Dominican Hill, Baguio City, Philippines.

The empty ruined remains of the Diplomat Hotel on Dominican Hill, Baguio City, Philippines have the reputation of being haunted by headless apparitions amongst other things. The building dates back to the early 20th century and was constructed by the Dominican Order as a seminary, covering 17 hectares. Father Rogue Ruano was in charge of the construction and on 23 May 1915 the Collegio del Santissimo was inaugurated. Due to poor enrolment figures the school aspect was closed in 1917 and the building was used as a vacation house/sanitarium.
    During WWII refugees took shelter in the building until the Japanese forces attacked, causing extensive damage to the property. The occupying Japanese are supposed to have beheaded several of the priests and nuns from the vacation house. According to stories passed down, these murders took place on the ground floor and some rooms on the second floor of the building. There is a rumor that babies were killed near the fountain.
    Restoration work started in 1947 and was finished in 1948. In 1973 the building was bought by Diplomat Hotels, Inc who remodeled it into a 33 bedroom modern hotel, whilst keeping a lot of the architectural features associated with the Dominican Friars, including the large white cross on top of it. The rooms were described as being large and eerie.
    Tony Agpaoa, major stockholder in Diplomat Hotels Inc and faith healer, managed the hotel until his death from a heart attack in 1987. Many of the visitors were patients of Agpaoa from Europe seeking a miracle cures. With the death of Agpaoa the hotel was closed to the public and declared off limits to visitors, though I believe it maybe accessible now. Whilst it was open as a hotel staff and guests supposedly heard wailing sounds both during the evening and throughout the daytime. A headless priest was also seen wandering the corridors.
    The building is now in a dilapidated state and supposedly avoided by the locals who consider it to be haunted. Neighbors have supposedly claimed to hear noises from the hotel, like dishes clattering, people screaming, and hearing doors slamming shut, the locals have also reported seeing the "White Lady".

New Orleans Louisiana

New Orleans has been called the most haunted city in the united states. It has been said by many that the actual history of New Orleans is far stranger than anything fictional writers can create.
    Legend tells us that this vast swamp was once used by Indians as a sacred burial place. The location was appealing for its geographical position on the Mississippi River. The french believed it would be extremely profitable for trading. Therefore, in 1718, New Orleans was founded. Being a swamp, New Orleans did not appeal to the taste of wealthy Parisians. It was during this time that the prisons in Paris were extremely over populated. The King of France decided to relieve this problem by sending over laborers from the prisons to build the city.
    Murderers, thieves, rapists, and common criminals were among the first to populate the area. Living conditions were deplorable. Harsh elements, quick sand, alligators, venomous snakes, mosquitoes and disease were rampant. The murder rate was high. Add a couple of major fires that devoured the city, (as well as many of its inhabitants), numerous hurricanes, wars, and yellow fever epidemics over the next hundred years created excellent conditions for ghosts and hauntings. 

    In 1834, a crime occurred that shocked the city beyond belief. A crime that eventually became known as the blemish of the city. A woman by the name of Delphine LaLaurie became a common name in the city's dark history. 
    She moved there with her husband Dr. Louis LaLaurie both very wealthy were known to throw parties of the century, they were also known to have very well behaved slaves.
    One the madame was getting ready for a party and her long hair was being combed by a 12 old slave girl named Leah, well the comb hit a snag and the madame pulled out a bullwhip and intended on punishing the poor girl. Little Leah kept running away from the madame and ran out onto the balcony where she lost her footing and fell to her death, the madame was unable to hide the crim and was charged with abusing her slaves and fined 300.00 dollars, a mere slap on the wrist for her, her slave were then taken away and auctioned off to a family member that LaLaurie payed. With her slaves back life continued on and eveything was almost forgotten until a fire broke out in the kitchen of the LaLaurie house, the fire brigade was called to the house and when they went into the kitchen they seen two slaves chained to the stove. It was apparent that they started the fire in the hopes of bringing attention to the aweful things that were being done.
    The remaining slaves directed the fire brigade to a small attic crawlspace, the door was bolted and locked from the outside, yet screams and cries could be heard within. the fire brigade used a battering ram and knocked the door open, to their horror they seen at least a dozen slaves had been victims of very crude medical experimentations. They were chained to the walls, maimed and disfigured. One man looked as if he had been the victim of some crude sex change operation. One poor soul, a woman, had managed to break free from her shackles. Instead of being relieved that someone had come to rescue her, she ran in fear of further torture. She made it past the rescuers, in through the house, then jumped through a window. She fell to her death on the balcony below. The window remains sealed to this day. Another victim had her arms amputated and her skin peeled off in a circular pattern, making her look like a human caterpillar. Yet another, had been locked in a cage that the newspaper described as barely large enough to accommodate a medium size dog. Breaking the cage open, the rescuers found that the LaLaurie’s had broken all of her joints resetting them at odd angles so she resembled a human crab. Body parts were in jars on shelves in the room. 
    Before the LaLaurie's could be caught and punished for their crimes they escaped through their carriageway and disappeared at the river's edge.
    Many years later the house was turned into apartments as it is today, during renovations on the 3rd floor however there was a horrible discovery, the bodies of seventy five people were found who had been buried alive. To this day the house is said to be the most haunted in the city.

