Most Haunted Live Guide

Most Haunted Locations

Halloween 2002 : Dudley Castle

The first Most Haunted Live episode sees the Most Haunted crew taking on Dudley Castle on Halloween night.

History of Dudley Castle

Dudley Castle was founded in the Norman style around 1071 and underwent many changes over the following centuries.

In 1530 it was rebuilt as a Renaissance palace by John Dudley who was later beheaded by Queen Mary for hatching the ill-fated plot to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne. During the Civil War the Castle was a Royalist stronghold but surrendered in 1646 following the defeat of Charles I at Naseby.

The living accommodation was used by the Earls of Dudley until 1750 when it was gutted by a huge fire which burned for three days. By then the family had moved to nearby Himley Hall, but continued to hold the site and were responsible for founding Dudley Zoo in 1937.

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Christmas 2002 : Dover Castle

Most Haunted Live at Christmas takes presenters Yvette Fielding, David Bull, spirit medium Derek Acorah, and the rest of the ghost-hunting team to Dover Castle in a bid to name the band of brigands who beheaded and robbed a young Drummer Boy in the castle grounds.

History

One of the largest castles in the country, strategically located at the shortest crossing point to continental Europe, Dover Castle has played a prominent part in national history. Its origins lie in the Iron Age, and a Roman Lighthouse and Anglo-Saxon church can still be seen within the grounds.

William of Normandy strengthened existing Anglo-Saxon fortifications here in 1066, but it was Henry II who set the blueprint for today's castle when he had the fortifications rebuilt in the 1180's, adding the massive keep and a series of concentric defences. Over the centuries, the defences were continually enlarged and improved, with the castle retaining a military role into the mid twentieth century. An underground hospital and the command centre used for the Dunkirk evacuation are a legacy from the Second World War.

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April Fools Day 2003 :: Grand Midland Hotel

The Most Haunted team take on the Midland Grand Hotel live on April Fools Day.

History

In May 1865, (while the station was still being constructed), the Midland Railway Company launched a competition for the design of a 150 bed hotel, with eleven architects asked to submit their entries.
One of the architects, Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811-1878), got completely carried away and submitted a grand plan bigger and far more expensive that the original specification.
But his bare-faced audacity paid off and he was awarded the contract - although the Directors of the Midland Railway immediately demanded some hefty cost cutting measures which included knocking off two floors of office accommodation and one floor level from the hotel.
The usual financial problems beset construction, causing delays in building the hotel with the eastern wing of the building not opening until 5 May 1873, with the rest following in Spring 1876. Altogether, the hotel fabric had cost £304,335, decoration and fittings £49,000 furnishings £84,000, adding up to a not-inconsiderable £437,335.
The completed building had used 60 million bricks and 9,000 tons of ironwork including polished columns of fourteen different British granites and limestones.
The Midland Grand soon acquired an excellent reputation as an upmarket, 300-room hotel, charging 14 shillings (70p) a night in 1879 - only six pence (2.5p) more than the luxurious and famed Langham in Portland Place, W1.
Inside, the fixtures and fittings throughout the hotel were to a very high standard with Gillow (now Waring and Gillow) being closely involved in providing furniture and furnishings.
The building included many innovative features including hydraulic 'ascending chambers', concrete floors, revolving doors and a fireproof floor construction.
The Victorian decor was rich, lavish and expensive, with suites of rooms decorated with gold-leafed walls and a blazing fire in every room.
But the hotel was built before the time of en suite bathrooms, requiring an army of servants to scuttle around the 300 rooms, laden with tubs, bowls, spittoons and chamber pots.
The hotel managed to prosper until after the first world war, but even the Moroccan coffee house and in-house orchestra couldn't protect the hotel from the country-wide decline in the hotel trade.

The Midland Grand was taken over by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1922, before closing in 1935 - its facilities were outdated and it had become too expensive to run and refurbish. Now renamed St Pancras Chambers, the premises settled down to a somewhat less glamourous existence as railway office.
The building survived the bombing raids of the Second World War but found itself threatened with complete demolition in the 1960s.
Thankfully, this incredible building was saved from being swept away, and was awarded Grade 1 listed status in recognition of its importance as an example of high Victorian Gothic architecture.
In the 1980s, the building failed its fire certificate and was closed down, remaining empty ever since.
In the mid nineties, the exterior of the building was restored to its original condition and made structurally sound and weatherproof, at a cost of around £10 million (paid for by British Rail and English Heritage).
Some restoration work continues to take part, while the entire site around St Pancras is being dug up as work on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link continues.
Although the interior of the building has suffered badly at the hands of corporate vandalism, much of the original decoration, including stencilling, mosaics and ornamental ceilings, survives.

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Summer Solstice 2003 :: Woodchester Mansion

The day when the power of the sun is at its greatest and the power of the darkness is even more so ... when Derek, Yvette and Phil with the Most Haunted team are sent out to unravel the secrets of Woodchester Mansion

History

The present, incomplete Mansion at Woodchester Park replaced a Georgian country house called Spring Park, which was first built at the beginning of the 17th Century and named for the many springs in the valley. The estate, which had much earlier origins, which included Nympsfield, parts of the parishes of Frocester, Kings Stanley, Avening and Horsley, as well as Woodchester village, and formed part of the land holdings of the second Earl of Ducie. It was put up for sale by them in 1844.

William Leigh, a devout convert to the Roman Catholic church, bought the estate in 1845 for £100,000, moving from his home at Little Aston Hall in Staffordshire. Leigh approached Augustus Welby Pugin, co-architect of the newly built Palace of Westminster, inviting him to design a new house in the fashionable Gothic style. After initial discussions Pugin dropped out of consideration, and Leigh looked elsewhere.

Leigh gave land in nearby South Woodchester to the Congregation of Passionists for the construction of a Roman Catholic church and a monastery for the Passionist brothers. His architect was now Charles Francis Hansom of Bristol, brother of the designer of the Hansom Cab.

By 1854 Leigh returned to the idea of creating a grand Gothic mansion in Woodchester Park, and a new set of designs was prepared by Hansom’s office. By 1859, however, most of the drawings were being produced by Hansom’s assistant Benjamin Bucknall, who was local to the Stroud area. Bucknall was very young for the responsibility of such a large scheme, being only 21 when he began. However his passion for the spiritual qualities of the purest forms of Gothic architecture led to Leigh entrusting him with the Mansion project. Bucknall was greatly influenced by the French architect and writer, Viollet-le-Duc, whose greatest treatise, the "Dictionnaire Raisonne de L'Architecture Francaise du Xième au XVIème Siecle", provided a treasure chest of ideas for the young Englishman. Bucknall eventually translated the work into English.

Woodchester is undoubtedly Bucknall’s masterpiece and, even incomplete, illustrates his profound grasp of the medieval Gothic tradition. It is rich in architectural form and details and appears today as an astonishing blend of the domestic and the monastic, with brewery, bakery and laundry cheek-by-jowl with one of the most beautiful private chapels in England. The exact date for the start of building is uncertain, but by 1858 the clock tower had been completed, and by 1866 the main building had been roofed. In its heyday there were over 100 people of varying trades working on the site.

