The Paranormal Database

Spontaneous Combusting Rat Catchers

Location: Beccles - General area
Type: Legend
Date / Time: 31 August (reoccurring)
Further Comments: To remove the rats and the Black Death from their village, three men sold their souls to a group of witches. The men played musical instruments as they walked down the road, the rats followed them, and all disappeared into hell. They are allowed a brief respite once a year.

Gibbet and Those Hanged

Location: Beccles - Park near Roos Hall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: An oak tree standing in the park is said to be haunted by those once hanged there (including a woman in white), and that the Devil can be summoned by walking around it six times.

Roos Hall, Beccles, Suffolk.

Headless Horseman

Location: Beccles - Roos Hall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 24 December (reoccurring)
Further Comments: Christmas Eve is marked by the arrival of a coach driven by a headless horseman and pulled by headless horses, which travel down the driveway and vanish as they arrive by the front door. Close by, an oak known as Nelson's Tree is reputed to have been used as gallows and is haunted by a woman in white, although it is not clear whether she was one of the tree's victims or mourns the loss of a loved one. In the hall itself, on a wall within in a bedroom cupboard, there is the imprint of the Devil's hoof branded into solid brick. Finally, another tale says there is a window at the hall which always opens itself, even if locked shut.

Huge Talking Figure

Location: Beck Row - Aspel Farm, found along the road from Beck Row to Holywell Row
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: One night at the farm, a large figure appeared in front of a group of locals, telling them 'Don't fear me, fear what follows me'. The figure then vanished, and within seconds a huge gust of wind pushed past the witnesses.

Headless Monk

Location: Bentley - Bridge on road linking Brantham and Bentley
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Once based at Dodnash Priory that once stood nearby, this monk now haunts the road between two villages. A single stone remains at the site of the priory, and it is said treasure is concealed underneath.

The Crown Inn, Bildeston.

Two Children Holding a Music Box

Location: Bildeston - The Crown Inn, 104 High Street
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1947-1984
Further Comments: The Victorian children who were rumoured to haunt this site have not been reported for a good many years. Sightings of a grey woman who also haunts the building seem to be rare, but the ghost may be responsible for poltergeist activity in the gentleman's toilets, opening cubical doors for customers as they enter the room. Finally, an old man in a three-cornered hat has been seen by staff sitting by the front door of the public house, though they believe him to be a teetotaller.

Growing Stone

Location: Blaxhall - Stone Farm, Blaxhall Stone
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: The Blaxhall Stone is slowly growing. Cynicism abound, if this stone is really increasing in size, then it could not have been very large to start with...

Monk?

Location: Blundeston - Flixton Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 20 September 2009, 21:30h, and earlier
Further Comments: Returning home in their car, two people encountered a small monk-like figure as it glided across the road ahead of them. It wore a hessian type garment, and the figure had an aura-like glow about it. Once out of the car's headlights, the figure was not be seen again. The entity may have been seen twice previously close to the prison.

Cracking Sounds and Footsteps

Location: Blyford - The Queen's Head
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Late twentieth century
Further Comments: As well as loud sounds disturbing the owners and customers, small balls of blue light have also been observed, floating around the first floor and disappearing into the walls. Cracking was heard on the first floor by the landlord and a room full of customers in 1969 - several people dashed upstairs to investigate but found nothing.

Female in Long Dress with Highwayman

Location: Blythburgh - A12 from Ipswich, towards Kessingland, near Blythburgh common
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1700s onwards
Further Comments: Sometimes appearing with a horse, the unknown woman and highwayman have been reported a few times over the past two hundred years.

The road between Blythburgh and Westleton, Suffolk.

Anne Blakemore in Blue

Location: Blythburgh - B1125 Blythburgh to Westleton road, crossroads known locally as Five Finger Post
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 24 June (reoccurring)
Further Comments: Possibly murdered in 1750, the ghost of Anne Blakemore has developed a habit of running in front of cars, convincing the drivers that they have run over a living person. She is commonly seen around 24 June, the date of her death.

Blythburgh Church, Suffolk.

Shuck

Location: Blythburgh - Church
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: 04 August 1577, and 1973
Further Comments: During a church service in 1577, a large black dog burst in and created havoc. Blackened scorch marks said to be caused by the creature still exist today on the church door. Many years later, in 1973, a man working in the marshes near the church reporting hearing a panting dog standing beside him, though nothing could be seen.