   

    On November 23, 1762, in the Treaty of Fontainebleau, the King of France, Louis XV gave Louisiana to his cousin, King Charles III, of Spain. The treaty was kept secret for a number of years to all except the Spanish. On March 5, 1766, the first Spanish Governor, Don Antonio de Ulloa arrived in New Orleans.

    No doubt France failed to alert the settlers in New Orleans of this change in command. This was a very early time for New Orleans. The French Parisians still wanting no part in colonizing this swamp city. The new Governor and his army arrived unannounced and proceeded to replace the French flag flying in the Place D’ Arms with that of Spain.
    Needless to say, the French population of the city feared the worse. It would appear to The French Creole colonists wanted no part of Spanish rule. Having not been informed of this change, they of course believed that they were being invaded by Spain. They did what seemed to be the only natural thing to do, defend their city. They organized an army led by six Creole gentlemen and fought the first revolution in North America. They literally overtook the soldiers and expelled the Spaniards from the colony. The Creole colonist fought and won the first revolution in this country. The Spanish Governor and his army retreated to Cuba.
    Spain was slow to respond. In 1769, another governor, Don Alejandro O’Reilly, an Irish ex-patriot who joined Spain during the Spanish Inquisition, entered New Orleans. He brought with him a new priest for the church and an entire Spanish army consisting of 24 ships. The ships appeared to float into the port of New Orleans. Governor O’Reilly and his army seized the Place D’ Arms and raised their Spanish flag. They set up camp in the newly appointed Plaza de Armas.
    The governor’s first matter of business was to capture the six men who led the revolution. One by one they were captured and shot for treason without a trial. One by one their bullet torn bodies were laid out in the sand in front of the church. Governor O’Reilly set forth a proclamation to the city of New Orleans and its French residents. It stated the bodies would be removed from the church entrance for no reason. The rotting corpses were to remain where they lie to rot, fester and decompose for the entire city to see.
    The priest, of the church, at that time was a beloved Capuchin Monk, named Pere Dagobert. He was outraged by this act of terror. “What Catholic could possibly do this to nother Catholic,” he wondered. In an attempt to correct this blasphemy and give the men a proper funeral, he visited Governor O’Reilly. He tried to reason with him. Governor O’Reilly very rudely sent the priest away, forbidding him to defy his actions. Several days later, Pere Dagobert made another attempt to reason with the Governor. This time begging and beseeching him to have mercy on the souls of these poor men. Again, the Governor sent him away. The Governor warned Pere Dagobert that if defied him or even attempted to visit him again, he too would join the others in front of the church.
    Finally, in an act of desperation to give these men a proper Catholic funeral, Pere Dagobert bravely did what anyone would have done. He took matters into his own hands. He waited until a stormy night and he gathered the families of the men. Pine boxes were constructed to be coffins for what was left of the remains. In the middle of a torrential rainstorm, he and the families gathered the remains into the boxes. Pere Dagobert proceeded to perform the funeral mass in the storm. Pere Dagobert was best recognized in New Orleans for his beautiful tenor voice. As he sang the Kyrie his voice echoed out against the sound of the pounding rain and crashing thunder. He continued singing throughout the rain, as he led the funeral procession down
    Pere Antion’s alley (ironically named for his predecessor), down Orleans Avenue to what was then St. Peter’s cemetery. The men were given their funeral in spite of the threats of Governor O’Reilly. Not one Spanish soldier attempted to abandon their tent to disrupt the funeral.
    Pere Dagobert was eventually replaced in the church by the first Spanish priest Father Antonio DeSadilla, referred to by the French as Pere Antion. Pere Dagobert continued out his life in New Orleans and was eventually buried under the altar in the Cathedral. But the impression of Pere Dagobert however intense, was not left in the Place D’ Arms,now Jackson Square. Nor was it left in the Cathedral. For it is not the ghost of Pere Dagobert that haunts this city. His impression was left in the rain. On rainy summer nights, his haunting voice can still be heard echoing throughout the alleys. Still singing the Kyrie. The closer to dawn the louder the singing. His beautiful tenor voice. singing the funeral mass, down the alley, and throughout Orleans Avenue.