A 1904 Postcard of the Lake William Leigh died in 1873. His son, also William Leigh (known locally as Squire Leigh) did not have his father’s religious vocation and he asked a number of architects, including Bucknall, to give advice about his father’s house. Many schemes were advanced, including recommendations to demolish and rebuild – advice which uncannily echoed A.W. Pugin’s original advice on Spring Park. No scheme was taken up, perhaps because the estate was now considered too small to support the original Mansion and funds for total rebuilding were too scarce. The only work of any significance to be carried out after Leigh’s death was the completion of the Drawing Room for a visit by Cardinal Vaughan in 1894.

The estate remained in the Leigh family until 1938. Vincent Leigh, Squire Leigh’s son, lived in part of the Mansion at the turn of the century whilst his sisters Blanche and Beatrice lived at Scar Hill, the lodge near the main gate. Blanche and Beatrice sold the estate to the Barnwood Trust, who intended to convert the Mansion into a mental home. But the house was somehow, once again, left undisturbed.

American/Canadian Tents in the ParkAfter 1938 the Park and its Mansion had a chequered history. American and Canadian troops used it as a base during the Second World War, constructing pontoon bridges over the lake in preparation for D-Day. In the 1950s the Mansion became a field study centre, but was not altered. After further changes of ownership Stroud District Council bought the Mansion, now classified as a Grade 1 Listed building, to save it from ruin. (English Heritage provided 75% of the £20,000 cost). Emergency repairs costing £30,000 were carried out, again aided by English Heritage. But heritage and conservation organisations considered the Mansion too expensive a project to undertake.

A shell exploding in the lakeIn 1988 the Woodchester Mansion Conservation Group was set up by local people, becoming a Charitable Trust in 1989. In 1992, as The Woodchester Mansion Trust, the new body signed a 99-year lease on the Mansion and 23 acres of pasture. The Trust is repairing the house, preserving it in its unfinished state with regular public access, and provides training in stonemasonry, conservation and architecture, with courses for students and the general public. It is the only on-site training opportunity nationally for students of stonemasonry.

The Heritage Trust has set about the task of raising more than £5 million for repairs to complete its programme of conservation for the Mansion. With the help of an initial Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £815,000, the Trust has been able to complete the first three phases of restoration, including the repair of the Grand Staircase, essential works to the rainwater system and in 2003 the restoration of the West Range and Clock Tower.

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Halloween 2003 :: Beaulieu Abbey

Includes special Hallowe'en edition of "Loose Lips", an entartainment show hosted by Melinda Messenger and Richard Arnold. Join them live from Beaulieu Abbey with the Most Haunted ghost hunting team.

Beaulieu Abbey was founded in 1204 by Cistercian monks on land given to them by King John. Although much was destroyed at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII, there is still much for visitors to see today.
The Domus, once the lay brothers' refectory, houses an exhibition of monastic life prior to the Abbey's purchase by Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton in 1538. Visitors can view a series of modern embroidered wall hangings depicting scenes from medieval monastic life and the history of the Abbey since 1204. The Abbey Cloister is a place of tranquillity, planted with fragrant herbs.

In medieval times, when the Abbey was an important Cistercian monastery, the monks would have provided hospitality to visitors. Indeed, by the 15th century when the monks' numbers had dwindled, the Domus was adapted to accommodate important guests.

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3 Days investigating the legend of Dick Turpin

Night One Hampstead Heath, Spaniards Inn

Night Two Epping Forest

Night Three Knavesmire

265 Years ago, a man destined for disaster made his way north to York on the run from a vengeful army, stopping along the way to confiscate the riches of those he deemed too privileged. Following his arrest in October 1738, Dick Turpin spent his final Christmas and New Year at York Castle prison before being put to death in April 1739. It was a tourist attraction then, and to this day visitors come to hail the legend of Dick. This New Year, Yvette Fielding, Derek Acorah and the Most Haunted team will start a three-day extravaganza of paranormal investigations that start in London and make their way to York. Will they solve the mystery that is Dick Turpin?

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Leap Year 2004 :: William Shakespeare

Night One : Avon Riverbank, Falstaff Experience, New Place

Night Two : Halls Croft, Clopton House and Well

On this Leap Day, in memory of the man who wrote the greatest love stories ever told, Most Haunted Live will endeavour to unearth the mysteries and stories that surround the Stratford bard, William Shakespeare. Spoken from the heart and immortalised in print, the life and works of Shakespeare have created some of the most romantic heroes and heroines of our time, inspired by local tragedy and the many muses and women who filled his heart.

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Easter 2004 :: Witchfinder General

Day 1 Graveyard Of St. Nicholas Church, Crossroads

Day 2 Seafield Bay, The White Hart, Mannigtree Green

Day 3 Mistley Towers, Thorn Hotel, Mistley Pnd & Hpoong Bridge, Church Ruins

This holiday weekend, Derek, Yvette and the rest of the Most Haunted team will be following the story of "The Witchfinder General" and that of the Essex witch trials to tap into the past and reveal some of England's darkest secrets!

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Summer Solstice 2004 :: Derby

Day 1 House Of John Flamsteed, The Silk Mill, The Old Dolphin Inn

Day 2 McCluskys Nightclub, Derby Gaol, The Friary

Day 3 Elvaston Castle

Most Haunted Live Summer Solstice comes from the 'dead' centre of Britain. Is Derby Britain's most haunted city?

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Series 5 Countdown : Llanbedr, North Wales

Maes Artro Heritage, RAF Llanbedr

On September 11, 12 and 13th, the Most Haunted Live team investigate Llanbedr, North Wales. The site, at Maes Artro Heritage, served as the living quarters for the adjacent RAF Llanbedr air base during WWII. The base opened in 1941 as a training and rest camp for active squadrons. Since then, the base has witnessed much violent loss of life. Unexplained crashes and accidents were frequent and rumours abound of other macabre incidents...

Located in Llanbedr near Harlech, Maes Artro Village Museum includes three different museums that portray life in the 20th century. The RAF Museum gives the history of RAF Llanbedr, which used Maes Artro Village as its living quarters; the Rural Heritage museums shows how people lived before the electric revolution and the Yester Years Museum features a re-created Welsh village street from the 1900.

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Halloween 2004 :: Pendle Hill

Night One : Lower Well Head Farm, Bull Hole Farm, Tynedale Farm

Night Two : Waddow Hall

History

The relatively undiscovered region known as Pendle takes its name from Pendle Hill, which can be seen from different angles throughout the area, the 'pen' being the same word as the Welsh for 'hill'.

Pendle Hill towers 1,831 ft. above the region, and as well as the obvious connection with the history of the Witches in 1612, it used to be a beacon hill at the time of the Spanish Armada.

The hill has been associated with the formation of the Quakers and of Methodism, In 1652 George Fox, the founder of the Quakers, had a vision after climbing to its summit. The Quakers flourished, but at the time were often bitterly persecuted.

The village of Trawden was home to their first meeting house in 1697, although membership began to fall around 1844, doubtless due to the strict mode of life adopted by the movement. Methodism too flourished under its founder, John Wesley, who was inspired in his sermons by the beautiful Pendle countryside and landscapes. In 1759 he was preaching to his followers in Waterside in Colne.

