From heart-stopping accounts of apparitions, manifestations and supernatural phenomena, to first-hand encounters with phantoms and spirits, this collection of spooky sightings from around the city of Plymouth is guaranteed to make your blood run cold. Richly illustrated with over 100 pictures, Haunted Plymouth contains a chilling range of tales. From the ghost of Sir Francis Drake on Plymouth Hoe, poltergeist activity in one of the city's Elizabethan inns and the shade of a lady in white at Widey Court, to French prisoners of war at Devonport Dockyard and a phantom pair legs at a Mutley house, this gathering of ghostly goings-on is bound to captivate everyone interested in the paranormal history of Plymouth and will chill all but the sturdiest of hearts.
From heart-stopping accounts of apparitions, manifestations and supernatural phenomena, to first-hand encounters with phantoms and spirits, this collection of spooky sightings from around the city of Plymouth is guaranteed to make your blood run cold. Richly illustrated with over 100 pictures, Haunted Plymouth contains a chilling range of tales. From the ghost of Sir Francis Drake on Plymouth Hoe, poltergeist activity in one of the city's Elizabethan inns and the shade of a lady in white at Widey Court, to French prisoners of war at Devonport Dockyard and a phantom pair legs at a Mutley house, this gathering of ghostly goings-on is bound to captivate everyone interested in the paranormal history of Plymouth and will chill all but the sturdiest of hearts.
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Overview
From heart-stopping accounts of apparitions, manifestations and supernatural phenomena, to first-hand encounters with phantoms and spirits, this collection of spooky sightings from around the city of Plymouth is guaranteed to make your blood run cold. Richly illustrated with over 100 pictures, Haunted Plymouth contains a chilling range of tales. From the ghost of Sir Francis Drake on Plymouth Hoe, poltergeist activity in one of the city's Elizabethan inns and the shade of a lady in white at Widey Court, to French prisoners of war at Devonport Dockyard and a phantom pair legs at a Mutley house, this gathering of ghostly goings-on is bound to captivate everyone interested in the paranormal history of Plymouth and will chill all but the sturdiest of hearts.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780750954389 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | The History Press |
| Publication date: | 08/16/2010 |
| Series: | Haunted |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 96 |
| File size: | 8 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Haunted Plymouth
By Kevin Hynes
The History Press
Copyright © 2013 Kevin HynesAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-7509-5438-9
CHAPTER 1
The Historic Barbican
The Elizabethan House
In the late fifteenth century, Plymouth was a prosperous, bustling port due to an influx of ships and crew, not to mention privateers, craftsmen and merchants who flocked to the seaport. The need for new housing was imperative; this led to the development of New Street. A number of the properties were purposely built for the likes of sea merchants and sea captains, who relied upon the proximity of the sea for their livelihood.
The Elizabethan House on the Barbican dates from 1584 and is a restored captain's dwelling now open to the public. Even today it is not hard to imagine the likes of Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake or Captain Cook strolling down the narrow cobbled streets which line the Barbican.
The most well-known story is from an archaeologist at the Plymouth Museum who had an unexpected experience on a very cold, dank October evening in 1983. The gentleman had arrived early to prepare for the evening's lecture. It was around dusk when he first entered the Elizabethan House and made his way up the old winding staircase. As he ascended the stairs he heard a most peculiar sound, so he hurried to find out where this strange noise was emanating from. As he entered one of the upper floor rooms he saw, to his amazement, a small wooden child's cradle rocking from side to side all by itself, as if some invisible hand was rocking the cradle at a steady pace. At this point the archaeologist turned heel and hurried back down the winding staircase, feeling quite unnerved by what he had seen. By now a number of guests had started to arrive, and he felt compelled to inform them of what, only moments earlier, he had just witnessed up on the upper levels of the Elizabethan House. He even managed to convince a number to join him upstairs to see if the child's cradle would again move freely of its own accord. So, once again, the lecturer ascended the wooden stairs, followed by a handful of his guests. They entered the room and stood around the child's cradle. At this point the cradle was stationary and everyone talked amongst themselves, joking about the situation, but the laughter was cut short as the cradle did indeed start to rock once again from left to right.
Local legend states that the ghost of an infant child has been seen within this small wooden cradle. This has been witnessed only for a brief moment and then the apparition suddenly vanishes.
The figure of a young girl aged around eight has been seen sitting in the corner of the first-floor room. A number of people have seen her looking out of the window whilst they have been walking around the upper floor of this building, and passers-by in the street have been drawn to look up at this window. On a number of occasions passers-by have caught a glimpse of this child looking back at them.
There are many reports of cold spots within the Elizabethan House, and even on a very hot summer's day it is claimed that certain areas become icy cold, even if only for a brief moment.
Certain members of staff have commented that while on the ground floor, they have heard items of furniture being dragged around the upper levels, although upon inspection nothing is reported to be out of place.
Number 34 New Street
Just a short distance from the Elizabethan House is No. 34 New Street; this quaint and attractive building is home to Chris Robinson's Gallery. I have visited this location on numerous occasions and, being a keen local historian, find the collection of books, photographs and pictures that are sold at these premises absolutely fascinating.