    One of the most mysterious ghosts in the French Quarter is that of the “Sultan”. He reportedly roams the halls of the four-story house at 716 Dauphine St., on the corner of Dauphine and Orleans Ave. A Times-Picayune article written on February 11, 1979, recounts the Sultan’s tale. There are discrepancies as to dates of the actual incident as well as when the house was even built.

    New Orleans was one of the first cities to be taken over and occupied by the Union during the Civil War. This was a time in our history when even the wealthiest of Creoles were losing their fortunes. Often, those who owned large mansions would sell their properties for smaller homes or even rent out the homes to several families. Businesses were dying and Confederate money was no longer good. A man by the named of LePrete owned the large mansion at 716 Dauphine Avenue. The LaPrete family owned a plantation in Plaquemines Parish but used the spacious home in the French Quarter during the winter months, which was opera season in New Orleans. In fear of losing his plantation, he planned to rent or sell his second home. He was visiting New Orleans and discussing his financial concerns with some associates in a local pub. Overhearing his conversation, a man wearing a turban approached Mr. LePrete and introduced himself as an emissary of a Turkish sultan who had recently arrived in New Orleans. He explained to Mr. LePrete that the Sultan had quite a large family and was in dire need of a large home to rent. Mr. LaPrete was delighted to hear that the Royal family was interested in his home. The man offered for Mr. LaPrete to check his references that were banks across the city where the Sultan had deposited rather large sums of money. The following morning Mr. LePrete checked with the banks and indeed, the Sultan was quite wealthy. Mr. LePrete met again with the mysterious man in a turban and orchestrated the transaction. Immediately, the Sultan moved in with his family. His family consisted of many, many wives. There were woman of every shape, size and color among them. He had many children from these wives. The Sultan had a harem of not only women but also young boys. Over the two years he occupied the house in the city, it is said that he was known to kidnap women, girls and boys off the street and torture them into submission. He had an entire army of eunuchs to protect his family and harem. The guards would march the balconies and galleries of the house with scimitars.
    He had bars put over the doors and windows of the house making it look for like a fortress. For two years, his parties were the talk of the city. Loud music and laughter rang through the building all hours of the day and night. The smell of opium and incense reeked through the doors and windows.
    Two years after the sultan moved into the home, a woman who lived at a neighboring house was strolling by early one morning. As she passed the corner, she noticed that for the first time in two years, the home was quiet, no laughter, and no music. She stood for a few seconds on the corner, straining to hear any sign of life. She then became aware that there was a drip coming down off of the gallery. Looking up, she realized that it was blood. Running around to the front door, she observed blood pooling from underneath.
    She reported the situation to police who had to enter the property by way of a battering ram. As the doors collapsed in, the police saw pools of blood trailing down the halls. As they wallowed through the congealed blood they saw that there were body parts strewn throughout the house. Legs, arms, heads, torsos, every member of the household had been cut into pieces. The woman, children and eunuchs alike, butchered into unrecognizable parts. They had to count heads in order to get an accurate count of the bodies.
    The Sultan’s body was the only one that had not been cut up. His body was found in a shallow grave, one hand reaching through the freshly dug dirt. When they retrieved his body, there was so much soil shoved into his throat and esophagus, it can only be assumed that he was buried alive. The murder of the Sultan and his entourage is the biggest mass murder mystery in the city’s history. No one knows who committed the murders.
     For years, the city blamed pirates for the crime. It was assumed that possibly they intended to rob him and ultimately murdered everyone. This story doesn’t carry a lot weight however. Pirates generally used pistols. Also, the largest trade for pirates was white slavery. It would have been far more profitable to kidnap the woman and children, even the eunuchs and sell them as slaves in the Caribbean.
    A much more sinister explanation has since been derived. It is now suspected that this man, Prince Suleyman, was not a Sultan at all, but the brother of a Sultan. Up until the late 1800’s, it was customary that when a son was crowned Sultan, he would order his brothers and their families executed. With many wives and many children, it meant many heirs. Older brothers who gained the crown would insure that one of their own children would be heir to the thrown rather than a brother. It is now believed that the prince was hiding in New Orleans with his family to avoid execution from his older brother, the real Sultan. Professional assassins from Turkey located him and were ordered to execute the entire household. The prince was probably drugged or knocked unconscious the buried alive. This is substantiated by the way the body was dressed in traditional Muslim funeral attire and dressing.
    In the newspaper article of 1979, called “Life with an Exotic Ghost,” tales of the sultan’s ghost was recounted. Two residents of the home who had lived there during different periods, claim to have had encounters with the sultan. Both women claim to have seen the ghost of the sultan. One woman moved out of the home after hearing shrieking screams and gurgling sounds inside the house. A previous owner of the house, claimed she was visited nightly by the Sultan. She would awaken to a presence hovering over her. When she would look up, she could see his face peering down at her, with his turban still on his head. When she would scream or turn on a light, the apparition would vanish. A twisted tree grows in the courtyard in the site where the sultan was buried. Other residents throughout the years have claim to have heard the sounds of body parts hitting the wood floors at night. While others have merely seen the robe of the Sultan whip around a corner.
      