In 1821 Methodism flourished under Sir William Hartley Pickles and many chapels can still be seen in the region, although many have now been converted into private homes.

Sir William Hartley Pickles was one of the region's famous sons - he set up factories for jam making and preserving, whose products grew to be world famous and helped to put the area on the map. Another well-known local was one Wallace Hartley, a musician on the ill-fated 'Titanic', who bravely played 'Nearer my God to thee' as the ship was sinking, and indeed perished with his fellow musicians and most of the passengers. He is buried in Colne and has a memorial dedicated to him in the town, which has been visited by people worldwide, particularly since the success of the recent film about the story.

The architecture of the area still reflects its history - Nelson and Colne were once towns at the heart of the Lancashire cotton industry, made famous by the author Robert Neill, author of 'Mist over Pendle' and 'Songs of Sunrise', telling the story of the lives of people in the area during the 19th Century, when passions were aroused by the introduction of power looms. Before the turn of the century indeed most people in the region were earning their living on the land or from textiles, the early morning and evening noise of clogs on cobbles could be heard throughout the area. The area also saw the Chartist riots and the arrival of gas light, and also the steam railway, the building of the Leeds/Liverpool canal for the transportation of cloth from the mills to the port of Liverpool and wool to the factories in Leeds.

The area has several pretty villages with historical connections, one of which is Wycoller (pictured right), the buildings reflecting the architecture of the 17th Century, and it is said that the Old Hall inspired Charlotte Bronte to make it the 'Ferndean Manor' in her 'Jane Eyre'. The villages of Barley and Roughlee feature in the history of the Pendle Witches. All the Pendleside villages have historical backgrounds and we can only hope to give you a taste here of their charm and beauty but we feel you will be captivated by the character and mystery of the area under the shadow of Pendle Hill.

For info on the Pendle Witches visit

http://www.pendlewitchproject.co.uk

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Christmas 2004 :: Blackpool

Night One : Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Night Two : The Tower

Night Three : Winter Gardens

Derek, Yvette, and the team investigate the town of Blackpool. Under the darkened New Moon what will they uncover, and what will they learn about Blackpools curious past!

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Torbay 2005

Day 1 Lupton House

Day 2 The Globe Hotel, Brixham Heritage Museum, Smugglers Haunt

Day 3 Berry Pomeroy Castle

The Most Haunted Team are spending the Weekend in South Devon at Torbay and Brixham. Famous for its history of smuggling from ships, as well as other dark goings on around the area. What will they find out as they explore the Lupton Hall, a house built in the late 1700's? What disaster befell the Hall? And who are the spirits which refuse to leave?

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Elstree Studios 2005

Night One : Elstree Film & TV Studios

Night Two : Waggon & Horses, Allum Hall, Hollybush Pub

Night Three : Gate Studios

History

Elstree Film Studios has a long and colourful history. The present facilities are built on land originally purchased in 1925, to locate a 'silent' studio constructed one year later. At that time, ALFRED HITCHCOCK was engaged as a staff director and was responsible for a number of films, including the first British talkie, Blackmail.

During the pre-war years, the Studios undertook pioneering work in colour films and produced the first French talkie and the first multi-lingual film. It launched a number of pre-war movie acting careers including those of CHARLES LAUGHTON, RAY MILLAND, STEWART GRANGER, LAURENCE OLIVIER, ROBERT NEWTON, ANNA NEAGLE, VIVIEN LEIGH and MAUREEN O'HARA.

During 1939, the original Studio closed and was commandeered for 'wartime purposes'. A few years later, Warner Bros. Purchased a 25share in the parent company, ABPC, and the Studio was largely rebuilt before re-opening in 1948. The first major post-war movies were Stage Fright with MARLENE DIETRICH and The Hasty Retreat starring RONALD REAGAN. Post war careers launched at Elstree include RICHARD HARRIS, AUDREY HEPBURN, LAURENCE HARVEY and RICHARD TODD.

The 1950's and 60's saw productions such as Moby Dick with GREGORY PECK, Kings Rhapsody with ERROL FLYNN, The Dam Busters, Look Back In Anger and hit TV series such as The Avengers and The Saint. The stars GARY COOPER, JEFF CHANDLER and TALLULAH BANKHEAD were to make their last movies at Elstree.

Between 1959 and 1975 Hammer Films produced 39 films here starring such actresses as STEPHANIE BEACHAM, MARSHA HUNT and KATE O'MARA. Films included the comedies On The Buses and Man About The House, the ambitious The Lost Continent as well as the chiller thrillers for which the company is notorious, such as 'The Horror of Frankenstein, The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb and The Vampire Lovers.

Elstree was busy throughout the 1970's and 80's with productions such as Murder On The Orient Express, Never Say Never Again, the Star Wars trilogy, the Indiana Jones trilogy and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The post-production facilities were used on a wide range of movies, including Chariots of Fire, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Last Emperor.

During 1986, Cannon purchased the Studios and sold off the film library - before announcing closure plans during 1988. The complex was then purchased by Brent Walker who agreed with the planning authority to retain 15.5 acres as a film studio, in return for permission to sell 12 acres of land to Tesco Superstore for £19 million. The agreement involved rebuilding the facility and its leisure amenities, and maintaining them for 25 years.
The Section 106 planning agreement, signed in 1990, was designed to secure the Studio's future. However, in 1993, Brent Walker announced it was closing the facility, as it wished to maximise the site's value. A legal fight ensued that lasted until Brent Walker offered the Studio to Hertsmere Borough Council for £1.9 million in February 1996, in return for dropping all legal actions.
From 1988 onwards, a successful voluntary 'Save Our Studios' campaign was mounted, which resulted in world wide media coverage, a 700 strong audience at a public meeting and nearly 30,000 petition signatures. It was successful in enlisting the support of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Lord Attenborough and a host of stars including PETER CUSHING who offered to lie down in front of the bulldozers!

After Hertsmere Borough Council bought the Studio in February 1996, it soon reopened for business with a British Lottery assisted movie Peggy Su starring BURT KWOUK. Next to be produced was the $25 million Warner Bros. movie Watch That Man starring BILL MURRAY and JOANNE WHALLEY. This spoof spy thriller was subsequently re-titled The Man Who Knew Too Little.
Since reopening, Elstree Studios has proved an attractive facility for commercials including those for BT, Cointreau, Pontins, Success, One To One (with IAN WRIGHT), St.Ives Swiss Formula, Bisto (with JULIE WALTERS) and Puma.
Elstree has also attracted numerous television productions such as a 90 minute film of Jane Eyre for LWT, interiors for the long-running Last of The Summer Wine, Wuthering Heights, Big Women, The Fast Show and The Judas Tree ballet for Channel 4. Major television series to use Elstree's sound stages include Kavanagh QC and Playing The Field and big TV productions include the BBC's Tom Jones and Coming Home starring JOANNA LUMLEY and veteran actor PETER O'TOOLE.

http://www.elstreefilmtv.com

Investigation Events

The most interesting encounters they experienced, included the spirits of a family located in one of the large empty studios. It is belived this family died during the great plague of the 17th Century, and that the area where the studio now stands they passed away together, trying to escape from the awful disease.

