Woodlands Castle

Wood Woodlands Disappoint.

Woodlands castle is not so aptly named!  You would be fooled into thinking it is a ruined old castle with legends and tales associated to it, well not quite.

Woodlands castle sits just outside Taunton, England and is used as a conference/wedding venue. The building was built in 1810 1810, and was remodelled and enlarged by Richard Carver.
The house originally a farm house is far more elaborate than you would expect from a late 18th century early 19th century building.

Notable residents of the house include Major-General Henry Brasnell Tuson, aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria, Commandant-General of the Royal Marines, and in more recent years Dr Fleming.

The investigation began at 8pm with a new company for us 'Beyond the Grave'... We were eager to see how they handled the large crowd. After a short introduction we were off to investigate the house... No history tour no medium tour no info really! (good and bad to this approach).

The house was full of 'HUNT' paintings and pictures and absolutely resembled a typical English Country manor house of it's time..

Office/Study
A small room and easily shut off from the group, we began a vigil, EVP's taken and digital still photos, apart from the sound of the goldfish absolutely no evidence found. 


Cellar
It was when we regrouped and made our way to the cellar that the place became rather more interesting - the current manager decided to join us along with 2 members of his waitressing staff. After about 20mins of silent vigils we had both EMF detectors reading red at the same time on response to questions regarding a groundsman that has passed only 2 weeks ago. One guest of the group picked up his name/dogs name and his reason for passing.. - The one lady member of staff knew him well and quantified these details... The area became very heavy and dark and there were a number of shuffling noises recorded..




Upstairs bedroom 1

A small group of 5 of us gathered and began with the planchette, we got movement after about 10 minutes and got a number of names coming through Richard, who was married to Heather. He had caused her death by his abusive behaviour towards her.

Downstairs back room
Whilst holding a larger vigil in this room a huge lump of previously held plasterboard fell from the ceiling onto the floor and shattered, to say that the group dispersed is an understatement, we shot to the other corner of the room... Very strange but can't be ruled out with shoddy handy work!

A small, odd kind of venue but with an interesting history tied into Alexander Flemming. 

Main evidence, EMF spikes and unexplained noises.
Best Room for evidence - Cellar.

Update on Hellfire caves

Having gone back and reviewed the photos we took at Hell Fire Caves - I have just spotted something that at the time went unnoticed. I am not saying that this is paranormal or that we have captured a face but it is unusual in the fact that the rest of the stone surface captured doesn't display these shapes...

If you look carefully above the orb in the foreground and slightly to the right there seems to be an image of a face.... you can make out the nose, 2 eyes and a smiling mouth.... I'm not sure what this is and it may well be just matrixing from the camera, but it's a strange one

Cefn Cribwr SIgnal Box

CEFN CRIBWR SIGNAL BOX

The History & stories
This was an investigation that we had on the cards for a long while... The signal box is a place we had been quite a few times before and the history and stories associated with it are well known in the area... The activity is said to be centred around the death of a railway worker by the name of WALTER CURL it is said that he fell from a maintenance ladder and broke his neck and died whilst on duty there.


The signal box became an active signal control room in 1898 at the junction between the newly opened Port Talbot line (PTR) and the older Porthcawl Branch. By about 1910, the industrial area immediately to the north of the signal box had passed it's heyday. The Cefn Ironworks closed in 1901, Cefn Slip Colliery which opened c. 1860 would close in 1912.
The Porthcawl Branch had disappeared by 1974 but the PTR and Box still remains.  It has more recently been restored to it's former working glory by a local group who are eager to keep the original items associated with the signal box and the working railway line as intact as possible.

The investigation

The signal box is a two storey building and quite a small space so we began our investigation downstairs where the pullies and controls for changing the railway signals would have been. We set up our 'X' camera at the back of the room and placed two motion detectors across the entrance and then went upstairs....

The feeling in the upstairs room was definitely calmer than that downstairs, where I felt a sense of urgency and bustle. We began taking EMF recordings and instantly started getting some strange readings at the back of the room, some on response to the questions we were asking.... We tried communicating with Walter Curl and asked various questions about his work and how he died.   The readings had continued and we began a EVP session. On reviewing the digital recordings no audible voices were captured, although we did both hear a very strange gasping sound coming from just at the door upstairs but was not captured on our digital recorder.

The night was relatively quiet overall, I would say that if Walter Curl's spirit lives on in Cefn signal box and if he continues to work the signals and lines, that maybe we just visited on his day off! Although like I always say 

"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence"

Pay the Station box a visit - you may just get to speak to Walter himself - Happy investigating

Hyper Smash

The Ancient Ram Inn - deemed the most haunted Inn in England

The Ancient Ram Inn in Wotton-under-edge most certainly has a reputation, known for decades to be the most haunted building in England it's walls have seem it's fair share of tourists, sceptics and investigators. Built in 1145 on the cross over point of leylines stretching to Stone Henge and originally owned by St Mary's Church the Inn has seen it's fair share of, fighting, celebration, witchcraft and murder.
The current owner Mr John Humphries has owned the building since 1968 when he bought it from the brewery for a mere £2600. John only lives in 2 rooms of the Inn explaining that he is just too petrified to go upstairs.



