Most Haunted Wookey Hole, Somerset

Posted by admin as 11: Season Eleven

Wookey Hole is a village close to Wells in Somerset, England. It is within the parish of St Cuthbert Out.

One possible origin for the name Wookey is from the Old English wocig (an animal trap), although it is also a possible alteration from a Celtic word ogo (cave) referring to Wookey Hole Caves.

The village of Wookey Hole is dominated by the Wookey Hole Caves tourist site which has show caves, and a controversial Crazy Golf course which was built on the site of the village Bowls green.

The village has shops, a pub, restaurants, hotels and a campsite.

Glencot House is a Grade II listed country house dating from 1887, by a Mr George and Harold Peto, for W. S. Hodgkinson. A report of the building appeared in The Building News, 13 May 1887; the architect’s drawing was exhibited at the Royal Academy, and is now at RIBA.

Since 2007 Glencot House has been a country house hotel owned by Martin and Ioana Miller.

The 18th-century Bubwith farmhouse is also a Grade II listed building, as is the post office in the high street.

The Monarch’s Way and Mendip Way long-distance footpaths both pass through the village. Ebbor Gorge National Nature Reserve is just outside the village.

Somerset plays host to Yvette Fielding and the Most Haunted team as they visit Wookey Hole where as the story goes, a witch was turned into stone. The clashing of cymbals and ancient pagan rituals await. The spectacular series of caverns, 25 of which form the wonderful family visitor attraction, were formed over millions of years by what is now the River Axe which runs out of Wookey Hole and past the Mill, giving rise to the local belief that it flows from deep within the Underworld. They have seen human habitation for over 50,000 years and around 200AD, the Greek diarist Clement of Alexandria described hearing sounds like the “clashing of numerous cymbals” coming from the caves. The Mill has its own share of supernatural apparitions which convinced the Most Haunted team that an investigation of Wookey hole and its surroundings was long overdue.

First Broadcast: 10th March 2009

Most Haunted Conference House, Staten Island, New York

Posted by admin as 12: Season Twelve USA

Captain Christopher Billopp built this grand stone manor overlooking the Arthur Kill and Perth Amboy, New Jersey, around 1680, and his grandson, Colonel Christopher Billopp, owned the house when it was taken over by Admiral Lord Richard Howe, head of the British Forces in the Americas.

The museum is named in memory of the 1776 conference convened at the house in an attempt to end the Revolutionary War.

The Conference House is owned by the City of New York, is operated by the Conference House Association, and is a member of the Historic House Trust.

The investigation team held a large group séance in the kitchen basement of the house and the results were amazing.

First Broadcast: 3rd March 2009

Most Haunted Madame Tussards, London

Posted by admin as 11: Season Eleven

London is the destination for Yvette Fielding and the Most Haunted team where fear, dread and eerie dopple-gangers await in the most famous tourist attraction in the world. The attraction has a long and diverse history beginning life in France in the 1700’s – Marie Tussaud, nee Grosholtz, learnt her wax modelling arts from Dr Philippe Curtius, a physician and skilled wax modeller, for whom her mother was housekeeper. On his death, he left his waxwork collection to Marie. By 1835 she was established in London. “The Chamber of Horrors” became one of the first and most popular attractions. Despite success, Madame Tussaud, gained a reputation for being unsmiling and penny-inching. She died in 1850, but her legacy lived on via her sons. The business continued to prosper and by 1884, her grandsons had moved the exhibit to its current location on Marylebone Road. The stories of paranormal occurrences that cling to the attraction and its many exhibits were reason enough for Most Haunted to come and investigate.

Source: LivingTV

First Broadcast: 17th February 2009

Most Haunted Southern Mansion, New Jersey

Posted by admin as 12: Season Twelve USA

An industrialist by the name of George Allen constructed this structure as a summer getaway for him and his family in the year of 1863. He has an avid interest in the architecture that was common in the south, and used that interest to construct this home. While the home has experienced many architectural changes throughout history, one thing remains the same: there are a large number of spirits said to reside in and around the structure. Here, you will learn about those hauntings.