Various paranomal activity occured during the investigation, including the switching off of a televsion set and a candle falling over many time.

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Summer Solstice 2005 :: Wakefield

Night One : Rutland Mill Complex

Night Two : Wakefield Theatre Royal & Opera House

Night Three : Caphouse Colliery

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September 2005 :: The Asylum Manchester

Night One : Staircase House

Night Two : Barnes Convalesent Hospital

Night Three : Brannigans Night Club

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Halloween 2005 :: Jack the Ripper : Eerie In London

Night One : Tower Bridge

Night Two : Commercial Tavern

Night Three : Clink Prison Museum

Night Four : Blind Beggar Pub

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Christmas 2005 : Mayhem on Merseyside Liverpool

Night One : Bluecoat Chambers

Night Two : Royal court Theatre

Night Three : Wirral Museum

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May 2006 : Panic In Portsmouth

"Hello and welcome we are back."
The opening line to Most Haunted Live May 2006 from Portsmouth. The team, old and new, consists of Medium David Wells, Karl, Yvette , Ciaran O'Keefe, historian Richard Felix, they are joined by Medium Ian Shillito, Paranormal Investigator Steve Parsons and Resident Historian Ms Lesley Smith, finally Mr Paul Ross becomes our studio host.
"The rollercoaster ride is about to begin" says Paul Ross, we the public will see.

WYMERING MANOR

Instantly David feels he is greeted by a spirit on entering the building. The crew voice their opinion of uncertainty. A noise from the floor in the first few moments becomes the highlighted interest. David finds a selected cold spot and all attention is drawn to the tapping noise, a dull thud from between the floor and cellar. David feels the spirit of a dark aggressive male, enough to trigger Yvette 's fears to escalate, with a flash of light we return to the studio. A fast start to this Most Haunted Live.

We return to a 'struggling' David Wells who is claims to be joined by the spirit of a naval dressed man and the spirit of a woman. On calling for a spirit called Mary a noise seems to respond to David call for contact. David identifies the spirit to be connected to a family of four including a naval officer. David feels he is being contacted by a shover/pusher who gives him the impression they shouldn't be doing what they are doing. David senses a geographical change into the shape and size of the rooms. The noises seem to respond to questions asked, is this a more definite paranormal response than past found on a Most Haunted Live ? David identifies the spirit as 'Francis'. Our studio historian Lesley confirms the existence of a Francis Austin, a naval officer and brother of Jane Austin, who died in 1865. She also confirms the rooms have changed in size and shape when the building became a hostel.

After a break we once more return to the crew who are now in the Music Room, they continue to hear noises they can't identify. David now connects with two monks, are they throwing pebbles, a now common occurrence on Most Haunted. David voices threats from one of the monks toward Yvette , not to goud him. Yvette suggests a seance as we go to a break.

The calling begins in the seance led by Yvette . David senses shame in the monks for what may have been a 'sexual' event in the Manor. Was this entrapment to keep their own 'dirty' secrets. Does the table move or is it merely the rising tension ?

The team move upstairs, Ian discusses having felt the presence of two children and a religious man in the music room. A number of the team are sure they heard the sound of a baby crying. Were all these sounds from the outside as suggested by studio based Steve Parsons ? David senses the spirit may be judgemental and expresses he is more than happy to get into the debate of religion. Noises follow and seemingly more pebbles are dropping or being thrown. Is this in response to David's calls for a debate ?

Historian, Lesley Smith feeds back in the 1870's the building hosted the St Augustin Monks and a vicarage was just beyond the manor. In the loft space Yvette takes Kath with her as she's tries to taunt spirits into reacting to her. Now David picks up on what he thinks are nuns from around the 1300's.

In the cellar David senses an astral shifting around, a grubby six year old child who's bones are nearby in the earth.

An unusual occurrence is when Ciaran breaks down upset with a headache. On his return Ciaran has no explanation for his actions and even when discussing how he felt he once more shows himself as overwhelmed and upset. Karl and Richard spend sometime in a priest hole and return with just the feelings of unease.

Stones appear to continue being thrown, or are they small pieces of stone falling from the roof space above ? At the close of coverage Jon Gilbert feels his legs collapse or he suggests he may have been pushed.

Southsea Castle

Royal Marine Museum

David Wells first thoughts are he senses a military steward, who he feels may have passed over recently coming down the stairs. Then in the first main room David feels further on in the building there will be something not quite right. He also picks up on an old crouched man who he says will be waiting for them later.

In a meeting room David tells us of a woman in white who is not in contact, she merely appears from time to time. Also two or three children about 7 years of age who 'scamper around', perhaps from times when the building was residential. The next spirit David detects is in full battle dress and ready for a fight, he taunts David knowing he was once in the Royal Navy. We get the name as 'Billy W' who was in his mid thirties and died of an accidental death, possibly in the 1950's. Are tapping noises responses to David's questions ? If they are the noises tell us there are six spirits in residence and it was one of them who dropped a ten pence coin down the stairs earlier. Also Steve Parsons confirms there are definite temperature changes inline with the tapings.

Moving on into the educational room David picks up a constant negative energy of two or three marines fighting and maybe one of them died from it. On being questioned by Richard Felix David tells us Billy is there because all that remains of his regiment is in the museum. Faint tapings continue inline with Yvette's questions to Billy.

Technical difficulties continue are these due to paranormal influences.

The crew go down into the cellar in the dark they start to hear faint noises or sighs, David believes the crouched figure who has been waiting for them may have followed them into the cellar. When the coverage returns to the studio one of the sighs is replayed and it is definite, its source is naturally questioned by Ciaran, was this paranormal ?

On returning to the crew a seance is taking place. Karl instantly gets a strong metallic taste in his throat, David picks up the astral spirit of a male who took his own life. David picks up the emotion of love and confirms the crouched figure took his own life by shooting himself in the 1920's. Is the metallic taste blood or the taste of the barrel of a gun ? Ian questions if it was a gun or razor. Using the Ouija Board Yvette seeks the first name of the figure as the glass starts to move. The faint tapings they heard earlier continue as they receive the letter 'A'. The responses seem to come more from tapings than from the ouija board.

After yet another break we return to the seance as the glass spells out BRAK, which is confirmed to be a surname, on asking for a first name they get BRAM. On asking for a rank they get the response Goodbye but the spirit responds that he doesn't want them to leave. David thinks he picks up a link to Somerset. The glass continues to move and gives AW and then abruptly stops. Yvette thinks she picks up laughter but this is not confirmed by any other crew member.

Another break takes us back to the studio Lesley Smith try's to make some sense of the information from the investigation. She offers BRAK is the Dutch for BREAK. She does confirm the possibility of a suicide in the building, although this is rumored and not documented.

