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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780750952019 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | The History Press |
| Publication date: | 03/03/2014 |
| Series: | Haunted |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 96 |
| File size: | 7 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Haunted Dartmoor
By Kevin Hynes
The History Press
Copyright © 2014 Kevin HynesAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-7509-5201-9
CHAPTER 1
A–Z OF HAUNTED DARTMOOR
Bearslake Inn
Located along the road from Tavistock to Okehampton is the Bearslake Inn, a sixteenth-century building which is today a popular pub and restaurant. The inn is said to be the haunt of a young girl named Kathy who has been heard weeping and moaning in room number 2 by numerous witnesses over the years. A medium visited the inn a few years ago and picked up on the solemn spirit, stating that Kathy haunts the inn after falling down the staircase to her death.
Berry Pomeroy
Located in a deep wooded gorge, set on the south-east of Dartmoor within 2 miles of the ancient town of Totnes, is the notorious Berry Pomeroy Castle. This ancient castle was originally built in the eleventh century and derived its name from Ralf de la Pomerai, who was bestowed the manor after services rendered during the Battle of Hastings in 1066. A total of nineteen generations of La Pomerais lived at the castle, spanning over 500 years. In 1548 the castle was sold to Edward Seymour, the brother of Jayne Seymour, who became third wife and queen to Henry VIII. The Seymour family invested over £20,000 to construct an impressive luxurious mansion set within the original stone walls of the castle. Five generations of Seymours lived at the castle up until the English Civil War, after which the castle was uninhabited. Left empty, it began to slowly decay for the next 300 years.
Like most castles, Berry Pomeroy has had its fair share of hauntings, with notorious ghosts, spirits and marrow-chilling phantoms witnessed aplenty. To some, Berry Pomeroy is a horror-stricken place where individuals have witnessed first-hand the manifestation of a woman wearing a blue-coloured cape searching the ancient ruins of the castle for her murdered illegitimate child.
The castle is also said to be the haunt of another female spirit known as the White Lady, who is said to be none other than one of the Pomeroy daughters, who was incarcerated within the cold, dark, dank dungeons of this ancient building. This daughter was allegedly imprisoned by her own sister and left to slowly starve to death. Even during daylight hours some visitors to the castle are only briefly able to visit the dungeon area before hurriedly retreating up the steep stone steps to escape the oppressive feeling of pure dread which is said to fill the air here.
A male apparition has also been sighted within the grounds of the castle over the years; he is described as wearing a tri-corn hat.
I have visited Berry Pomeroy several times during the day and also had the pleasure of spending an evening at this notoriously haunted site in 2006 with Haunted Devon, a local paranormal group. It was a fantastic opportunity to investigate and experience first-hand the alleged paranormal activity at the castle. I have included below my short report summary from that very evening.
Through dowsing I picked up the following information in the Seymour Building:
Kitchen Area
Female 1: Happy to communicate with us; aware she has passed. She passed in 1685, aged 34 years. Cause of death: heart related.
Female 2: This female was also happy to communicate; she had lived in the building when she was alive. Through dowsing I was also able to ascertain her name, which was Isabelle.
Male 1: Once again this presence was happy to communicate and was aware he had passed. He passed in 1785, aged 31. Cause of death: disease. He had worked in the building when he was alive. He was married with two children.
Male 2: This presence was aware he had passed and was also happy to communicate. He passed in 1684, aged 35. He was murdered (stabbed). This male had also worked here when alive.
Elizabethan Great Hall
Through dowsing I picked up on the presence of a man. He had passed in 1414 aged 14. Cause of death was an accident.
Whilst the team moved around the Seymour Building a warm spot was picked up in one particular area. I dowsed to find out what was causing it and picked up on the presence of Isabelle, the female from the kitchen area. The team asked her various questions and we found that she was following us around as she was interested in what we were doing.
I also picked up on a ley line – energy lines that run through the earth – in this area.
The Chapel
In the main chapel area, once again through dowsing, I picked up on the following presences: three males, one female, and negative energy.
The female presence was Isabelle; she was keeping true to her word and following the team around.
One of the male presences was inside the enclosed wooded area of the room. He passed in 1674, cause of death being an accident. During the time I carried out dowsing for this male I had a very tight pain in my chest area, which I mentioned to the rest of the team. Thankfully this only seemed to last for a short while.
The team did manage to capture a number of anomalies – orbs which appeared as small balls of light – both on still and night vision camera.
Towers
The team also investigated the two towers either side of the main entrance. There was a definite change in atmosphere between the two towers. The tower on the right, as you look at the building from the outside, felt very calming and quiet, whereas the other tower on the left-hand side felt very oppressive and unwelcoming. Myself and another member of the team felt a sensation as if we were being pulled downwards into the ground. Another member seemed to be having trouble keeping her balance, whilst another felt a very warm sensation on her back.
Margaret's Tower
Through dowsing I picked up on two female presences. Once again Isabelle had followed us. The other female presence was named Margaret.
