This Halloween sees the release of the hotly anticipated Haunting In Connecticut 2, which tells the true story of the Wyrick family. Upon moving into their new home, a mother and daughter begin experiencing terrifying visions of the horrors that occurred at the house years before. Do the visions hint at the onset of a shared family madness, or are they clues to a real-life nightmare that once took place on the property? Only time will tell … To celebrate the release FilmJuice have been on our very own little ghost hunt to find the UK’s most haunted houses. Which one is your local haunt?
Ancient Ram Inn, Gloucestershire. As well as being a notorious hideout for highwaymen in the past, The Ancient Ram Inn has apparently been the location of many sinister happenings, including child sacrifice, suicide, murder and black magic rituals. The current owner, John Humphries believes that he shares his home with all sorts of spooks and claims that eight people have had to be exorcised after staying there!
Berry Pomeroy Castle, Devon. Berry Pomeroy Castle is known as one of the most haunted castles in Britain due to the appearances of two female ghosts, the ‘White Lady’ and the ‘Blue Lady,’ who both died tragically during different eras of the castle’s dark history. The ‘White Lady’ is said to haunt the dungeons where she was left to starve by her jealous sister, whereas the ‘Blue Lady’ supposedly likes to lure passers-by to the tower in the hope that they fall to their death!
Woodchester Mansion, Gloucestershire. Woodchester Mansion is an unfinished Gothic mansion which was mysteriously abandoned whilst being built in 1870s. Built on the site of three previously haunted buildings, visitors have seen various forms of ghosts, including a phantom horseman, a little girl and the ‘Tall Man of the Chapel,’ while those who visit the bathroom often claim to see a floating head!
Village of Pluckley, Kent. Pluckley village was named the Most Haunted Village in England by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1989. Sixteen ghosts have been reported residing in various houses and areas of the village, including a screaming man at the old brickworks, a highwayman who appears at Fright Corner, a schoolmaster found hanged by a group of children and an old woman who used to sit on a bridge smoking.
Tower of London, London. With its bloody history, it’s no surprise that many people believe that the Tower of London is haunted. Henry VI is said to still pace around The Wakefield Tower minutes before midnight on the anniversary of his death. The Bloody Tower is home to Sir Walter Raleigh who wanders along the battlements now known as Raleigh’s Walk along with the two young princes who were believed to have been executed on the request of Richard III.
The Drover’s Inn, West Dunbartonshire. The Drover’s Inn boasts several ghostly presences, notably ‘Angus the Drover,’ who was murdered nearby in the 1750s and sometimes wanders in late at night, screaming in pain. In one particular room, guests claim to have been woken in the night to feel a wet, icy body next to them and in another room guests often wake to see a family gathered at the foot of the bed, with the youngest child waving.
Borley Rectory, Essex. Described as the most haunted house in Britain, Borley Rectory was the final resting place of a nun and a monk, murdered for planning to elope together in the 14th Century. Windows have had to be bricked up after sightings of the nun peering into the house got too harrowing, while rocks have been thrown at inhabitants, items moved and footsteps heard in empty!
Blickling Hall, Norfolk. Home to the Boleyn family, Blickling Hall is believed to be ‘visited’ by Anne and a number of her relatives regularly, as well as being haunted by previous residents Sir John Fastolfe and Henry Hobart, who was mortally wounded in a duel. The former Queen apparently arrives at Blickling Hall on the anniversary of her death riding in a ghostly carriage, before drifting through the rooms carrying her own head!
Eyam, Derbyshire. Eyam was devastated by bubonic plague in 1665 after residents famously elected to stay within the village boundaries to stop infecting neighbouring communities. Two of the victims, Emily and Sarah, are said to haunt the Miners Arms pub, and are often heard playing in the bedrooms as visitors sleep. A room in Eyam Hall has been permanently locked after the ghost of a man frequented it too often!
The Skirrid Mountain Inn, Monmouthshire. Considered the oldest inn in Wales, dating back to 1100, The Skirrid used to double as a courtroom and place of execution. It is reported that almost 200 convicted felons were put to death inside and that their spirits may have never left! Some customers claim to have felt a noose tightening around their necks and have even been left with the marks to prove it!
Grace Neill’s, County Down. For most of its life, this pub was known as the King’s Arms. However it takes its current name from its long-standing landlady. Grace Neill died in 1916 but locals and living landlords believe she continues to tidy glasses at the bar and move furniture even from beyond the grave. Occasionally a figure of a Victorian lady is even seen by the staircase, but customers are reassured that she is a “friendly and welcome wraith.”
Jamaica Inn, Cornwall. The tavern which inspired Daphne Du Maurier to write her most famous works, Jamaica Inn unsurprisingly has an extensive smuggling history and supernatural presence. Regular phantom punters include a man in a tricorn hat who walks through the walls and a murder victim who sits outside musing his untimely demise. Cartwheels and horses’ hooves are also often heard in the cobbled courtyard.
Chillingham Castle, Northumberland. The aptly named Chillingham Castle is renowned for its Blue Boy ghost. After years of hearing moaning and whimpering within one of the castle rooms, bones and some scraps of blue clothing were discovered within a wall, suggesting he may have been entombed there. The restless spirit of Lady Mary also resides on the turret stairs, the rustle of a dress the only sound as she searches in vain for her adulterous husband.
Ruthin Castle, Denbighshire. Any castle that sports a Drowning Pit, a Whipping Pit and dungeons is guaranteed to be haunted. Add a gruesome history the execution of a jealous wife who had murdered her husband’s lover with an axe and the chances are that the place is teeming with ghostly goings on! At Ruthin – a brilliant red fort with over 400 years of grim history behind it – the Grey Lady can be seen roaming the battlements and chapel – sans axe, regrettably. Other areas of the castle are prone to mysterious noises, footsteps, inexplicable changes in temperature and the appearance of a spectral soldier.
The Haunting In Connecticut 2 scares its way into cinemas on 31st October.