
Further Comments: This fishy female comes to the surface of the pool at night, ready to pull any witnesses down to the dark waters where they remain forever.

Mr Drewrose

Location: Newcastle Under Lyme - Comfort Inn
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000
Further Comments: This ghost had been seen for many years and reputedly passed on a message to a visiting medium which revealed an unsafe amount of petrol under the building - Health & Safety Officials removed the hazard.

Orange Ball

Location: Newcastle Under Lyme - Over Wolstanton Marsh
Type: UFO
Date / Time: 03 February 1985
Further Comments: A police officer reported watching a spherical orange object pass directly overhead, moving from north to south. Three other witnesses were with the officer at the time.

Woman

Location: Newcastle Under Lyme - Rex and Rio Cinema (demolished 1970s)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Late 1960s
Further Comments: A male member of staff locking up at night after everyone had left watched a woman walk past him towards the toilets. The man shouted after the lady to be quick; she appeared to ignore him and disappeared into the restroom. After several minutes of waiting, the man knocked on the door. After receiving no reply, he entered the room to see if the woman needed assistance - it was empty.

Man Monkey

Location: Norbury - 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.

Don't Take the Stones

Location: Norbury - Norbury Manor (demolished 1838) and nearby farmhouse
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early nineteenth century
Further Comments: The manor, left to fall apart by its owners, gained the reputation of being haunted. Some of the stones of the decaying manor were taken and used to build a farmhouse. Stories said that the haunting entities travelled with the stones, and during the night, sounds could be heard in empty parts of the new farmhouse.

Man Eating Family

Location: North Staffordshire Moorland - General area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A family who lived on the moor were tried and executed for murder after the discovery that they supplemented their diet by feeding off the flesh of those lost on the moor. For years after their deaths, sounds could be heard of them giving chase to their victims over the desolate moorland.

Stafford Beast

Location: Norton Bridge - General area
Type: ABC
Date / Time: August 2008
Further Comments: There were several reports of a large cat in this region over the 2008 summer, including one report of a pet sheep found dead (a local 'expert' saying that a big cat had attacked it).

Staked Giant

Location: Offley Hay - Unidentified sycamore tree in the area
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This sycamore grew from a stake used on the body of a giant. It is unclear whether this implies that if removed, the giant shall return.

Headless Horseman

Location: Onecote - Road from Leek to Onecote, and Butterton Moor
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This headless horseman is said to either be a murdered pedlar or a knight killed in combat with the Scots. Either way, the figure is said to be unlucky (with witnesses either dying or losing livestock) and an exorcism once performed on the phantom horseman by seven preachers failed.