The Spirits of Southern Mansion

 There are said to be many spirits of Southern Mansion. It is believed that the renovations that have occurred at the mansion have brought these spirits into a life of their own. In the following list, you will be introduced to the various spirits that are said to occur at the haunted Southern Mansion in New Jersey :

One of the rooms in the structure has resulted in many to experience what seem to be paranormal experiences. It is believed that a highly emotional death occurred in this particular room, though it is not known whether the death was related to a murder, a suicide, a sickness, or a natural death. Individuals that enter this room claim that they feel the emotions and tension at extremely high levels. Varying degrees of anxiety and tension are said to occur in this particular location. Many often claim that they feel a very “heavy” and uncomfortable feeling, though there have not been a physical appearance of an entity; the “feeling” is there that one exists.

There was a resident of the Southern Mansion by the name of Ester Mercur. It is believed that this lovely lady still resides in the home, despite the fact that she has passed away. Prior to the most recent renovations, she was seen throughout the structure and appeared quite saddened by the overall state of the building. However, those that saw her before the renovations have claimed that her appearance has drastically changed since the renovations were completed. Ester was the niece of the original owner, George Allen. Today, when her apparition is seen, she is happy and appears to be quite content that her home looks as wonderful as it did when she was in it for the last time.

Many who work to prepare meals in the kitchen area often claim that a female apparition intently watches as they prepare the meals, cook the dishes, and clean the kitchen. It often appears as if the elderly woman is quite pleased with the kitchen staff and enjoys trying to help out in the best way possible. It is believed that this is also the spirit of Ester.

When many have visited the home, they have been quite surprised to hear the laughing and jovial voice of a happy female spirit bouncing off the walls of the inside of the structure. In some cases, they not only hear the laughter of the spirit but they see a beautiful woman dancing merrily in various rooms. This is believed to be George Allen’s niece as well! Voices and whispers have been heard throughout the haunted Southern Mansion. It is believed that several spirits of the past are still in the structure and spend time engaging in conversations. Many paranormal researchers have validated the presence of these whispers and voices through the use of EVP, or “Electronic Voice Phenomenon”.

Source: HauntedPlacesToGo

 First Broadcast: 10th February 2009

Most Haunted Newton House

Posted by admin as 11: Season Eleven

The present Newton House dates back to 1660 and Sir Edward Rice – the great-great-great-great-great grandfather of the present Lord Dynevor – the house has substantial 18th-century and Victorian Gothic additions.

In 1943 Newton House was a full-blown Army General Hospital, treating soldiers and prisoners of war.

Newton House has had something of an unhappy recent history. It was sold by the present Lord Dynevor in 1974 and suffered badly, falling into near ruinous disrepair. It was occupied by squatters for many years and was stripped of many of its original features. (No more than two people at a time are allowed on the top floor because the structure has been weakened by the removal of beams and joists for firewood!)

Mercifully, both the mediaeval castle and Newton House have recently been restored by Cadw and the National Trust respectively, who now run the park.

First Broadcast: 3rd February 2009

Most Haunted Fort Delaware

Posted by admin as 12: Season Twelve USA

Fort Delaware is a harbor defense facility built in 1859 on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River. During the American Civil War, the Union used Fort Delaware as a prison for Confederate prisoners of war. The fort and the island currently belong to the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation and encompasses a living history museum, located in Fort Delaware State Park.

History
In 1794, the French military engineer Pierre Charles L’Enfant was surveying for defensive sites. He identified an island that he called Pip Ash “as an ideal site for the defense of the prize of American commerce and culture”.