The team carried out a group séance within the tower. Cold spots and breezes were felt by most of the team. Some of the team also felt as if they had been touched. Both Dave and I thought we saw a shadowy movement out of the corner of our eye on the stairs. As we called out for a sign, pretty much on cue the wind seemed to pick up and gust a lot stronger.
Conclusion
A very enjoyable investigation at such a remarkable venue, with some interesting results.
Bradford Pool
This pool is the haunt of a disembodied voice that has been heard calling out to strangers to try and entice them to the water to meet their watery grave.
Brentmoor Manor House
Today all that remains of Brentmoor Manor House is the old stone foundations. You can just make out where certain doorways were once situated when this building was in full use. The house itself is situated upon a level area with the River Avon running just adjacent to the building. At its prime in the eighteenth century, Brentmoor was located in the centre of a 3,000-acre estate, and has had many uses over the years. It was once used as a farm, a holiday home between the First and Second World Wars, and later became a hostel. Unfortunately the house was demolished in 1968 by the new owners, the local water company. I have visited this site on a number of occasions, the first being in November 2012 with my good friend and founder of Haunted Devon, Byron Jackson.
It was a cold, moonless night when Byron and I walked along the pathway towards Brentmoor Manor House. There was an eerie silence as we drew closer to the house, the quiet only broken by the sound of the River Avon flowing over the rocky riverbank and the occasional hoot of an owl amongst the trees. As we got closer, the torchlight cast a creepy beam upon the old ruins of Brentmoor Manor House. As I walked amongst the remnants of the old walls I began to feel that we were not alone. I decided to turn to my trusty dowsing rods to see if I could gain any further information. I had 'picked up' two prominent spots and Byron confirmed that both of these areas had been points of interest in the past. I also picked up on a male and female spirit; the male came across as a menacing character and had a strong dislike for women; the female spirit was located by one of the entrance doors and swiftly moved towards the bank leading to the River Avon. I had the impression that the female had some connection with the river. Byron went on to explain that Brentmoor was known to be the haunt of a mournful spirit, a former nanny at the house. It is said that she had smothered an infant before walking down to the river and drowning herself in its icy depths. It is believed that the spirit still re-enacts her sinister crime prior to walking down to the River Avon.
Another lady associated with Brentmoor Manor House is Margaret Meynell, who tragically died in a riding accident in 1865. There is a memorial to her hidden beneath the foliage located to the west of the house.
Brentor
The landmark church of St Michael of the Rock is located upon the ancient volcanic hill of Brentor, 1,100ft above sea level. The first church was constructed around 1130 by Robert Giffard, a wealthy merchant. Legend has it that he built the church after his ship was caught in a treacherous storm off the coast of Devon. At the height of the storm, Giffard called out to St Michael to save him and in return for his life he built a church where he first sighted land. Another folktale has it that the church was attacked by the Devil, who tried his upmost to prevent the building of the church by stealing the foundation stones, but an archangel intervened and threw a gigantic granite rock at the Devil, which struck him between the horns. Brentor itself is located upon the well-known ley line which is said to start at Land's End in West Cornwall and continues through Brentor and on to Glastonbury in Somerset.
Buckland Abbey
Formally a Cistercian monastery which was in a state of ruin prior to being purchased from Sir Richard Grenville by Elizabethan hero Sir Francis Drake in 1581, there are a wide array of curious cases of the supernatural associated with this 700-year-old building.
As well as boasting a fine sixteenth-century Great Hall, the Abbey contains a selection of Drake's paintings and relics, including Drake's Drum, which is said to have accompanied Drake on board his ship the Golden Hind. This drum would have beaten out a thunderous call to arms at the onset of battle. The drum is said to have beat out a ghostly tattoo during the First World War in 1915 and once again in 1965, heard by a gardener who stated that he clearly heard the drum beat out. A well-known poem published in 1895 by Sir Henry Newbolt refers to Drake's Drum:
Take my drum to England, hang et by the shore,
Strike et when your powder's runnin' low,
If the Dons sight Devon, I'll quite the port o' Heaven,
An' drum them up the Channel as we drumm'd them long ago.
The spirit of Sir Francis Drake is said to haunt a variety of locations around Devon, including Buckland Abbey, where his ghostly apparition has been witnessed at his former home accompanied by a pack of so-called 'hell hounds'.
There are stories of other ghosts being sighted in and around the Abbey and also rumours of undiscovered tunnels connecting the Abbey to the local village. Legends also abound about Sir Francis Drake being in league with the Devil to ensure the defeat of the Armada.
I have had the fantastic opportunity to investigate Buckland Abbey on two separate occasions. With the kind permission of house manager Jonathan Cummins, I have included my report summary from the last all-night investigation at Buckland Abbey below.
Location: Buckland Abbey, Yelverton, Devon, PL20 6EY
Date: 5 November 2010
Investigation report summary by Kevin Hynes
The Investigation
The S.I. (UK) team carried out a full investigation to explore the causes of supernatural activity at Buckland Abbey. During the investigation the team gathered information using scientific and psychic methods. We were joined by four members of the National Trust and two volunteers.
The areas that the team investigated were as follows: the chapel, kitchen, the Great Barn, the Great Hall, and the upper-floor area including the Dining Room, museum and Drake's Room.
