Haunted Places:
The Village With A Dozen Ghosts

Some places have a reputation for being particularly haunted. The village of Pluckley in south-east England is one of these. It is claimed to have no fewer than 12 ghosts.

The villagers do not agree as to whether the ghosts exist, but it seems unlikely that the village should get its reputation for no reason at all.

Researchers point out that conflicting opinions about ghosts can be a sign that they really do exist. If everyone had the same opinion, it would probably mean that they had read the same book or newspaper report. The photographs on this page were taken recently. There were no signs of supernatural activity when the photographer took the pictures, and as you can see, no phantoms appeared on them.

The spectre of the highwayman

The ghost of a highwayman haunts the area where a hollow oak tree stood at Fright Corner. Here the man was ambushed by his enemies. He was run through with a sword and speared to the tree. The gory event is said to be re-enacted every night.

A phantom coach and horses

The road from Pluckley to nearby Maltman's Hill is haunted by a phantom coach drawn by four horses. On dark nights, it is supposed to be possible to hear the drumming of horses' hooves and the sound of the coach rumbling along the lonely road.

The ghost of the gypsy woman

The spectre of a pipe-smoking gypsy woman, huddled in a tattered shawl, is often claimed to be visible near the bridge by the crossroads. She was burned to death in mysterious circumstances and has haunted the site ever since.

The colonel of the woods

Park Wood was formerly a small stretch of forested ground on the outskirts of Pluckley. In recent times, it was cleared to become grazing land as you can see from the picture above. A colonel once hanged himself in the woods and his ghost used to be seen walking in them.

The hanging body of the schoolmaster

Soon after World War I, a schoolmaster committed suicide in the village. He hanged himself from a laurel tree that stood in the road once known as Dicky Buss's Lane. His phantom body is said to be visible to this day, swinging in the breeze.

The blackghost of the miller

Near a house called the Pinnock is an old ruined mill where the black shape of a miller's ghost is said to wander. The ghost only appears before a thunderstorm breaks over the village.

The ghost of the screaming man

Near the railway station is a clay-pit and a brickworks. A worker was smothered to death when a wall of clay fell on him. His ghost, which is said to haunt the site, screams in the same way as he did when he died.

The Red Lady and a mysterious modern ghost

The Church of St. Nicholas, left, is said to be haunted by the ghost of the beautiful Lady Dering who died in the 12th century. She was buried in a sumptuous gown with a red rose in her hands. Her body was placed inside seven lead coffins, one inside the other, which were then put into an oak casket that was buried in a vault under the church. To this day her ghost, known as the Red Lady, walks in the graveyard of the church. Recently, there have also been reports of another mysterious female figure wandering inside the church, above right. She may be Pluckley's newest ghost.

The Lady of Rose Court

The house known as Rose Court is supposed to be haunted by the spirit of a former owner. She killed herself by drinking the juices of crushed poisonous berries. Her ghost appears between four and five o'clock in the afternoon, the time of day when she died.

The White Lady of Dering

Surrenden Dering was the manor of the Dering family. The main house was burnt by a fire in 1952. The house was supposed to have been haunted for centuries by the ghost of another member of the family, known as the White Lady, who appeared gliding through the library.

The phantom monk

At a house called Greystones, a phantom monk is said to haunt the grounds. He is often seen with the lady of Rose Court. There seems to have been a mysterious connection between the two of them for she died by a window, looking towards Greystones.