GROUP NEWS : Here`s a brief run down on some of the Haunted locations throughout The West Midlands Areas. Some of you may have been to these places before in recent years, many now, sadly are no longer allowing access. Aston Hall - A white lady ghost is most frequently seen on the upper floor. A green lady is seen occasionally around the Hall and Dicks Garret is haunted by the eponymous character who lived and killed himself there. Aston Park, btw, has a ghostly lady in a maroon dress, spotted on one occasion near the tennis courts. Victoria Road - A woman in a yellowish-green dress haunts the road. Camp Hill flyover - A man who hanged himself may haunt the vicinity of a bus stop near the railway bridge here. Grove Lane - An old time policeman with a heavy beard and carrying a lantern was encountered at least once here. He gradually dematerialized until only his trousers remained! Then they too vanished. Warstone Lane Cemetery - A youngish fair haired woman in an old fashioned dress wafts around the area accompanied by the aroma of pear drops! St Nicholas Church, Cardworth - A tall woman - another Green Lady haunts this site where a Civil Wars mass grave lies and where buried treasure is rumoured. Guys Cliff Manor - Ruins haunted by a white lady ghost and a phantom funeral procession Royal Oak - Persistent cries of a baby girl who was many years ago murdered by her own father. At one time the crying, which ceased with a scream, were a monthly occurrence. Kingfisher shopping centre, Redditch - Possibly most haunted site of its kind. Built partially over a burial ground, the centre has been disturbed from the 70s onward by various shadowy figures, unaccountable sounds/movements etc. The Cardinals Hat - Built on the site of a house that burnt down. Unexpected temperature rises have been felt here. There is also the ghost of a fair haired girl in a nightdress who seemingly never shows her face. Old Talbot - Almost opposite the Cardinals Hat. Haunted by a phantom cat that has unnerved several people and at least one live dog with its supernatural habits. Baddesley Clinton - Afflicted by various weird sounds, a phantom woman and a priest murdered by onetime owner Nicholas Brome who suspected him of seducing his wife. The numerous ghosts of Erdington have been well documented and have one book dedicated to them. One of the more unusual is a haunted phone box in Station Road. ALEXANDRA THEATRE - Though nothing is seen here the presence of a former director, Leon Salberg, is definitely felt standing at the back of the stalls. More tangible is the sound of soft footsteps of a former wardrobe master who died in his office one night. The current wardrobe mistress is one of the members of the team who has heard the `gentleman pattering from over concrete to wood along a passage leading to the room where the old man was found`. The master always wore carpet slippers for some unknown reason and the floor which he still frequents has been carpeted for some time, yet the distinct change in tone is `very noticeable`. BLAKESLEY HALL - A few years ago whilst decorating a bedroom of this fifteenth century yeoman farmhouse the owners discovered some ancient wall paintings with a strong religious motif. The assumption is that it was used as a form of refuge from religious persecution and could have been a private chapel for there is a tunnel leading from the house to the local church. More than once visitors and friends whilst walking in the grounds, have witnessed the ghost of a woman in a `bluish gown` who seems to be looking for something. Legend has it that she is a mother searching for her child but no actual facts are known about the haunting. During a party a few years ago one of the guests glanced at another member of the group who was talking to a `strange looking fellow`. A few minutes later the woman, suddenly became ill and nearly fainted. On enquiry she admitted that the man she had been talking to `suddenly disappeared - just vanished `in front of her. She had been puzzled by the fact that he never said anything at all. Only the host recognised the figure of the man. He was, in fact portrayed in an old family painting in another part of the building and had been dead for over 150 years. BREWERY STORES - During renovation of this building in 97 – 98, a workman reported seeing a hooded figure materialising from a cellar wall. Poltergeist activity has also been witnessed which has also apparently continued after pub subsequently opened. COURT OAK - The ghost of a woman dressed in black and white clothing is said to haunt this pub. A masculine figure in a denim blue colour has been seen by the Licensee on 2 occasions. Poltergeist activity has also been reported – sometimes destructive in nature. Inexplicable movement of objects and stock (bottles of relatively expensive wine) found smashed on cellar floor periodically. HANBURY HALL - Emma Vernon, who lived at Hanbury Hall in Droitwich, was married to Henry Cecil, heir to the Earldom of Exeter. She eloped with, and later married, the local curate, William Snead, after being neglected by her husband. Even though Emma died nearly 200 years ago, she is said to still wander the hall and grounds (now owned by the National Trust). JOLLY COLLIER - The Jolly Collier was plagued by poltergeist phenomena, including the usual objects being