The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Not a personal sighting etc but what my wife and I were told when having a look round Walsingham this week. Walsingham has three different denominational churches, a shrine, abbey and various mass pilgrimages to it throughout the year, it has loads of old buildings, shops selling religious statues etc and to me anyway seems slightly strange. On to my story, we decided to visit St Mary’s church which you reach by a small lane which has a bridge over the upper river Stiffkey of which I naturally wanted to peer over !

Anyway on entering the lane which was lined by very old cottages a middle aged chap was washing his car, good morning we said to which we received a cheery reply, over the river which at the bridge had no flow and looked not fishy we came to the church which had been nearly destroyed by fire in 1961 and very nicely restored. Walking back the chap was finishing his car, we said to him what a lovely spot he lived in, he said it was apart from the ‘pilgrimages’ when the Village was packed. I asked him how old the cottages were, he said his one was 17c and that it was haunted..........!! he’d lived there nine years and on several occasions when other members of his family were present lights would go on and off when there was no one near the switches....and voices could be heard in conversation downstairs when he was upstairs in bed.........and that on one occasion he’d seen a woman standing in a corner of his kitchen.......whose image evaporated when he asked who she was.....he then said his neighbor had one ‘happening’ when one Xmas the family were in the sitting room when their Xmas tree started to shake violently as if someone was shaking it for about 30 seconds with tinsel, baubles etc all dropping off ! No other object in the room moved, everyone was frightened. Nothing else had ever happened before or since in the house though and his neighbors had lived there for many years.

The car cleaning chap seemed to us to be completely normal, lucid and smartly dressed and our conversation had moved on to pubs and football when we left him, did he tell this tale to others who walked by his cottage or simply those like us who may have looked a bit simple and gullible! who knows ?
Dave

When one buys a Christmas tree it's always advisable to check for grey squirrels before taking home. Imagine the poor little thing hibernating in the tree, and waking up to the warmth of the smells of Christmas turkey roasting in the oven and chestnuts on the fire. Then the poor thing realises his trees is not where he thought, but in a strange room with even stranger than woodland animals, and all full of mysterious glittering balls, and in fright takes on the tremors and shakes, until the poor thing passes out. So had the folk looked more closely inside their tree they would have found Mr Squirrel, and quite beyond himself. Apparently, an apparently self shaking Christmas tree is a quite common phenomena, mostly caused by an awaking squirrel, although it's also sometimes caused by a ghost. That is, a ghost of Mr Squirrel.

I have been to Walsingham a couple of times when on holiday usually via the narrow gauge railway that runs from Wells to Walsingham and have never heard that story Rutland Rod - off course I may be either too simple or too gullible and probably both. If you have the chance go into Wells to the old main line railway station which is rather a shadow of its previous use but now a fine second hand book shop all the same where I have bought many a P.G.Wodehouse book and also enhanced my collection of W.E.Johns 'Biggles' books.

PershoreHarrier wrote: ↑Thu Jul 12, 2018 7:34 pm I have been to Walsingham a couple of times when on holiday usually via the narrow gauge railway that runs from Wells to Walsingham and have never heard that story Rutland Rod - off course I may be either too simple or too gullible and probably both. If you have the chance go into Wells to the old main line railway station which is rather a shadow of its previous use but now a fine second hand book shop all the same where I have bought many a P.G.Wodehouse book and also enhanced my collection of W.E.Johns 'Biggles' books.

We keep meaning to do the railway trip and will look in the bookshop, if you go to Walsingham again, walk up the lane to the church and if you see a chap cleaning a red Seat on the right it’s him ! just say lovely village and see if he tells you the same story !

Ghosts or not, it sounds like a fascinating place. One of the things I like are old churches. I basically like buildings made of stone.

The rest of the place I get a feeling that its quiet & quaint. I do so want to visit G.B.. You have such an amazing history.

What a interesting tale call ghost busters

A search using the terms Walsingham ghost turned up 365 entries for Norfolk on The Paranormal Database. An invaluable resource as a starting point for anyone interested in researching ghost stories.
It seems to be an area often frequented by one of my favourites, Black Shuck.

I once saw an actual canine that might fit the description lying in the driveway of a house in Clondalkin, Ireland.
Huge thing, a mass of matted fur, blind in one eye, a fang sticking out.
A toddler, wearing only a nappy and sucking a dummy came waddling down the drive. I was apprehensive but the little 'un gave the beast a good smack in the nose.
It lay there, totally unconcerned.

Walsingham is indeed a strange place (even by Norfolk standards!)
I spend a lot of time camping with the kids at Stiffkey and have taken the little train from Wells to Walsingham a couple of times. The train is a little disappointing in my view as it seemed that the vast majority of the journey was in a cutting so you couldn't see much of the countryside-the Bure Valley railway from Aylsham to Wroxham or the Poppy line from Sheringham to Holt are far better. Not being of a religious leaning I must admit I found Walsingham rather bizarre and had to seek sanctuary in the local pub! - there was something going on with loads of people about but still found the place had a certain 'Royston Vasey' feel about it.
Caught my one and only sea trout (only a little one thou) not far from Walsingham so have fond memories of that.

Great ghostly tale! Thanks for posting.

Walsingham is a weird place with an atmosphere that is certainly not of a recognised religion.

This Mole is generally not of a 'windy' disposition but will not return to the place out of choice.

Enough said.

As ever,.....

Moley