  These are just a few stories to tell about how haunted New Orleans is, if you plan on visiting it should be told that no matter where you go in New Orleans no matter what corner you turn always remember you may not be alone like you think, there are also plenty of haunted hotels and it wouldn't hurt to check out the cemeteries as well. Have fun and enjoy yourself and whatever you do dont turn out your lights        

Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Is the Longest cave system in the world. New discoveries and connections add several miles to the already known 390 miles each year. 

    The story of human beings in relation to Mammoth cave spans six thousand years. Several sets of Native American remains have been recovered from the cave, or other near by caves in the region, in both the 19th and 20th centuries. Most mummies found represent examples of intentional burial, with ample evidence of pre-columbian funerary practice.

        One of the most interesting of these spirits is a lady by the name of “Melissa”. A letter was discovered that indicated that she lived near the cave for quite some time. This occurred in the mid 1800’s. As it is told, Melissa fell in love with a man. He was named “Mr. Beverleigh” and acted as her tutor. Unfortunately, the tutor did not seem to feel the same way that she did, but fell in love with her neighbor and friend. It is believed that she intentionally led this individual on a tour of the cave, and then left him behind. Because he was not familiar with the passageways, he died. Today, many claim that Melissa still visits the cave as a spirit and that the man is still trying to find his way out, despite the fact that both are now deceased. 
    Another story comes from Charlie Hanion, a former cave guide who became a nature writer. He and a friend were leading a "Lantern Tour" of the cave (a historic tour designed to give the visitor an idea of how early tourists saw the cave) and as his friend was talking to the assembled group, a girl of about 14 years-old turned to Hanion and asked who the man standing near the rocks was. Hanion looked about 40 feet away and saw a man in old-fashioned, formal attire. He was dressed in a fashion that tourists from decades past would have dressed to tour the cave. The man quickly vanished!    Floyd Collins is another spirit that seems to frequent the caves as a spirit. This man was an avid explorer in life, and it is said that as he ventured into the magnificent cave, rocks fell on him and left him trapped. While he was found by friends, it was difficult for them to conclude a method to remove him from the area. As time progressed, the cave fell a bit more. The new cave in eventually killed Floyd Collins. Today, it is said that his spirit still resides within the passageways of the cave.

    An exception to purposeful burial was discovered when in 1935 the remains of an adult male were discovered under a large boulder. The boulder had shifted and settled onto the victim, a pre-Columbian miner, who had disturbed the rubble supporting it. The remains of the ancient victim were named "Lost John" and exhibited to the public into the 1970s, when they were interred in a secret location in Mammoth Cave for reasons of preservation as well as emerging political sensitivities with respect to the public display of Native American remains.

    Besides the remains that have been discovered in the portion of the cave accessible through the Historic Entrance of Mammoth Cave, the remains of cane torches used by Native Americans, as well as other artifacts such as drawings, gourd fragments, and woven grass moccasin slippers are found in the Salts Cave section of the system in Flint Ridge.