On one of my visits I had a very intriguing conversation with a gentleman named Rob, who has worked at the gallery for the past twenty years. Our conversation turned towards the supernatural and it was at this point that I enquired if Rob had ever encountered anything of a spooky nature himself whilst working at this fascinating location. He recalled to me a couple of events that he could not explain, beginning with an unnerving experience that occurred almost twenty years previously.
It was around eleven in the evening and Rob had decided to stay late to finish off some stencil work he had begun earlier in the day. He was working on the first floor of the building and the gallery had been closed for a number of hours. No one else was in the building at this time and everything on the ground floor was locked up and secure. All was quiet until the silence was suddenly broken by the sound of heavy footsteps running at pace down the old spiral staircase. Rob stated that the sound gave him a bit of a fright and recalled that the noise was so deafening that it sounded like a rugby player running down the stairs; he could even feel the vibration underfoot. Rob immediately jumped up and gave chase, running down the wooden staircase after the 'intruder'. By the time he entered the gallery and through to the main building entrance there was no sign of anyone; the door was still securely locked and there was no evidence that anyone had entered, or left, the building. Rob then carried out a thorough search of the entire building, even checking the cellar area. There was no rational explanation for who or what had been responsible for the thundering footsteps, and racing down the staircasewould have been quite a task as you really have to take your time manoeuvring up or down them.
A couple of years after this event Rob received a visit from a lady, who told him that she had lived in the property many years before it became a shop. She enquired if it was OK to have a look around the building, to rekindle some old memories; Rob was more than happy for her to do so. The lady then asked if Sambo was still around. Rob explained that he had been working there for a number of years and was not aware of anyone called Sambo – to which the lady replied that Sambo was not a person, but a ghost. Rob immediately remembered the experience he had had a number of years previously, but before he retold his own experience he asked the lady who Sambo was and how she knew that he was indeed a ghost. The woman told Rob that she had experienced some very odd things whilst living at No. 34 New Street and none more so than the sound of someone running down the old spiral staircase, even though at the time no one else was in the dwelling. The lady called upon a friend who was a sensitive and, as she walked around the building, she immediately picked up on a young boy named Sambo, who had apparently been murdered. It was Sambo who was responsible for the loud footsteps running down the stairs. Rob was at this point amazed at the similarity between the previous owner's account and his own experience within the ancient walls of No. 34 New Street. The meeting of Rob and the lady gives this ghostly tale a great deal of credibility, as two independent witnesses encountered the same haunting.
As an aside, whenever Rob's daughter came to visit him at the gallery, there was one room on the upper floor that she would not enter, as it had such an ominous and sinister feel to it. One wonders if she was picking up on the past impressions left behind by previous souls that resided at No. 34 New Street?
Shirley Valentine's Taverna
Located in New Street on the Barbican, this Elizabethan building has been used for a number of different purposes. In more recent times it was known as the Robin Hood Club, while in 1823 it was the Robin Hood Inn. Today it is home to Shirley Valentine's Taverna, which serves a delicious range of mouth-watering Greek and Turkish cuisine.
Amanda Percival is the current owner of Shirley Valentine's Taverna. I have recently been in communication with her after making her acquaintance on one of my Plymouth ghost walks. Amanda told me that she has experienced some ghostly goings-on since she took over the lease on the property in 2008, and the following is a brief description of the things that have been witnessed by herself and others at the taverna:
When we first took over the lease on the property in 2008 we undertook a few decorating / refurbishment jobs. Sometimes I would be there on my own decorating and I would get the impression and feeling of someone being in the room with me or coming up the stairs. I have heard footsteps on a number of occasions.
Since we have been open and trading, both myself and other staff members have heard footsteps or movement on the first floor and both sets of staircases. I have caught a glimpse of a person's outline and just the top of someone's head going down the stairs. A member of staff has experienced items falling off a window sill and landing unnaturally when no one has been close to the window, which was also closed at the time. We did not feel frightened or threatened, just intrigued.
The activity at Shirley Valentine's continues today – and most recently the apparition of a woman has been seen standing in one particular section of the upstairs eating area.
Tudor Rose Tea Room
The Tudor Rose Tea Room in New Street is an ancient property which boasts an array of imposing spirits.
On a recent visit to this elegant Tea Room I asked a member of staff if she had ever encountered anything out of the ordinary whilst working there. She replied that over the past few years there has been a wide range of paranormal activity, for instance, sightings of figures in the Tea Rooms and ponderous footsteps have been heard above on the first floor, even though at the time no one was in the vicinity. She then went on to explain that items have been moved around the kitchen area – classic poltergeist activity – and that one customer who ordered a cake to go with his tea was left horror-stricken as he witnessed the cake fly off the counter. It was as if it had been pushed by some invisible force – bringing a whole new meaning to the term fast food!