We arrive at the inn at 9pm and the evening is perfect for an investigation, a dry and cold night with no wind.  The outside of the Inn is unmistakably cliche, it is most certainly ancient but looks nothing like any Inn I've ever been into.

We meet the group around the back and instantly you can feel the anticipation amongst the group, this is one of those investigations that holds such hope, it's character well known and it's stories even more so.


We meet John the owner, a man of 84 but still very much aware and with an amazing knowledge of the building and it's residents.  Although I feel he thrives on the presence of whatever is supposed to be here he seems grounded.

Without a doubt the first evident thing about the place is that it is the home of a hoarder, there are items scattered everywhere and even a motorbike in the kitchen alongside a Wham album!. this would be an investigation that could throw up a lot of sound contamination.

First stop the Witches room on the first floor

We set up the static cam near the window and facing the door, where its is said the Witch and her cat have appeared. The room feels heavy but the ceiling is low and oppressive.  We settle down and roll on the voice recorder, after about 30 minutes we catch a tinkering sound from near the window, it comes on demand almost so we ask some questions,  after a period of silence on this we did debunk it as the flag  on the flagpole out side the window hitting the metal... no other results from this room...

The Bishops Room

This room had an immediate feeling when you entered of urgency, like there was a lot of rushing going on, it took a long time for the group to settle and after a few minutes a few shadows were spotted in the corner of the room, I sat on the stool in that corner and felt as though I was being pressed down on my head, others said they spotted a dark shadow over the top of my head, but i felt no more than slightly uncomfortable and after investigating put the shadows down to the mirror being caught by the light from passing cars... 

The bar area and adjoining corridor

For me this was the most unsettling area of the Inn, with an open excavated Pagan grave in one corner and the old Triumph motorbike sat opposite, it was ancient verses new world for me and I wondered which would win in a battle.... The open grave is something that John the owner discovered after having numerous strange events at the Inn, including being woken each night by what he believes to be an Incubus spirit trying to have sex with him. He started to dig in the bar and discovered numerous children's bones, believing it to be part of a sacrificial ancient site.  The bar is dark and heavy we had a few strange responsive sounds that we captured on digital with an EVP of a deep mans voice sighing.

Without a doubt the Ancient Ram Inn is a strange period of history captured within 4 walls, and it most certainly has a hold of some kind over the current owner, is it haunted?  It contains something unexplainable and unpalatable but it maybe be the extreme energy built up over  it's history....

Llancaiach Fawr Manor House – Near Caerphilly South Wales

A house with a plan to single you out!

 Llancaiach Fawr isn't one of the most well known locations for hauntings but it didn’t disappoint. A large country manor house situated in vast grounds, It’s now owned by the local council about it’s history runs deep..


Built in 1530 for Dafydd ap Richard it was designed to be easily defended during the turbulent reigns of Tudor Kings and Queens. By the start of the Stuart dynasty the Prichard’s had prospered and the house was extended in 1628.


This was a first for us as we were taking guests on this ghost hunt and rather skeptical guests at that. As we approached the building the first thing that became visible is the tall front tower of the house, it’s walls leaning inward at an exaggerated angle add to the mystery and macabre of the building. Small dark glass windows are randomly dotted over the surface with iron criss-cross wire on every one. Llancaiach is most definitely one thing – lonely and desolate.


After a brief introduction about the history of the building the small group of 6 of us are ushered through into room 1.......



Room 1 – the entrance room and main staircase. Two young boys are said to haunt the stairs and have been seen and heard running and playing up and down the stairwell. Tonight they seemed to be just patiently watching us…. The room seemed quiet apart from a few slow small whimpering sounds coming from one corner which were heard by 2 of the group, could have been the outside wind whistling under the door frame so we moved on.


Room 2 – Mattie’s Kitchen An intriguing room, full of old pots and pans and a large solid oak table in the centre, we circled the table and stood quietly, as soon as we had closed our eyes there was a swift bang on metal from the corner of the room, a few screeches were heard – mostly human!.. followed by a small almond shaped white light that shot from the window through the opposite wall. An amazing sight and one to quiet the skeptics amongst us.. Mattie may have been there – had we disturbed her cooking the evening meal I wondered…. 

Room 3 – the invisible hand that rocks the cradle.. This room is accessed via a metal staircase and on first glance seems open and friendly, but the furtherest corner where the cradle sits is heavy and dark. The main activity in this room is a feeling of swaying and the cradle being rocked on its own, this has been caught on camera numerous times. We experienced a strange creaking noises but didn’t capture any movement on the cradle, there were some curious squeaks from near ground level that seemed to be moving around the group… could easily have been the creaking floorboards as the floor was very uneven.

To sum up Llancaiach Fawr it is a magnificent manor house with a deceptive and queasy feel in every room, on advice beware of loosing the group as it seems that this old, and dominant house can pick people off and target their fears….