When we return to the crew Karl is acting strangely and aggressively, after facing up to David Wells (Who tells him he doesn't scare him) and Yvette, he does admit he is feeling aggressive. David is under the impression the spirit may be using Karl as a vehicle and attempts to calm him down. David voices his worries the spirit is using Karl because Karl is letting it do so, at this point Karl lashes out at Stuart eventually he asks to be left alone. Ciaran agrees there is something odd going on but is unsure if its paranormal or not. Karl returns to the crew and says he has no idea what was going on it was almost as if he felt drunk, David is sure when he faced up to Karl he saw someone else in him.

The crew then try to make contact using a Planchet (A pen fixed into a piece of wood that sits on a piece of paper and is led by the fingers of the users.) which did start to move but gave no positive information. The whole crew then join forces in the cellar to do a standing seance. David Wells asks the spirits to 'gently' affect one of the team, Yvette feels a numb feeling in her leg which later moves into her side. With the lack of any more response Yvette uses her now infamous live aggressive approach demanding the spirits do something and the response is instantaneous when Jon Gilbert falls to the floor screaming. As the coverage comes to an end Jon returns and admits he cannot confirm his collapse is connected to anything paranormal.

Summer Solstice 2006 : LLanelli Wales

Night One : Parc Howard Museum

Night Two : Llanelly House

Night Three : Kidwelly Castle

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Halloween 2006 : Edinburgh

Night One : Blair Street Vaults

Night Two : Niddry Street Vaults

Night Three : Mary King's Close

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Dracula Transylvania 2007

Corvin's Castle

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Pirates Curse , Bristol 2007

Night One : Blackbeards House

Night Two : Redcliffe Caves

Night Three : Llandoger Trow

It's easy to imagine tall ships, sails whipping in the wind and cries from one sailor to another when walking through Bristol's docks, so it is not hard to believe that Bristol had a strong role during the golden age of piracy. The port of Bristol was a central part of the slavery and tobacco trade making the area around the harbour and the shipping routes to Bristol very attractive to pirates.

Piracy was illegal, but privateering was legal. Privateers were meant to have a 'letter of Marque' from their government allowing them to attack merchant ships of the country stated in the letter. They could take a cut of the loot they took from the ships.

Bristol's most famous pirate Black Beard was allegedly born in the city. Also known as Edward Teach, the infamous sailor had a reign of terror over the Caribbean Sea.

Another pirate with Bristolian links was Bartholomew Roberts who roamed the seas in the 18th century. He sailed from Bristol on merchant ships and was forced to join a band of pirates after his own ship was captured.

He soon became captain of the ship and succeeded to be the most successful pirate in history capturing 456 vessels in four years. He was killed in a battle against HMS Swallow, which had been sent to capture pirates. He was granted his dying wish to be buried at sea so his body would never be captured.

Bristol also played a great role in the demise of piracy. Governor Woodes Rogers, a famous privateer, was born in Bristol in 1679. He circumnavigated the globe between 1708-1711, when his navigator picked up the castaway Alexander Selkirk from Juan Fernndez Island, after having been marooned there for five years. Woodes Rogers was later made General and Governor in Chief over the Bahama Islands where he took steps to suppress piracy, successfully ousting Blackbeard as Magistrate of the "Privateers Republic". A plaque to Woodes Rogers can be seen in Queen Square.

Fictional pirates have also been inspired in Bristol. After Alexander Selkirk was rescued by Roger's crew and taken back to Bristol he allegedly met author Daniel Defoe in the local pub The Llandoger Trow. Selkirk later became inspiration for the character Robinson Crusoe. The character Benn Gunn in Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island' was also based on Selkirk. Stevenson is also said to have visited the Hole in the Wall pub just off Queen Square in Bristol, which bares resemblance to the Spyglass tavern in Treasure Island.

Many of the buildings in Bristol are closely linked to both pirating and privateering. Queen Square, situated near the harbour was, as it is today a very busy business area. The Customs House is situated in the square; this is where the taxes and duties were collected from the ships that came into the Bristol harbours. Much of the wealth and prosperity brought into this area came from pirating and many of the buildings around the harbour are said to have been funded by this maritime crime.

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Halloween 2007 - Inverted Pentagram