An unnerving encounter was experienced first hand by an acquaintance of mine. In 2008 Diane decided to visit the Tudor Rose Tea Room with her son. They ordered and paid for their drinks and sat quietly in the larger of the two rooms. After a short time Diane's attention was drawn towards an elderly lady sitting in the far corner of the room, who, for some reason, kept looking over at Diane and her son. The woman then spoke to Diane, saying, 'This is my house and I am gentry.' Diane smiled, then looked away and continued to sip her tea. She looked up again to see if the elderly woman was still gazing across at her, but was mystified to see that she had completely vanished! This was most peculiar as there was no physical way that the woman could have left the room without being noticed, plus she would have had to walk past Diane and her son and exited through a glass-panelled door to leave the vicinity. It was only at this point that Diane realised how elegantly dressed the woman had been. This elderly, well-dressed apparition has been witnessed many times since. What I find most amazing is that this phantom actually spoke to Diane, implying that this is an intelligent spirit quite happy to communicate directly with the living.
Black Friars Distillery
Black Friars Distillery on the Barbican is the oldest working gin distillery in England: world-famous Plymouth Gin has been produced here since 1793.
The building dates as far back as the early fourteenth century; the most intact part of the building is the refectory room, which was once a medieval hall and has a hull-shaped timber roof, built in 1431, thus making this building one of the oldest in Plymouth. The distillery was formerly a monastery inhabited by the Black Friars, from whom the distillery gained its name. Other uses for this building have included it being a debtors' prison. It is also believed that a number of the Pilgrim Fathers spent their last night here in 1620, before making the short walk down to the harbour to set sail for their epic voyage to America.
A number of spirits reside within the old stone walls of the distillery – and I am not just talking about those in the bottles! In more recent times, a number of all-night paranormal investigations have taken place at the distillery and a number of presences have been seen and picked up on by psychics.
I would like to offer my personal thanks to Byron Jackson, the founder of the paranormal group, Haunted Devon, for giving me permission to include part of their investigation report. Haunted Devon investigated the Black Friars Distillery in 2006 and the quotes refer to their psychic medium's findings:
Still Room
* The psychic medium sensed that a man had fallen from the still
* A woman in her twenties, believed to be a prostitute, enters the building from the rear of the location, which is known as Black Friars Lane. She is accompanied by a young boy aged around 7 or 8. The boy is related to the young woman but he is not her son
* A past explosion was sensed, which left a man with burns
* American soldiers from the time of the Second World War were sensed in this area. The medium felt that they were carrying boxes
Cellar Area
* The medium sensed that this was once a long tunnel leading from the street through to the lane behind the distillery. In the 1700s it was sensed that paupers would have rested and slept in this area at night
* A strong smell of sack cloth was picked up here. Sanitary conditions were poor, leading to many deaths. The deceased 'were simply put on the road, only to disappear before dawn'
* The psychic felt that this area was used as an air-raid shelter during the Second World War
* Overall, the medium picked up on a vast amount of residual energy
Stock Room
* One of Haunted Devon's psychics sensed that a number of murders dating back over a long period of time had taken place in this area
* This spot was felt to have once been used by paupers. Death seemed quite apparent in this area
Ladies' Restroom
The following are direct quotes from the Haunted Devon investigation report, referring to what the psychic medium sensed in this part of the building:
A lady with two children hides from someone here. They were destitute but afraid of something or someone following them, but could not say what.
A World War Two lady was stabbed here. The gasp sensation reflects where the knife penetrated her. Her death was a result of an argument over personal belongings in the shelter [a small rectangular box]. Her assailant was another woman, who was in uniform and wearing long green socks. The victim was younger [18 or 19 years]. The murderer was older. The whole issue was covered up and forgotten given the circumstances of the time. The victim had few / no relatives so she was easy to dispose of. There were threats to keep quiet about it or access would be denied to the shelter.
Street Area (located just inside the entrance to Black Friars Distillery)
There is a lower area underground – or lower than it is today. This was used to hold people but much of this was not legally binding. People were put in here if they owed money or rent. The conditions were terrible and the area was divided up, possibly into cells. [This was the site of the debtors' prison.]
On a historical note, during the Second World War part of Black Friars Distillery was hit by a German fire bomb. The distillery offices and many of the records were destroyed, which left the production crippled by ingredients rationing at this time.
I have had the pleasure of being given a guided tour by Rose, a member of staff at the Black Friars Distillery. While on my brief visit I asked Rose about the paranormal activity which has been witnessed here over the years. Rose mentioned a few of the presences that have been encountered, confirming what the paranormal group Haunted Devon had previously picked up during their time spent at this ancient location. The most commonly witnessed ghost is that of a young girl named Lucy, who is believed to roam around the whole building. The ghost of a man named Charles is said to haunt the Still Room, and a young prostitute named Elizabeth has appeared in the past. I have also been informed that a monk-like figure has been sighted in certain parts of the ancient building.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Haunted Plymouth by Kevin Hynes. Copyright © 2013 Kevin Hynes. Excerpted by permission of The History Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
About the Author,Introduction & Acknowledgements,
1 The Historic Barbican,
2 The City,
3 Outside the City,
Afterword,
Bibliography & Further Reading,
'All that we see,