    Legend has it that the first European to discover Mammoth Cave was either John Houchin or his brother Francis Houchin, in 1797. While hunting, Houchin pursued a wounded bear to the cave's large entrance opening near the Green River. Some Houchin Family tales have John Decatur "Johnny Dick" Houchin as the discoverer of the cave, but this is highly unlikely because Johnny Dick was only 10 years old in 1797 and was unlikely to be out hunting bears at such a tender age. His father John is the more likely candidate from that branch of the family tree, but the most probable candidate for discoverer of Mammoth Cave is Francis "Frank" Houchin whose land was much closer to the cave entrance than his brother John's. There is also the argument that their brother Charles Houchin, who was known as a great hunter and trapper, was the man who shot that bear and chased it into the cave.  According to family records passed down through the Houchin, and later Henderson families, John Houchin was bear hunting and the bear turned and began to chase him. He found the cave entrance when he ran into the cave for protection from the charging bear.

    In July 1812, the cave was purchased from Simon and other owners by Charles Wilkins and an investor from Philadelphia named Hyman Gratz. Soon the cave was being mined for calcium nitrate on an industrial scale.

A half-interest in the cave changed hands for ten thousand dollars (a huge sum at the time). After the war when prices fell, the workings were abandoned and it became a minor tourist attraction centering on a Native American mummy discovered nearby.

                      HAUNTED MAMMOTH CAVE

Eerie stories tell of unexplained sounds, strange lights, bizarre noises, disembodied footsteps and of course, apparitions and spirits. However skeptics maintain there are explanations for these things. A person so imagination can play tricks on them in the dark and footsteps and voices can seem ghostly when there are echoes from other parts of the cave. They also state that stories of encounters with ghosts in Mammoth Cave are told by tourists and visitors who have no previous experience with caves and with the natural phenomena that accompanies them. But there are others who would say that this isn’t true. While many of the stories are indeed accounts told by visitors to the cave, others are not so easy to explain away. Many of the tales are experiences shared by park rangers, cave explorers, spelunkers and even geologists who are fully aware of what strange things a cave can do.

    Believers in the resident ghosts can cite a number of reasons why the cave might be haunted. The long history of the place includes accidents from the days of the saltpeter operations, Native Americans who wandered into the cave and never found their way out, stranded travelers, missing cave explorers, tragic tuberculosis victims and even those who loved the place so much that they have never left --or so the stories go.

    Another tale from Crystal Cave is attributed to a former employee named George Wood, who filed it as a report back in 1976. He wrote that he and another employee, Bill Cobb, had spent a day in June checking springs for a study on groundwater flow in central Kentucky. They didn't make it to the last spring until after dark and it was located near the old and abandoned Collins house on Flint Ridge. Cobb went to the spring while Wood waited near the truck. After a few moments, he heard the sound of a man crying out in the darkness. At first, he thought it was his friend calling for help, but the voice seemed too high-pitched. It was also so faint that he had to listen carefully to hear what it was saying. The voice cried: "Help me! Help me! Help me, I'm trapped! Johnny, help me!" It called out over and over again.
As he stood there on the edge of the dark road, he felt a cold chill run down his back. He vividly recalled hearing and reading about Floyd Collins and how he was trapped in Sand Cave --- which was located just a short distance from where he was standing! A few minutes later, Cobb returned and Wood asked him if he had been calling for him. The other man had heard nothing while at the spring, but after hearing Wood's account, admitted that he was spooked. In fact, they both were and didn't waste any time in getting back in the truck and driving off.

   

Haunted U.K

Denham Church, Suffolk, England:

Denham Church is located in the village of Denham St. Mary in Suffolk, England. Denham hall stands right next to the church, and these two structures have been shrouded in mystery for countless years regarding the existence of paranormal entities. There are at least eleven known ghosts that haunt the hall, which include: a monk who walks the footpath, a lady walking on the nearby bridge, and another lady who walks outside of the church gate. There is also a misty figure that seems to be floating from the large hill that slopes down from the church. Two red eyes have also been seen staring at people from that same hill. Two apparitions of females have been seen on the grounds.

One walks up the path of an old cottage, and the other is seen walking around the gardens at daylight wearing Victorian clothes. New reports are of the ghost of an old farmer that have now been released. This farmer is seen by the old farm building and is believed to have been killed around the year of 1920 in a gruesome accident. The legend is that this unlucky farmer had his head cut off under the wheels of a horse drawn carriage. The ghost is said to be still headless, and certainly appears to be looking for his missing head. Within the hall, there have been a number of paranormal events.