The island that L’Enfant called Pip Ash was locally known as Pea Patch island. This island was mostly unaffected by humanity with one exception. Dr. Henry Gale, a New Jersey resident, used Pea Patch as a private hunting ground. Gale was offered $30,000 for the island by the US military, but he refused. The military was determined to get the island, so they appealed to the Delaware state legislature, which seized the island from Dr. Gale on May 27, 1813.
Construction of the fort and the Civil War

Construction of a fort on Pea Patch island began sometime before Dec 8, 1817. Chief Engineer Joseph Gardner Swift mentions a fort on the “Pea Patch in Delaware river” among forts that are progressing nicely. [2]. A fire destroyed much of the work in 1831. Major Richard Delafield asked for $10,000 to tear down the remaining structure the following year. The structure was torn down in 1833.

Major Delafield desired to “erect a marvel of military architecture on Pea Patch.” The present structure was erected between 1848 and 1859, becoming the largest fort in the United States at the time.

During the Civil War, beginning in 1862, the island became a prison for captured Confederates and local Southern sympathizers. They were housed not in the fort itself but in wooden barracks that soon covered much of the island. Most of the Confederates captured at Gettysburg were imprisoned there. By August 1863, there were 12,500 prisoners on the island; by war’s end, it had held some 40,000 men. The conditions were predictably notorious, and about 2,900 prisoners died at Fort Delaware.

The fort was also used to organize and muster troops from the first state. Ahl’s Heavy Artillery Company was organized there for garrison duty and served there during its entire service.
The Fort Today
Delaware acquired the Fort from the United States government in 1947 after the Pentagon declared it a “surplus site”.[3][dead link] Today, Fort Delaware State Park encompasses all of Pea Patch Island, including the Fort. Transportation to the island is provided via ferry. Once at the island, visitors are brought to the fort on a jitney. Tours and special programs are available to visitors. For example, visitors may see one of the fort’s cannons fired. There are workers who interpret the roles of people who were at the Fort during the American Civil War.

Beach erosion affecting Pea Patch Island was recognized as a potential threat to the Fort in 1999. The United States Army Corps of Engineers erected a 3,500 foot long seawall during the Winter of 2005-2006 which now protects the historical Fort site and a migratory bird rookery, considered to be the largest such habitat north of Florida.

Fort Delaware has its share of ghost stories and has recently been under investigation for paranormal activity. The Sci-Fi Channel investigation series Ghost Hunters conducted two cases there including a live televised investigation on Halloween in 2008.

Source: Wikipedia
 
First Broadcast: 27th January 2009

Most Haunted SS Great Britain

Posted by admin as 11: Season Eleven

SS Great Britain was an advanced passenger steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Steamship Company’s transatlantic service between Bristol and New York. While other ships had previously been built of iron or equipped with a screw propeller, Great Britain was the first to combine these features in a large ocean-going ship.

When launched in 1843, Great Britain was by far the largest vessel afloat. However, her protracted construction and high cost had left her owners in a difficult financial position, and they were forced out of business in 1846 after the ship was stranded by a navigational error.

Sold for salvage and repaired, Great Britain carried thousands of immigrants to Australia until converted to sail in 1881. In 1882, Great Britain was converted into a sailing ship to transport bulk coal but, after a fire on board in 1886, she was found on arrival at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands to be damaged beyond repair. She was sold to the Falkland Islands Company and used, afloat, as a storage hulk (coal bunker) until 1937, when she was towed to Sparrow Cove, 3.5 miles from Port Stanley, scuttled and abandoned. In her role as coal bunker, she served to refuel the South Atlantic fleet that defeated Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee’s fleet, in the First World War Battle of the Falkland Islands. In the Second World War, some of her iron was scavenged to repair HMS Exeter, one of the Royal Navy ships that fought the Graf Spee and was badly damaged during the Battle of the River Plate; and was utlitmately sunk during the Battle of Sunda Strait in 1942.