The Prelude
Prepare for the spookiest and most spectacular live ghost hunt to date as the Most Haunted team bring LIVING viewers an exclusive extravaganza aired for the first time over five nights. In this ambitious event, the crew travel to five of the most haunted locations in the country, each with a history leadened with spirits and curses. The journey the crew takes will map a huge pentagram – a five pointed star associated with sorcery – across the country. As the symbol is completed on the last night, Halloween, all its energy will converge at the final location – the Most Haunted Live: Halloween 2007 studio. Presented by Yvette Fielding, this five-night epic commences at an imposing priory in northern England. The sinister building was once home to a gentrified family whose maid was accused of killing their young son. Said to be a witch, the maid was burned at the stake and it is now believed that anyone who sees her ghost will suffer a death in their family soon after. Could the ghostly figure seen stalking the grounds of the sprawling house be the witch? Night two of this paranormal marathon takes place in a largely derelict hotel. The pub on the ground floor is the only part of the building which is still in use, and was once the drinking venue of choice for a witch, and for the men who so feared her powers that they eventually killed her. Before she died, the sorceress put a curse on the building which has since seen numerous vicious murders within its walls, while pub regulars claim there are a whole host of spirits haunting the building. Later in the week, the show investigates a woman who sold her soul to the devil and visits a castle which is built on the bones of plague victims. But the scariest venue is saved for Halloween, when the crew set foot inside one of the most haunted houses in Wales: a scene of murders, executions and suicides. Join them if you dare, only on LIVING.
The Inverted Pentagram
	The pentagram may be inverted with one point down. The implication is of spirit subservient to matter, of man subservient to his carnal desires. The inverted pentagram has come to be seen by many pagans as representing the dark side and it is abhored as an evil symbol. Fundamental christians, indeed, see any form of pentagram as such. However, these are recent developments and the inverted pentagram is the symbol of Gardnerian second degree initiation, representing the need of the witch to learn to face the darkness within so that it may not later rise up to take control. The centre of a pentagram implies a sixth formative element - love/will which controls from within, ruling matter and spirit by Will and the controlled magickal direction of sexual energies. This is another lesson of initiation.
	Here are five elements, four of matter (earth, air, fire and water) and THE quintessential - spirit. These may be arrayed around the pentagrams points. The word quintessential derives from this fifth element - the spirit. Tracing a path around the pentagram, the elements are placed in order of density - spirit (or aether). fire, air, water, earth. Earth and fire are basal, fixed; air and water are free, flowing. For Information on Pentagrams
Wheler Priory - Night One 27th October 2007
Background To Venue
The first night was from a unknown disclosed location renamed Wheler Priory. The evidence presented suggest the property may well have been Ledston Hall. Ledston Hall in Castleford, Yorkshire. Ledston Hall, a 17th Century Elizabethan Mansion set amongst formal gardens, pleasure grounds and landscape parks. The Grade II listed building was originally a grange and chapel built by the Monks of Pontefract Priory. The hall was the one time home of Lady Elizabeth ( Betty ) Hastings born 1682. She succeeded her brother George ( 8th Earl of Huntingdon ) to lands and property. A generous and charitable woman many schools in the local area are named for her. She never married and died in 1739. The first building on the site of the Hall was originally a Chapel built by the monks from Pontefract Priory, reputed to have been built in the 12th Century. The Hall as we know it today was built over a period of time in the 16th and 17th Century. The then landscaped gardens and terraces were added over a period of time but now these have been changed to make maintenance more viable. Not a lot is known of the actual history of Ledston Hall. It is known though, that in the 16th Century a maid at the Hall called Mary Pannell made a potion for the ill son of the house, she was later accused of witchcraft because the potion mixed to rub on the body was mistakenly given to the young boy to drink, by the boys Mother, this proved fatal to her son and Mary was sent to York on trial for witchcraft, she was found guilty and brought back the area where she was burned to death on a nearby hill still known today as Mary Pannell Hill where her ghost is reputed to have been seen in more recent times. 1570 - Mary Pannell Burned As A Witch. Mary Pannell, of Ledston, lived in a small hut and mixed enchantments and made curses and is said to have had dealings with evil spirits. She is said to have bewitched to death William Witham, Esq., of Ledston Hall, in 1593, and was convicted in York in 1603 and put to death by burning on Mary Pannell Hill, on the edge of Castleford. Local legend has it that Mary was a maid who knew a little about medicine. She gave a lotion to rub on a child's chest for a chill but the mother (an important person of the time) gave it to the child to drink. The lotion killed him and Mary was burned as a witch for it. Her ghost, leading a horse, is supposed to haunt the Pannell Hill and it is claimed that anybody seeing her will have a death in the family Source of info on Ledston Hall : leodis.net You Tube : Most Haunted Halloween 2007 Night One You Tube : Most Haunted Halloween 2007 Night One Pt2
Leopard Inn, Burslem : Night Two 28th October 2007
Background To Venue
The Leopard Inn, Burslem, formerly the Market Place Inn, is a listed building in Stoke-on-Trent. The current owner, Neil crisp has recently re-opened the Hotel side, some 58 rooms, to the inn which had been closed since the 1950’s. The Leopard Inn is steeped in history, including fact such as it being the place where Josiah Wedgwood and James Brindley met to discuss building the Trent and Mersey Canal in 1765, which was confirmed in a letter written by Wedgwood in March of that year. By the mid 1800's the Inn was run by vicar from Porthill and it had fallen in status. However transfer of the inn to Mary Lee’s was a turning point and she returned the inn to it’s former glory. A grand function is recorded in 1857 when the town hall was opened. The Leopard was purchased in 1872 by James Norris, a local brewer who'd built a bottling plant and small brewery directly opposite next to the meat market and the town hall. Regrettably the brewery and meat market were both demolished in the 1950’s. James Norris turned the inn into a up market hotel extending the rear of it with 57 bedrooms. With it’s total of 69 bedrooms it soon became one of the area’s top hotels. By 1956 the inn was losing trade to the chains of hotels that were opening in the area and the rear rooms were closed, averting back to just the 12 original bedrooms. The premises was brought by Bass in 1960’s and it re-opened in 1965 after major refurbishment. However the rear bedrooms remained closed off and unused. It is only last year that current owner Enterprise Inns and landlord Neil Cox found the entrance to the old bedrooms and re-opened the corridor to find the bedrooms distraught from neglect. Although plans are now being made for a major refurbishment in the near future. Doors are often heard to open and slam by themselves, and a rustling of a lady skirt.
Recent Media
A Televised ghost hunt is being planned at a 300-year-old hotel, where the owners are already trying to raise scores of rooms from the dead. Researchers from Living TV smash Most Haunted will visit the Leopard Hotel, in Burslem, next month, in preparation for a possible scientific investigation to be screened in the winter. It comes after its new landlords discovered 58 bedrooms left exactly as they were when they were sealed off between 1931 and the 1950s. They have also unearthed a tunnel leading from the cellar to a former brewery across the road. Now producers from the cult series, fronted by ex-Blue Peter presenter Yvette Fielding, have made contact with the pub. Joint landlord Neil Cox said: "The approach came out of the blue, but so many people have been talking about what we have found here I suppose it's no surprise, given the colourful history of the building. "They want to come for a few days at the end of next month to look at the lie of the land. "They seemed particularly interested in the cellar and tunnel. We believe the cellar used to be a mortuary, and there are stories about people sentenced to death being held there before taken to a nearby courthouse to be hanged." Since the Leopard's rooms and tunnel were uncovered earlier this year, there has been a resurgence of interest in the pub, both from drinkers and Mother Town history enthusiasts. Guided tours at last week's open weekend attracted a total of 200 people, including two couples who held their wedding receptions there in 1951. One remembered that film star Dirk Bodarde was a hotel guest at the time. Mr Cox told how spiritualists had already visited the hotel since he and partner Neil Crisp took over the licence last December. He said: "They set up a meter for measuring electromagnetic radiation - and it was going off the scale even before it had been switched on properly. "I'm pretty sceptical about all this, but it can be pretty spooky if you're on your own, and I tend to lock up as quickly as I can at night and get out of there." Owners Enterprise Inns want to bring the hotel's rooms - once earning it the title Savoy of the Midlands - back to their former glory when it attracted the likes of Charles Darwin, James Brindley and Josiah Wedgwood. Aided by possible grants from English Heritage and Advantage West Midlands, they plan to spend £1.5 million on restoring the hotel's period features. New paintings now adorn the Leopard's function rooms depicting Burslem witch Mollie Leigh, celebrated artist Arthur Berry, a chartist riot in the town, and a prostitute said to have had her throat cut by a man later held in the cellar before being executed. Some of the rooms were found behind a door hidden by an old cupboard. Mr Cox said: "I didn't expect any of this when we took over, but as it is sparking so much interest locally, someone must have tipped Most Haunted off about it." Source: The Sentinel Online