hurled about the rooms, crockery being smashed, bells ringing unaccountably at all hours, but more disturbing, guests being thrown out of their beds. The situation became so bad that nobody would stay at the inn. The landlord’s wife had died leaving her husband a young daughter to look after and the phenomena always seemed to occur around this young girl. Business became that bad that the distraught landlord got heavily in debt and eventually, threatened by bailiffs and the debtors prison, he killed his daughter and then committed suicide. From that time the poltergeist phenomena ceased but ever since the figures of a flaxen-haired girl and a man in a brown suit have been seen in the upper part of the building. OLD MILL HOTEL - This Hotel was, believe it or not once a mill. Many features reserved including original mill pool and 18-foot diameter iron mill-wheel. It is reputed to be haunted by a Grey Lady whose voice has been heard in the restaurant OLDE WHITE ROSE - A swarthy looking figure in period clothing has been witnessed by the landlord in the pub cellars ROYAL EXCHANGE - Previous owners of this hostelry in Darlaston have experienced incredible unexplainable phenomena. Beer pulls have been known to start flowing independently, and upon investigation in the cellars, the switches had been clicking up and down of their own accord. An apparition has been seen many times by various occupants and staff….It shows itself as a black mass which resembles no shape or form, it can be tall or small, quick or slow People would feel as if someone was touching their hair or putting their arm around them. It would open doors slam doors make glasses fall from shelves, frighten dogs, it scared the bar staff to death one night by sending a blood curdling laugh echoing around the pub after hours when all the customers had gone home. STARTING GATE - Paranormal activity has been reported at this pub from the 1970’s onward. Apparitions seen include a shimmering figure in the cellar; a girl in 60’s clothing on the 1st floor of building; a woman with long black hair, wearing ball gown. Rampant poltergeist activity has also been reported. Object movement / destruction; dramatic temperature changes; interaction with electrical appliances / sources, etc. are the kind of events which occur. THREE TUNS HOTEL - Local legend has it that the ghost of a Royalist drummer boy – murdered during Civil War period – haunts the pubs cellar. Reports of encounters with the ghost date back decades. WARLEY ABBEY - Despite numerous attempts by serious researchers to capture The Grey Lady of Warley on film, the phantom here refuses to oblige, yet continues to be witnessed by the occasional evening visitor to the grounds when, at the time, they were thinking of `nothing in particular`. She is known to have appeared in the late 1950`s and in the early 1970`s and is seen as a tall woman wearing a grey coat. The most frequent area is that of the site of Warley Abbey constructed in the eighteenth century and demolished in the mid twentieth century. Some believe she is the phantom of a murdered heiress to the estate. There is certainly some connection with the original building for she appears where the original front door was situated, walks along a pathway and vanishes. WHITE HART INN - The mummified hand and arm of a young girl can be seen at the Central Library in Walsall. The arm and a Civil War sword were found the loft of the White Hart in 1870. The arm itself is a complete mystery but it is known that at some time it was injected with a preservative and could have been a hospital specimen. The pacing of feet in the attic has been heard on several occasions and the sound of sobbing has been heard by more than one landlord. A female phantom has been seen at the inn and the sensation of undue coldness in certain areas, especially the upper floor, has been noticed by many, including a psychical research group who spent the night in the haunted area. It is know that at one time witchcraft was practised as the White Hart. Originally the White Hart was a Tudor manor house and it is known that at least two murders and one suicide have been committed there. A man called Menzies was killed there by Parliamentary troops during the Civil War and another man was murdered there in the 18th century after an argument. In 1900, a servant girl committed suicide in the attic. In the late 1950’s the then landlady woke up one night to see a white shape standing by the side of her bed. In 1955, the landlord heard mysterious sobbing coming from the direction of the attic, He went up to the upper floor of the house, which had been disused for years. When he opened the door into the attic the sobbing ceased and he found the room empty with the dust on the floor undisturbed. In the centre of the room stood an old table. Quite clearly imprinted on the dust which covered it was the imprint of a young child’s hand. WHITE SWAN - The White Swan dates back to 1714, and it is haunted by the 19th century figure of John Wentworth, a prosperous local businessman. He used the pub for his secret meetings with a local woman. On one tragic night, she was killed in a coach accident and heartbroken, Wentworth killed himself and his little dog too. He is often seen near the bar.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 22:43:09 +0000