In 1970, Great Britain was returned to the Bristol dry dock where she was first built. Now listed as part of the National Historic Fleet, Core Collection, the vessel is an award-winning visitor attraction and museum ship in Bristol Harbour, with between 150,000-170,000 visitors annually.

First Broadcast: 2oth January 2009

Most Haunted Ledge Light House, New London, Connecticut

Posted by admin as 12: Season Twelve USA

This one-of-a-kind building was one of the last lighthouses built in New England, and it represents a rare case of an early 20th century offshore lighthouse that is not of cast-iron construction. The stately red brick building with its mansard roof and granite detailing makes a striking picture standing off by itself near the entrance to Connecticut’s New London Harbor, at the extreme eastern end of Long Island Sound.

The lighthouse was at first called Southwest Ledge Light, but the name was changed to avoid confusion with the lighthouse of the same name in New Haven Harbor.

Coast Guard crews lived at the lighthouse from 1939 until its automation in 1987. The crew worked in three man shifts, spending up to three weeks at the lighthouse followed by six days on shore. Somebody once explained why there were three men at the lighthouse at one time — if two men had a fight, there would be a third to break it up. The Coast Guardsmen spent much of their time fishing and working out in the small gym in the lighthouse.

Probably the best-known part of this station’s history and lore is the lighthouse’s infamous ghost, “Ernie.” It’s been claimed that in the 1920s or ’30s, a keeper learned that his wife had run off with the captain of the Block Island ferry. Distraught, the keeper jumped — or fell — from the roof of the lighthouse to his death, the story goes. Some versions of this story say that Ernie’s real name may have been John Randolf or Randolph. If there’s any truth behind the legend, it’s elusive.
 
First Broadcast: 6th January 2009

Most Haunted Jedburgh Castle

Posted by admin as 11: Season Eleven

 Jedburgh Castle Jail was built on the former site of the 12th century fortress Jethart Castle which had been built by King David I to protect the town of Jedburgh. King Malcolm IV died at Jethart Castle in 1165. The original Jethart Castle was destroyed in 1409 by order of the Scottish Parliament to prevent it falling into the ownership of English invaders.

Jedburgh Castle Jail was a Howard reform prison and built in the year 1823 on the site of the former Jethart Castle.

The Victorian Jedburgh Castle Jail housed men, women and children and was mostly used as a debtors jail. It was a harsh prison and conditions were bleak and much cruelty took place within the jail. There were executions at Jedburgh Castle Jail where criminals were hung on the gallows. This included Thomas Wilson who was executed after being found guilty for the murder of a young shepherd at St Boswells Fair. It was later discovered Thomas Wilson was innocent – perhaps he is one of the ghosts who walk the earth to prove his innocence.

Jedburgh Castle Jail closed in 1886 and prisoners were imprisoned in larger, more modern jails and prisons in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Though the inmates were transferred the ghosts and spirits of restless inmates who died at this harsh jail remain.

The Jedburgh Castle Jail was much later turned into a museum and the former woman and children wings and cell blocks are open to the public. Other parts of the Jedburgh Castle Jail Museum were turned into a museum of social life that demonstrates 19th century prison life and the history of Jedburgh. There are displays of imprisonment items that would have been used at the prison and costumed figures in the cells and buildings.

Source: http://www.aboutaberdeen.com/
 
First Broadcast: 30th December 2008

Most Haunted Sleepy Hollow

Posted by admin as 12: Season Twelve USA

Sleepy Hollow is a village in the Town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about 30 miles north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by the Philipse Manor stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line. To the south of Sleepy Hollow is the village of Tarrytown, and to the north and east are unincorporated parts of Mount Pleasant.

The village is the location of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where Washington Irving, the writer of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, is buried, along with Andrew Carnegie, Walter P. Chrysler, Brooke Astor, Elizabeth Arden, Thomas J. Watson of IBM and many others. Philipsburg Manor and the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow are located in the village as well.

First Broadcast: 23rd December 2008