Small colored lights have been seen moving around, a bloodstain appears and disappears in a certain spot on the floor from time to time, and footsteps and whispering voices can be heard. Along the road from the church, people have reported hearing the sound of a chain being dragged across. This chain sound apparently always stops at the same spot that was once a major crossroads. When the chain stops, a clear ball can be seen hovering above this spot for about five minutes before it disappears.

Many years ago, a 16 year-old girl lived in the village and was always checked out by the local men because she was so beautiful. The wives of these men were jealous and unhappy that this was happening, so they assumed that this girl must be a witch for trying to take the men away from them. This poor girl was then found guilty of practicing witchcraft, and was locked in the church for a week or two before the people of the town decided on what the best course of action would be to take. She was chained, dragged down the road, and thrown into the well where she drowned. They then took her body and buried it across the road. Her body was dug up years later, upon which she was still in chains. She was given a full Christian burial following this, but it seems as though her ghost remains with her chains, duplicating the event that shattered her once beautiful existence.

The Tower of London, London, England:

One of the spookiest buildings is the Tower of London. Grim, grey and awe-inspiring, the Tower has dominated the London landscape and the pages of history, since its construction by William the Conqueror in 1078 and today it is, perhaps, the most haunted building in England.

One such spirit said to haunt the tower is that of Henry VI whose reign ended here with his murder in the hour before midnight its said that the Duke of Gloucester (later the infamous Richard III). Stabbed him as he prayed. Now every year on the anniversary of his murder his spirit rises and walks the halls of the tower and then slowly fades away.

  There's also the spirit called "The White Lady" who once stood at a window waving to a group of children in the building opposite. It may well be her 'cheap perfume" that impregnantes the air around the entrance to St. John's Chapel.

    In the gallery where Henry VIII's impressive and exaggerating suit of armour is exhibited, several guards have spoken of a terrible crushing sensation that suddenly descends upon them as they enter but lifts the moment they stagger, shaking from the room. A guard patrolling through here one stormy night got the sudden and unnerving sensation that somone had thrown a heavy cloak over him. As he struggled to free himself, the garment was seized from behind and pulled tight around his throat by his phantom attacker. Managing to break free from its sinister grasp, he rushed back to the guardroom where the marks upon his neck bore vivid testimony to his brush with the unseen assailant. 

  A memorial on Tower Green remembers all those unfortunate souls who have been executed here over the centuries. Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey are both said to return to the vicinity, whilst the ghost of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury returns here in a dramatic and alarming fashion. At the age of seventy-two she became an unwitting and undeserving target for Henry VIII's petty vengeance. Her son, Cardinal Pole had vilified the kings claim as head of the church in England. When told by the executioner to kneel, the spirited old lady refused. “So should traitors do and I am none” she sneered. The executioner raised his axe, took a swing at her and then chased the screaming Countess around the scaffold where he, literally, hacked her to death. The shameful spectacle has been repeated several times on the anniversary of her death, as her screaming phantom continues to be chased throughout eternity by a ghostly executioner.          

The Bloody Tower, the very name of which conjures up all manner of gruesome images, is home to the most poignant shades that drift through this dreadful fortress. When Edward IV died suddenly in April 1483, his twelve year old son was destined to succeed him as Edward V. However, before his coronation could take place, both he and his younger brother, Richard, had been declared illegitimate by Parliament and it was their uncle, the Duke of Gloucester who ascended the throne as Richard III. The boys, meanwhile, had been sent to the Tower of London, ostensibly in preparation for Edward’s Coronation, and were often seen playing happily around the grounds. But then, around June 1483, they mysteriously vanished, and were never seen alive again. It was always assumed, that they had been murdered on Richard’s instructions and their bodies buried, somewhere within the grounds of The Tower. When two skeletons were uncovered beneath a staircase of the White Tower in 1674, they were presumed to be the remains of the two little princes and afforded Royal burial in Westminster Abbey. The whimpering wraiths of the two children, dressed in white nightgowns, and clutching each other in terror have frequently been seen in the dimly lit rooms of their imprisonment. Witnesses are moved to pity and long to reach out and console the pathetic spectres. But, should they do so, the trembling revenants back slowly against the wall and fade into the fabric.