Roles were discussed upon arrival followed by a brief tour of the location. A time of 30 minutes was allowed for each session, with a 10-minute break before resuming.
20.30 Arrival, followed by introductions and briefing/tour.
22.00 (approx.) Investigation starts.
I split the team into two groups to analyse several main areas, working on a rota exchange system; therefore, each group spent approximately 30 minutes in each location. Each investigation team involved the staff present as much as possible. My role for the investigation was Team Overall Leader, Dowsing. I have included a brief summary below of my findings.
Group Séance, the Great Hall
Before we divided into two teams we conducted a group séance in the Great Hall; the reason for this was to invite any sprits' presences to come forward and communicate with the team. It also allowed us to introduce ourselves and state why we were there.
The Chapel
Our first port of call was the chapel. I carried out dowsing in this area and picked up on two male presences that were happy to communicate with us. Overall impressions were that this seemed to be a very peaceful and tranquil area. I had an image in my mind's eye of a woman kneeling at the altar. I felt that she was of great importance to the building and that she had appeared to visitors in the past.
I dowsed for any ley lines in this area and picked a very strong one that runs directly through the location of the altar.
The Kitchen
My first impressions when entering this area were how impressive the kitchen was; it was also drenched in atmosphere and felt very busy. I was drawn to two particular areas, one being to the right of an external door, the other a doorway that led into a small room off the kitchen. I picked up on a male presence by the external doorway. I felt that he was a Scottish gamekeeper and that he was merely warming himself in the kitchen after spending time out in the cold. The other spirit presence I picked up on was a woman by the doorway leading to the small room.
I also dowsed and picked up a ley line that runs through the kitchen.
The Great Barn
This is the most impressive barn I have ever visited; it is enormous and quite overwhelming. I continued to carry out dowsing and picked up on two relevant areas. The first area was by the millstones that were located on the floor and where I picked up on the spirit of a monk once associated with the Abbey; the other area was in the bottom far right-hand side of the barn where a French male presence called Henry indicated he was connected to the land rather than the building.
The Great Hall
The Great Hall was one of my favourite areas purely because of the impressive plasterworks and mouldings – I felt that I could relate to it, being a plasterer by trade! It was a truly fascinating area. In regards to paranormal activity I once again dowsed and picked up on a number of spirits that I was drawn to beneath my feet and in addition located a number of graves. I also picked up on a man called Richard and was drawn to the door to the left of the fireplace; I felt that this area was very active.
Upper-Floor Area
The upper-floor area was not originally planned to be investigated; Jonathan, the house manager, kindly allowed us to investigate it – as follows:
Dining Room
I spent the majority of my time in the Dining Room area. Here I picked up on a male presence by the window next to the clock. I also felt a female presence, a housemaid from the 1840s.
Museum
The museum area was most impressive, especially with Drake's Drum taking centre stage in the middle of the room. I continued to dowse but did not pick up any presences at the time.
Drake's Room
I spent a very short time in this area but I felt that this area was of great importance and picked up on the active spirit of a male.
Conclusion
I had been looking forward to this investigation for a long time. Buckland Abbey, with its immense history, oozes character and atmosphere and it was an absolute pleasure to investigate such an historic location. I would like to offer my thanks and appreciation to Jonathan Cummins for allowing S.I. (UK) to undertake an all- night investigation at Buckland Abbey and also a big thank you to the National Trust staff and volunteers who joined us.
I personally felt that the investigation was very productive, with some interesting information gathered. The team used a wide array of both scientific (digital and still photography, EMF (electromagnetic field) and EVP (electronic voice phenomena) devices) and psychic methods (pendulum, rod dowsing and psychic mediumship) to communicate with active spirits at Buckland Abbey. The most impressive encounter was when one of our S.I. (UK) members saw a pair of human legs on one of the staircases when none of the team was near the stairs at the time!
Burrator Inn
At Burrator Inn the manifestation of a lady dressed in black has been sighted creeping silently, clutching a bunch of keys. At some point a part of the inn was originally used as a post office and some locals believe the phantom to be the old postmistress.
Cadover Bridge
Legend has it that a spectral manifestation has been seen in the area of Cadover Bridge. The bloodcurdling sounds of battle and screams of the dying have been heard at this location on Dartmoor. On certain moonlit nights the sound of war horses being ridden hard to battle have also been heard, followed by the sounds of clashing swords and shields.
Castle Inn
The Castle Inn is located in the quaint village of Lydford. Built in 1550, this ancient building oozes atmosphere and character. As soon as you enter the premises you feel that you are stepping back in time: with the lamp-lit bar, old bowed plastered ceilings, slate flagstone floors and an open fire for those crisp winter's nights, this charming local inn sets the scene for a classic haunting.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Haunted Dartmoor by Kevin Hynes. Copyright © 2014 Kevin Hynes. Excerpted by permission of The History Press.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Title,Dedication,
Quote,
Foreword by Stuart Andrews,
Introduction & Acknowledgements,
A-Z OF HAUNTED DARTMOOR,
Afterword,
Bibliography & Further Reading,
About the Author,
Copyright,