THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT: SPOOKY TOURS IN ENGLAND
By Glynn Burrows

When we think about all things spooky, many of us imagine misty graveyards with massive stone memorials covered in ivy, screeching owls and cawing crows, but many of the places associated with hauntings are not at all creepy or sinister.

In the UK, we are really fortunate to be surrounded by historic buildings, many of which have their own stories of strange occurrences. That isn't surprising when you consider that many date from medieval times and some are over a thousand years old.

Watch Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" Podcast episode on Haunted England with Glynn Burrows below or listen to or download the episode on Podbean.

There are hundreds of castles and thousands of churches. Most of the castles were originally constructed by the Normans in the 11th and 12th centuries, and the majority of our medieval church buildings date from before 1500 AD (with some having foundations that go back to Saxon times, before 1066 AD). These places have seen their fair share of good times as well as the not-so-good times.

Many of our castles are now ruins and some are just earthworks, but the stories attached to these places tell us about the people who lived and died there. For the majority of the people who lived in a castle, life was not easy. Most were servants of the owner, and the conditions for those who worked there were not a walk in the park; in fact, they were pretty wretched.

There were also those who definitely did not choose to live in a castle, and those were the unfortunates in the dungeons. Dungeons were at the bottom of the castle, in the underground parts, with no windows or natural light, so they were always cold, damp, smelly and full of vermin. If you ended up in the dungeon, you were not in a good place.

Prisoners were often chained to the walls and, even though the dungeons were often only intended as holding cells, there was really no incentive for those in charge to get them moved on. They often stayed there until the place was too overcrowded or they died. Dungeons were not just for men either, so women and children could also find themselves confined along with all the local "ne'er-do-wells", and often for very minor things, like stealing a handkerchief.

There are very few records giving details about the fate of people in these dungeons, but you can imagine that their stories would not make pleasant reading if they did exist.

One such place is the dungeon at Norwich Castle. Built in the eleventh century as a palace, it is a massive square stone structure on top of a man-made mound, or motte. The castle housed the County Gaol up to the 1880s, so the number of murderers and violent criminals held there must run to many thousands.

The suffering which went on within its walls, and on the bridge where executions often took place, is left to the imagination. But a visit to the dungeons really does give a very good idea of what it must have been like and, when the lights go out, leaving us in total darkness, the cold shiver that runs down the spine is a reminder of the people who died there.

Many of our stately houses also have stories of hauntings and strange occurrences. One of my favourite stately houses has some of the strangest stories of all, involving headless people and, perhaps even stranger, headless horses.

The story revolves around Anne Boleyn, her brother and their father Thomas. Anne, the wife of Henry VIII, is said to arrive at Blickling Hall on the anniversary of her death, in a coach driven by a headless coachman and pulled by headless horses. Anne is obviously carrying her head under her arm as she gets out of the carriage and begins her walk around the corridors of the house.

Thomas Boleyn is said to have to cross twelve bridges, in a coach (again pulled by headless horses), on the anniversary of the execution of Anne and George, two of his children. He is said to be forever committed to this ghostly penance because he did nothing to try to stop the executions, even though there was probably nothing he could have done, as it was on the orders of the King.

The amazing thing about the UK is that many of the places you can stay will be over 500 years old, so you may well experience some spooky goings-on during your time here.

I always use independent accommodation for my guests, and most will be in an old coaching inn, pub or farm. But one bed and breakfast which I use regularly for my guests was built as a monastic college in the 1360s and is still owned by a descendant of the family which had it built. Although I have not seen anything untoward myself, those walls have stood for nearly 700 years and the atmosphere differs in some parts of the house. I don't know what "an atmosphere" is, but sometimes it is tangible.

All villages and towns in the country have their own ghost stories and, if you are coming over and interested in the supernatural, I can research the area and take in some local haunts during the trip.

I can't promise anything, but…

As the founder of Norfolk Tours, Glynn Burrows creates immersive, custom journeys through the heart of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. He also specializes in helping his clients trace their English ancestry and to visit historic familial sites. Learn more at https://www.englishconnection.uk/

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