Ordsall Hall, Salford, England:

Ordsall Hall is located in Salford, England, and is known as one of many homes to England’s “White Ladies.” A white female apparition has been seen frequently, seemingly floating among the grounds. The inside of the hall is believed to be even more haunted, which includes phenomena such as electrical equipment malfunctions, the sound of knocks, footsteps, and doors opening and closing. Ghostly apparitions have also been reported within the walls of the hall. The oldest part of the building dates all the way back to 1177 C.E. We know this because the name Ordeshala paid a feudal tax in the public records of that year.

    The hall is probably most famous for being the home of the Radclyffe family. Margaret Radclyffe is generally the center of the spiritual activity that takes place on the property of Ordsall Hall. Alexander was the name of Margaret’s twin brother, and in 1599 he went off to fight in Ireland. He died in battle, never returning home. This would lead to the death of Margaret, who seemingly died of a broken heart. Legend has it that Margaret will continue to haunt Ordsall Hall, waiting for her brother to return home.

Muncaster Castle, England:

 Is a privately owned castle overlooking the Esk river, about a mile south of the west-coastal town of Ravenglass in Cumbria, England.

    Muncaster Castle has acquired a reputation for being one of the most haunted houses in Britain. However, this has only been the case since the 1990s (Even though the castle has been reportedly haunted for centuries), partly due to the investigations of Jason Braithwaite of Birmingham University into whether the alleged hauntings are down to environmental factors such as magnetic disturbances, and partly due to the drastic rebranding of the Muncaster Castle estates to appeal to tourists for more than merely its acclaimed gardens at the turn into the 21st Century. This was in order to ensure that it remained in Pennington hands (the financial situation was acute enough at one stage for them to admit in a BBC documentary called Castle Ghosts of the British Isles, that the estate was in danger of being sold as they could not afford much needed repairs to the roof). 

Prior to the 21st Century, most ghost books that bothered to list Muncaster mentioned only two ghosts, that of Henry VI (who was sheltered at Muncaster after his defeat at the battle of Hexham) and the head carrying ghost of an apprentice carpenter who was decapitated whilst sleeping in the old stable block by jester Thomas Skelton (Tom The Fool) at the orders of Sir Ferdinand Pennington because of his love affair with his daughter Helwise.
    However, visitors to the castle have long been informed by guides that as well as the above, the ghost of Skelton and the vengeful ghost in white of Mary Bragg - a foul-mouthed local girl who was murdered by being hanged from the Main Gate by drunken youths in the 19th Century after they'd kidnapped her for a joke: those responsible were never brought to justice. There were even tales that a lion shot by the last Lord Muncaster in Kenya, and whose skull is kept in the castle, was sometimes heard prowling (& gently growling) around at nightfall.

  Guests may book a tour of the castle and an all-night vigil in a haunted bedroom known as the Tapestry Room, where guest reports of paranormal phenomena include: hearing footsteps, seeing the door open of its own accord, hearing a crying child (allegedly Margaret Susan Pennington, who died of screaming fits in the 19th Century) and/or a singing woman, having their digital cameras turn off and on inexplicably, feeling themselves patted, experiencing changes of room temperature, chest pains, and even being inexplicably tossed out of the bed.

The Marsden Grotto, Tyne and Wear, England:

Is a pub that was partly dug into the cliff face and fronted with a more conventional building opening onto the beach.

It is commonly known as the Grotto.

  There have long been tales of hauntings at the Grotto, mainly relating to a smuggler named John the Jibber who was reputedly murdered by his fellow criminals after selling information to HM Customs. It is said that he was hung in a barrel in a cave close to the present lift shaft and left to starve. Until the pub was sold by Vaux, it was said that the landlord would leave out a special tankard of ale each night after closing and, in the morning, it would be empty. Local DJ and TV presenter, Alan Robson drank from the tankard during one of his live Metro Radio shows, allegedly sparking off a series of supernatural phenomena that eventually forced the then landlord to quit. This included flying ashtrays smashing against the wall and flooding in the cellar after all the beer taps were inexplicably turned on. Unfortunately the original tankard was lost during refurbishment. A replacement is on display, but is no longer filled up each night for the ghost. The pub was also the venue for a uktv investigation in 2001, where paranormal researchers claimed to have identified at least seven different spirits.

Malahide Castle, Ireland:
Malahide Castle which is the oldest in habited castle in Ireland has not one ghost to frighten its guests but FIVE.