Report of the events of the night
The night started in what was referred to as the Red Room, the room the night would later finish in. A tankard was heard to fall on the floor and beer mats later followed. From a technical point of view Ciaran's thermal camera locked up when he started to check the beermats for heat. David Wells picked up the prescence of a man with a goaty beard and bad skin, who may have murdered a woman. As they moved on David picked up on 'prostituation' in the premises and confirmed the murder of the woman was in the 1860's. A seance in the function room picked up once more on this man and the name 'Grenville' or 'Granville' was given. Leslie Smith, historian, later confirmed a woman had had her throat cut in this very room. The team moved up to the next floor leaving Karl to continue a vigil on his own. David now picked up on 'James', a man with an agressive character, who he believed was a former owner of the inn. David later stated she was a loner and not pretty in appearance. On moving into the cellar Cath reported to have been pushed twice. David picked up on 'Maragret', a woman from the 1700's, who was a lonely figure. Leslie connected her to be Mary ' Mollie' Lee a prior tenant or owner who was reported to be a witch. David also picked up on children running about in this area. A door, that was leaning against a wall, fell to the floor whether this was knocked over or fell from unknown causes in unknown. The night finished with a seance in the Red Room using an overturned tankard on the table. The table was seen to move but because of the lack of a camera at floor level there was no solid evidence this was being moved by paranormal activity. David reported the 'activity to be caused by 3 or 4 prescences in the room who may want to play.
Townely Hall : Night Three 29th October 2007
Background To Venue
Towneley Hall was the home of the Towneley family from the 14th century until 1902. The park covers many acres and houses football pitches, bowling greens and a vast woodland containing many walks. In 1926 a War Memorial was erected in the park and was unveiled on December 12th by the Earl of Derby. It is rumoured that the Hall is haunted by a spirit whose visits were limited to once every seven years, when its thirst for vengeance had to be satisfied by the untimely death of one of the Hall residents. Legend says that Sir John Towneley (1473 -1541) was said to have offended and injured the poor of the district by enclosing some of the area’s common land where the villagers used to graze their cattle, making it part of the park. As a result, his soul is said to wander about the Hall, crying out: "Be warned ! Lay out! Be warned! Lay out! Around Hore-Law and Hollin-Hey Clough, To her children give back the widows cot, For you and yours there’s still enough." In addition to this wailing spirit there are a few other phantoms reported to wander the grounds of Towneley Park. Deep within the woods behind the hall is a small bridge that crosses the stream. This is supposed to be haunted by the ghost of a white lady. Who she is, nobody knows. Perhaps she waits at the bridge for a lover who never returned. Or was it simply a place of peacefulness that she enjoyed in life. Quite close to the bridge is a long avenue through the woods. It runs from Todmorden Road staight to the back of the hall. It has been reported that the sound of marching boots has been heard coming down this avenue. Some say that it is the ghost of Roundheads, sent by Oliver Cromwell, coming to arrest Charles Towneley, or that it is the ghost of a faithful retainer reporting that his master had been killed in the massacre of July 2nd, 1644.
Report of the events of the night
Towneley Hall in Burnely was introduced to us as ‘just a stones throw away from Pendle Hill’ and past viewers will remember the events there. On entering the building psychic medium David Wells picked up on a large assured gentleman wearing Elizabethan clothing and a dominant woman. Historian Lesley Smith was quick to associate the gentleman with John Towneley. The investigation began on the main staircase where David began to feel enclosed and put upon by the energy (Past Amtosphere) of the house. As they entered the 1st floor gallery Wigan felt nervous and dizzy, Ciaran O’Keefe reported humidity of just 44% and temperate of 21 degrees. On entering the first bedroom David sensed a lady in white and noise where heard that could be described as a moaning, the team thought this was more of a melody. A whistle was heard back in the long gallery and Yvette called out for responses to questions asking for taps in return. She reported the ‘responses’ where that 5 spirits were present, they should leave and the presence meant them harm. Ciaran was quick to point out with the wooden floor and wall panelling they should not take what may well be natural noises to be responses, a view Yvette was unhappy to accept. Back in the hub Leslie associated the lady in white with Lady Sybil, who was associated with the witches of Pendle Hill. The team began to set up for a séance and David offered the team ‘protection’, something that Karl and Stuart refused. The séance began and David once more made contact with the Lady in White, as well as giving a number of names; Isobel, Jane, Francis, John and Lawrence. With the use of a Ouija Board the phrase ‘U ARE MINE’ was spelt out and the following transcript took place: Do you know who we are ? YES Did we meet before ? NO Are you a witch ? NO What do we call you ? M Where you hanged for murder ? YES Did you kill children ? YES Do you have a message for Karl ? NO At this point Lesley in the hub put forward questions via Yvette Are you a Towneley ? No Are you an abortionist ? Yes In this house ? Yes Are you a witch ? Yes The word ‘DIE was then spelt out Where you set up ? Yes Do you have a hatred for the family ? MURDER Where you murdered ? Yes What’s your surname ? M Did you get money for your services ? Yes Do you worth with the goat mendes ? Yes This question was put to confirm that the spirit was a Black Witch and mendes was a symbol of the occult. As the séance continued one of the cameramen, Geoff’ fell backwards through the door and Yvette believed he had been pulled. The team then took time out to recover from these events. Regrouping in the cellar whining noises and bangs where heard, which once a gain could have been natural sounds. David felt there were bodies in the ground and sensed war type figures. On request from the viewers Karl and Yvette went up to the attic, with Stuart on camera and Simon on sound. There was no activity and all noises heard could be put down to the movement of the webcam and clock mechanism house in the attic. On returning downstairs the team regrouped in the Towneley Room and Cath was singled out to do a lone vigil in the long gallery, not comfortable to do this David Wells took her place leaving the rest of the team to carry out another séance. Something he voiced he was unhappy about. After a sedate start the Karl and Yvette resorted to insults to provoke a reaction and where rewarded by movement of the glass. Yvette then went against advise from David Wells and recited a spell she had got from Leslie Smith to uncloak a witch. The response was instaneous as the heavy table they were using jerking backwards into Yvette and Cath. Once more there was no camera under the table to quantify this was not a team member.
Most Haunted Live Halloween 2007 : Bolsover Castle : Night 4