Quiet Footsteps

Location: Blythburgh - Priory
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Animals are reported to be terrified of certain spots in the grounds of the priory, while footsteps have been heard outside the doors of the building - on investigation, no one has been found.

Toby's Walks, Blythburgh.

Black Toby

Location: Blythburgh - Toby's Walks (recreational area)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A drummer in the army, one night Toby became so drunk he left the local public house to rape and murder Anne Blakemore. Or so the story goes. In reality, Anne's body displayed no indication of foul play, but the mob wanted justice, so Toby was hanged. It was said that Toby's ghost drove a coach pulled by four black horses through the area, with other people stating that he just walked along banging his drum in regret. It is most likely the ghost of Toby was created by local smugglers to deter others from investigating their activities.

White Woman in Silk

Location: Blythburgh - Westwood Lodge
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1970s
Further Comments: A local story states that three policemen in the early 70's set an ambush for the ghost, in want of evidence to either prove or disprove the woman's existence. Their trap was sprung, closely followed by 'strange sounds', but ultimately the policemen saw nothing. Villagers have, however, reported watching a ghostly figure in the area.

Knocking

Location: Blythburgh - White Hart public house
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: Mid to late twentieth century
Further Comments: Loud knocking has emanated from the stout oak door of the pub, with no one on either side.

Mrs Short

Location: Boulge - Boulge Hall (no longer standing) and general area
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown, but said to appear on the stroke of midnight
Further Comments: The ghost of Mrs Short (called the Queen of Hell during her lifetime on account of her furious temper) was said to emerge from the hall's gates in a coach pulled by headless horses. Another report says her ghost was seen in night cap and gown running around the area. Some versions of the tale state the phantom in the coach is a Mr Fitzgerald.

Country Dog

Location: Boxford - Between village and Middleston (Essex)
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The area between these two villages is reportedly patrolled by a shuck.

Georgian Red Brick Dwelling, Surrounded by a Beautiful Garden

Location: Bradfield St George - North of the church
Type: Environmental Manifestation
Date / Time: 1860, 1900 and October 1926
Further Comments: First seen in 1860, the Georgian house was said to look quite normal, until it dissolved into mist. It was also seen around 1900, though no recent sightings exist.

Woman's Voice

Location: Bradfield St George - Private residence
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: February 2006, 04:15h
Further Comments: A couple awoke to hear their baby gripe in the adjoining room. Before they could climb out of bed, they heard a strange woman's voice say 'hello' in a maternal fashion, followed by a 'Shhh...'. Bounding into the baby's room to challenge the woman, all that could be seen was the sleeping child. A couple of days later, toys could be heard playing tunes in the loft, although the music promptly ceased when the loft hatch was opened.

Wall and Gates of a Grand Building

Location: Bradfield St George - The lane from Little Welnetham which turns right at the church
Type: Environmental Manifestation
Date / Time: 1926
Further Comments: Observed in 1926, the witnesses were new to the area and did not think much about the building until they returned later in the day and realised it had disappeared.

Flying Knife

Location: Bramford - Parker's Cottage (no longer standing)
Type: Poltergeist
Date / Time: Winter 1887 / 1888
Further Comments: The entity at work in this cottage focused on a teenager named Ellen. Tapping would occur around the girl and she would be picked up by invisible hands. Objects, including a knife, would be thrown around when she was present. Ellen and her brother would later confess to a local policeman that they had faked the incidents, although others were unconvinced that two children could fool so many witnesses and investigators.

Teenage Lad

Location: Brandon - A1065 heading towards Lakenheath
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2011, around 06:00h, and February 2014
Further Comments: A lone driver heading away from Brandon in 2011 glanced into her rear-view mirror and spotted a lad, around fourteen years of age, sitting in the backseat of her car. She looked again, only to see he had gone. A similar occurrence occurred to a male driver three years later.

Small Figure

Location: Brandon - Brandon House
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: February - October 1965
Further Comments: A teenager on the site spotted a short figure which moved across a room, while strange noises could be heard in other parts of the building. An officer stationed at Lakenheath who lived at the house said the presence as not frightening.

Fanny Clarke

Location: Brantham - Brantham Place, School Lane
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Mid-to-late-twentieth century
Further Comments: The original house which was haunted by this ghost no longer stands - Fanny was shot and killed outside the building by a jealous lover and had remained earthbound.