The first ghost is that of Sir Walter Hussey, who on his wedding day was killed in battle during the 15th century by a spear wound to the side of his body.
Sir Walter can bee seen wandering and groaning throughout the castle pointing at the deadly wound. It is believed that he haunts the castle venting his resentment towards his young bride, who upon his death married his rival.
Lady Maud Plunkett who had been married three times is the second ghost to haunt Malahide Castle. Her last marriage was to a Lord Chief Justice. By this stage of her life she had become a notorious virago, and she can bee seen chasing her husband through the corridors of the Castle.
The Chief Justice himself is the third of our ghosts to haunt Malahide Castle. He who simply appears to provide his spouse with an opportunity of taking a little exercise. I will leave what type of exercise to your imagination….
Our fourth ghost and probably the most interesting is that of Miles Corbett. During Cromwell’s reign, the castle and property were handed to Miles. During his occupation of the castle, Miles committed many atrocities but the worst was the desecration of the chapel of the old abbey near the castle.
For his crimes he was hanged, drawn and quartered and when his ghost first appears it seems to be a perfectly whole soldier in armor. But! If you are brave enough to be still around when you meet him you will find that he falls into four pieces before your very eyes.

The fifth and final ghost is that of a 16th century court jester called “Puck”. Puck had the misfortune of falling in love with a relation of Lady Elenora Fitzgerald, who under orders from Henry VIII was being detained at the castle due to her rebellious nature.


Poor Puck was found close to the castle during a snowy December night and for his troubles was stabbed through the heart. With his dying breath he swore and oath that he would haunt the castle until a reigning lord chose a bride from the common people. Pucks latest reported sighting was in 1976 when the castles contents were sold off in May of that year.
His dwarf like specter can be seen in many photographs taken at the castle but the most vivid is on were his wrinkled old face is seen peering out of the ivy on the walls of malahide castle.

South Bridge Underground Vaults, Edinburgh, Scotland:
 Are a series of chambers formed in the nineteen arches of the South Bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was completed in 1788. For around 30 years, the vaults were used to house taverns, cobblers and other tradesmen, and as storage space for illicit material, reportedly including the bodies of people killed by serial killers Burke and Hare for medical experiments.
As the conditions in the vaults deteriorated, mainly because of damp and poor air quality, the businesses left and the very poorest of Edinburgh's citizens moved in, though by around 1820, even they are believed to have left too. That people had lived there was only discovered in 1985 during an excavation, when middens were found containing toys, medicine bottles, plates, and other signs of human habitation.
As the industrial revolution took hold of Britain, the Cowgate area had developed into Edinburgh's slum. Slum dwellers took over the vaults and they became a renowned red light district with countless brothels and pubs operating within the abandoned complex. The vaults also served as additional slum housing for the city’s poor. Living conditions were appalling. The rooms were cramped, dark and damp. There was no sunlight, poorly circulated air, no running water, and no sanitation. Many rooms housed families of more than ten people. Crimes, including robbery and murder, soon plagued the Vaults. Burke and Hare, the infamous serial killers who sold corpses to medical schools, are rumoured to have hunted for victims in the Edinburgh Vaults.
Paranormal reports
The frequent reports of paranormal activity and ghost sightings resulted in the UK paranormal entertainment show, Most Haunted, to investigate the vaults in both a 24 hour investigation and for a Most Haunted Live show on Halloween 2006. The television show Ghost Adventures investigated the vaults and claimed to have numerous encounters with spirits there.
In 2001, Professor Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire invited subjects to spend time in the Edinburgh Vaults. His study concluded that people who believed in ghosts reported more supernatural experiences than disbelievers, that participants consistently reported unusual sensations in areas they were told were haunted, and that there was an increased report of incidents in Vault rooms with a decidedly more sinister visual appearance or stronger cold air flow. Professor Wiseman’s study suggests that visitors may help create the haunted experience they expect to find in the Vaults.
However in 2009 a BBC TV production team filming a one-off TV special featuring Joe Swash recorded unexplained voices in the vaults during an overnight sleepover by Swash. One voice appeared to be that of a Catholic priest reciting the Last Rites. Swash was the only person in the vaults and did not hear the voices himself at the time of recording, despite the sounds being audible on his own microphone. The voices continued to be heard on the recording for some 20 minutes before abruptly ceasing after what appears to be the sound of children yelling. BBC sound engineers initially thought the sounds may be explained by voices drifting into the tunnels from nightclubs nearby but this was found to be incorrect and no other logical explantion could be found. The recordings were broadcast as part of the finished program Joe Swash Believes in Ghosts on BBC Three in January 2010.