Check out the Live web cam on the BBC Site for up to date images of the Manor....you may even spot something yourself..........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/southeastwales/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8418000/8418089.stm

Malicious Margam

Margam Castle on a cold dark, dreary Winters night..... there's no where i'd rather be!


Margam Castle is a grand old mansion house that sits in the middle of Margam Country Park, near Port Talbot in South Wales. Originally built for the Talbot family in the early 1800's, the castle is of gothic style with lots of intricate stone work.


It was 9pm as we approached the tall towers of the castle and it was all a little weird. I know Margam Castle very well and had visited the gardens throughout my childhood, although not to seek out the paranormal.  I always remember the Castle to be a grand building that smelt of old people. I'd never felt uneasy here in my past or seen anything unexplainable, until this night...

Reported activity

The angry spirit of old Robert Scott the gamekeeper is frequently encountered on the Gothic staircase. It is said that he was murdered by a poacher and his spirit will not settle due to the rage his still feels…


Apparitions of children in Victorian clothing have been witnessed going in and out of some of the rooms. Stones have been thrown, chattering voices are often heard with no sign of any living intruder! The ghost of a white lady is said to roam the castle.  The castle is said to be one of the most haunted castles in Britain



The base room and staircase
A grand room with a very regal red carpet, the air was heavy in the room all evening, there were a few people in the party who kept suddenly turning and looking behind themselves when we were all sat down in a circle.  The medium picked up on the spirit of an angry man dressed in long boots and overalls.  There were unexpected noises on the stairs almost like a clinking of china.

1st floor room 1
Many people were not keane to enter this room, it was open and drafty with a strange smell of tabbacco, I found this room the most comfortable in the castle, it felt almost settled and peaceful as though it had been forgiven of a dreadful dead. We conducted numerous paranormal test in here, including throwing small stones into the corner, the activity in here seemed to start as soon as we were making our way out into the next room.  One lady felt her hair being pulled from a very low angle and stones were thrown onto the back of myself and someone else. 


1st floor - the back room with the hatch!
now this was a room so heavy it weighs down on your lungs as soon as you enter, a small damp and windowless room, which has a small wooden hatch opposite the doorway, a boarded up tunnel maybe. Just about big enough to hold us all but we squeezed in and formed a circle, not seconds after we all went quiet were scuffling sounds heard and someone felt as though they were pushed into the centre.  I had an overwhelming urge to move away from the back left corner of the room, as though someone was holding a red hot poker to my back. Definitely the most oppressive area of Margam Castle...  but don't take my word for it...why not go and find out what you feel

Woodchester - the abandoned mansion

This was an amazingly hard building to find, just as you’d expect set amongst forested countryside and miles down country lanes, lies Woodchester Mansion House..
We got there just after 8.30pm and the sky was black, very appropriately it was a full moon, which Wayne failed to find any relevance to…! He’s the skeptical one out of the two of us….

The approaching dirt track to the house is over a rough terrain and my little clio was having trouble. 

As we reached the bottom there stands the Mansion House an unfinished, gothic style house, which has lain in its unfinished state since 1870. The house was abandoned by its builders in the middle of construction, as the story goes they were disturbed by an unexplainable presence and left suddenly one night leaving behind a building that appears complete from the outside, but with floors, plaster and whole rooms missing inside.
We gathered with the group and made our way inside, after a brief but disturbing history tour we got down to the juicy bits and started our investigation.

Ground floorA vacant space with a strangely modern feel to it, modern wooden stairs are oddly joined to some of the original intricate stonewalls. It had an airy feel to it and nothing seemed to be triggering my senses. One of the more eerie rooms was the chapel, lit by two large stained glass windows. One of the more intriguing stories surrounding the chapel involves apparent 'Satanic rituals', which are said to have taken place, during the 1980's.

CellarThis was a completely different ball game! We all stood in a circle of about 12 and remained deathly silent for about 15 minutes, there were clinking noises coming from the corridor behind us as if some one was putting tools into a metal toolbox. Also the air became very oppressive and a few people had to leave. This may well have been claustrophobia as the ceilings were very low.

Floor 2
Open doorways and shear drops met us on this floor; the feeling of abandonment grew more prominent.  We stood huddled together in a close secure group and listened. One lady who was about 40 began to giggle, then the giggle turned into hysterics, it seemed to be out of place as she was with her 17 year old daughter and was having trouble controlling this fit of laughter, we asked her to move away from the circle to see if it continued. It stopped. She came back into the atmosphere and once again she could not stop laughing. It proved more than slightly strange, as she couldn’t explain it herself… 

The guide asked if one of us would like to go it alone and sit on the pews which lined the back of the corridor, about 20 yards away. I happily volunteered trying to get the most out of the venue and experience something unexplainable myself. I sat on the cold wooden church pew and closed my eyes, I suddenly felt as though someone was playing with my shoelaces, untying them then tying them together in jest. I could feel a cold draft to my left and the others seen a bright white light appear over the top of my head. I didn’t feel threatened or anxious just curious…

The other rooms in Woodchester proved somewhat uneventful although the whole building is most definitely in a preserved state of abandonment – for what reason who knows.