Raised by the Peverel family in the 12th century, very little is known of the original Bolsover Castle. A stone Keep was built c1173, surrounded by a curtain wall with an outer bailey, but the wall was breached in 1216 during the reign of King John. Surviving fragments of this curtain wall were later incorporated in a wall walk that can be seen in the castle garden. Bolsover Castle became Crown property in 1155 when the third William Peverel fled into exile, but by 1400 it had lost its strategic importance. Years of occupation by tenants had left Bolsover Castle ruinous by the time it was purchased by Sir George Talbot in 1553. Talbot, later becoming the 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, is noted for two famous associations. Firstly, his marriage to 'Bess of Hardwick', probably the most astute business woman of the 16th century, who owned the vast Chatsworth estates. And then his lengthy term as keeper to the exiled Mary Queen of Scots, a 16 year duty that seriously drained the family's resources. To ease the financial burden, Bolsover Castle was first leased to Sir Charles Cavendish in 1608, and five years later he became the owner. Employing Robert Smythson as his architect, Cavendish set about re-building Bolsover Castle. The tower, known today as the little castle, was completed c1621, and building work continued with their sons adding the terrace and riding school ranges. Used as extra accommodation, the Terrace Range originally consisted of apartments and kitchens, but with a Royal visit imminent this range was extended to include a long gallery and an external staircase. When Charles I and his Queen arrived in 1634, the Riding School Range was probably at foundation level. At completion, the school had every facility required, including a forge, a tack and harness room, a large arena, and an upper viewing gallery. One of the most notable features of the Riding School range is its magnificent timber roof. With the advent of the Civil War, Sir William Cavendish took command of the Royalist troops who were defeated at Marston Moor, in 1644. Although he survived, he was forced to flee into exile and Bolsover Castle was surrendered to Parliamentarian troops in August of the same year. After the reformation of the Monarchy in 1660, Sir William Cavendish was able to return to England and his now ruinous castle. Despite great financial problems, he added a new hall and staterooms to the Terrace Range and, by the time of his death in 1676, Bolsover Castle had been restored to good order. His successors, however, chose to live at Welbeck Abbey and in 1752 they stripped the lead from the roof of the Terrace Range at Bolsover Castle to effect the necessary repairs to their preferred residence. The Little Castle and the Riding School Range survived much better, and was let to the Curate of Bolsover in 1834. Following the death of his widow in 1883, Bolsover Castle remained uninhabited and was eventually given to the nation by the 7th Duke of Portland in 1945. Bolsover Castle, once the home of Sir Charles Cavendish, whose family owned Chatsworth, is reported to have a fairly active ghost in the domestic quarters. A spectral figure of a woman carrying a baby is regularly seen in the kitchen. “She obviously cares deeply about the child because she very carefully lays it down before disappearing. But, inexplicably, she puts it in the fireplace,” the book recounts. A local legend claims that the devil was in Bolsover one day and decided to have his hooves shoed by the local blacksmith. Unfortunately, the blacksmith drove a nail into the soft part of the devil’s hoof, who took off with a scream of agony. As Chesterfield church was in his way, it received the full force of one of his frenzied kicks – which accounts for its twisted spire
Report of the events of the night
The investigation of Bolsover Castle began with some background information, including the word Bolsover is said to mean ‘Devil’s Pasture, in the room called the ‘Pagan Room’ it is said if you lie on the floor and say ‘Sleep No More’ you will die and William Peveril who built the castle in 1086 was a known devil worshipper and held regular eleborate pagan parties. He fled the castle into exile in 1155. The devil is also said to have visited the castle and when he left he hit the local church spire twisting it. The investigation began on the first floor with David Wells unsettled and complaining of a fast heart beat, he warned of hedonistic feelings, energies he was not used to. In the Star Room he picked up on past lavish parties that were extremely endulgent. The first presence he sensed was that of a lady in a pinder blue gown with a short skirt to it. Also a cavilier style gentleman from the 1600’s who he gave the name William to. The first séance picked on the aforementioned William who spelt out his surname as ‘CAWENDIJUQ’, Leslie Smith in the hub believed this was a badly spelt ‘Cavendish’, who did renovations to the castle in the 1600’s. Leslie posed questions through the séance asking how Mad Madge Of Newcastle was and was she playing with the devil. This was William Cavendish’s wife, Margaret Cavendish . (Born into an East Anglian Royalist family in 1623, young Margaret Lucas went into Court service, joining the Queen, Henrietta Maria, in Oxford during the Civil War and sharing her hair-raising escape to France in 1644. While in Paris she married Willianm Cavendish, Marquess of Newcastle, who was famous for his horsemanship. They lived together in exile for more than 10 years, as part of a Royalist circle that included aristocrats and intellectual giants of the day. ) On returning to the Pagan Room it was Karl and Stuart who had to test the theory of lying on the floor, even Ciaran O’Keefe was to follow suit. After this the team split up Karl & Stuart into the kitchen, Cath and Yvette in the Housemaids Room, David and Ciaran in the Lantern room and Geoff and Wigan remained Pagan Room. The only outcome was Karl who fell down some steps probably over a cable. The team regrouped in the ‘Hell Room’ for another séance. David picked up on Margaret, Elizabeth, who he described as a powerful woman and he said had a connection to Leslie in the hub. Ciaran caught a sound or voice on EVP which would be checked later. Geoff the cameraman then did a lone vigil in the kitchen.
Most Haunted Live Halloween 2007 : Plas Teg: Night 5
The historic and architecturally important mansion of Plas Teg has dominated the Welsh countryside for nearly 400 years, writes Mark Baker. It was built by Sir John Trevor I in about 1610; it was here that this eminent courtier expressed his worldly aspirations and social standings through the grandeur of his private residence, which undoubtedly was used for sumptuous entertaining. At the time of construction it was the most advanced house in Wales and few others of this date can truly be compared to its uniqueness. Throughout the early 17th Century it was primarily a family home and the setting for lavish entertainments put on by the Trevor family. It was only after the death of Lady Margaret Trevor, wife of Sir John Trevor I and the onset of the Civil War that the house was tenanted out and the family resided at their other residences. During the 18th century it was used off and on by the family and it was only until Lord and Lady Dacre inherited that Plas Teg once again became a family home. The young couple set about altering the house, gardens and outbuildings, a trend continued by their heir Cadwallader Blayney Trevor-Roper. It was this young, Irish born, distant relative that inherited the wealthy Plas Teg estate in 1809 following the death of Lady Dacre, an action that did not sit well with the Trevalyn Trevors who felt they were deprived of their rightful inheritance. For nearly a century, Plas Teg was, in the main, a happy home, housing subsequent generations of the Trevor-Ropers. It was through the devastating effect of two World Wars and multiple death duties that this came to an end and the estate was broken up to be sold. During the Second World War, the house and outbuildings were requisitioned by the War Office to house soldiers and it was during this time that the decay of Plas Teg began. In 1945 it was sold to Dodds the auctioneers who used it as a furniture store and by the mid 1950s it was an estate of advanced decay. Dodds applied for its demolition which was refused following a public outcry and Plas Teg was brought back by Patrick Trevor-Roper, a direct descendant of the original owners. He partially restored the house and let it out to various friends and acquaintances including a distant relation of mine. By the late 1970s, the house proved too unwieldy and it was sold privately to a young student couple who, in turn, found it hard to cope with such a vast property. Then in 1986, it was bought by Cornelia Bayley, an antiques dealer and interior designer from London who had experience of restoring historic houses, managing to return Plas Teg to its former glory. Despite its fame as one of the most haunted houses in Wales, Mrs Bayley has never forgotten Sir John Trevor I's lavish original vision. She has restored the destroyed formal gardens, forecourt and gazebos which had all but disappeared at the end of the 18th century. Today, its interiors are sumptuously filled with an interesting and notable collection of antique furniture, porcelain, objet d'arts and paintings dating from the 17th century to the present day. Supposedly one of the most haunted places in the UK. Built in 1610 by Sir John Trevor, it's been considered haunted since even then – Sir John's gatekeeper commited suicide after seeing a ghost. There have been at least three other violent deaths, not counting those caused by the most infamous resident. Before becoming Lord Chief Justice of England (1681-3), then Lord Chancellor (1983-88), then dying in the Tower of London, 'Hanging Judge' Jeffries lived here in the 17th Century. He held court in the dining room; those sentenced to hang were executed immediately in an adjoining room. There have been a disproportionate number of accidents on the nearby A541 dual carriageway many of them caused by motorists swerving around ghostly figures. Yvette Fielding last visited PlasTeg with Girls Aloud for her series 'Ghost Hunting With...'

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Turin 2008 : Satans City

Night One : San Pietro in Vincoli

Night Two : Lucedio Abbey Church & Priests House

Night Three : Lucedio Abbey Monastery

Night Four : Pietri Micca Tunnel

Night Five : Moncalieri Castle

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London 2008 Total Darkness

Night One : London Tombs

Night Two : Aldwych Tube Station

Night Three : Churhill Museum

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Halloween 2008 Village Of the Damned

Denbigh Asylum

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January 2009 The search for Evil

Night One : St Georges Hall Merseyside

Night Two : Liverpool Empire Theatre Merseyside

Night Three : Stanley Dock Merseyside

Night Four : Central Library Merseyside

Night Five : Samlesbury Hall Preston

Night Six : Bidston Hall, Merseyside

Night Seven : St Georges Hall, Merseyside

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