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Post by somersetstokie on Dec 9, 2019 11:34:43 GMT
I am a serious observer of Paranormal Phenomena and whilst doing some research I have come across a couple of references to happenings in a location known locally as "Ghost Mile Lane" in Eccleshall. The reports I have seen are clearly hearsay repeated and there is no supporting detail, although an apparition reportedly haunting the area is described as a "Tudor figure".
I have lived in Eccleshall but have never previously been aware of this story and the location referred to. Can anyone on here offer any more substance to these reports, which don't seem to be recent, or perhaps suggest where "Ghost Mile Lane" might be situated?
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Post by Northy on Dec 9, 2019 11:56:31 GMT
I am a serious observer of Paranormal Phenomena and whilst doing some research I have come across a couple of references to happenings in a location known locally as "Ghost Mile Lane" in Eccleshall. The reports I have seen are clearly hearsay repeated and there is no supporting detail, although an apparition reportedly haunting the area is described as a "Tudor figure". I have lived in Eccleshall but have never previously been aware of this story and the location referred to. Can anyone on here offer any more substance to these reports, which don't seem to be recent, or perhaps suggest where "Ghost Mile Lane" might be situated? Which eccleshall, one near Newport of Sheffield ?
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Post by somersetstokie on Dec 9, 2019 12:39:52 GMT
Eccleshall Staffs. ( thats why I went on a North Staffs based site.) Ive got the location correct/ confirmed but that's about it.
I lived in Eccleshall for 14 years and should know every alley and byeway, but without more background this one is baffling me. Very keen to know more.
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Post by thequietman on Dec 9, 2019 12:54:08 GMT
Might be to do with the supposed (?) secret tunnel between the castle & the church. Rumours when I was at school in Eccy that the castle had a ghost who wandered the (also-rumoured) tunnel.
My mate's dad was church warden, I think, and he was sure the tunnel existed.
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Post by somersetstokie on Dec 9, 2019 13:15:56 GMT
Yes there are reports of a tunnel in this area, but local historians have never been able to confirm it. The reported sightings in this area usually relate to the appearance of a large black dog in the area which materialises and pads silently along behind the person or else on the path ahead.
Otherwise in Eccleshall High Street (28) there is/was Ye Old London House, now a Restaurant. A former occupier of this establishment reported a couple of strange events which occured during his 18 months there. He and his wife were awoken by the sounds of two armoured men having a sword fight - the skirmish occurred for around thirty five seconds before ceasing. The couple's son and a friend were scared after they felt the building shake and the sound of a canon being fired, although others in the location heard nothing.
But Ghost Mile Road or Lane. Nothing much to go on.
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Post by ilfracoombestokie3 on Dec 9, 2019 16:50:30 GMT
This kind of reminds me about a road I use most days, Gallowstree Lane.
Was this a place where in the past they actually hung people?
If so, where is the tree that people were hung from?
Do people who live there, ever feel certain things that once went bump in the night?
Fascinating.
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Post by somersetstokie on Dec 9, 2019 17:35:23 GMT
Many roads and neighbourhoods have names that carry echoes of the past, and not only because of Folklore and superstition. Stoke of course has Dresden and Etruria as reminders of the Pottery Industry heyday. Stafford has names like Gaolgate St and Eastgate Street in relation to its history as a walled town.
Gallows tree lane is probably exactly that because at one time it was used as such, although the tree itself is unlikely to survive, as the number of public hangings tended to diminish significantly in the 19th century. Many hangings, especially for crimes such as Sheep Stealing and Highway Robbery, actually took place at a Crossroads site with the body left to prominently hang in chains for weeks or months after, as a stark warning to others. There were very strong rural beliefs that the souls of these poor unfortunates were destined to be trapped at the crossroads and remain there. There are many many tales of ghosts haunting these sites and stories of ghostly chains still heard swinging in the breeze where the old Gibbet stood.
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Post by yeokel on Dec 9, 2019 17:56:29 GMT
Many roads and neighbourhoods have names that carry echoes of the past, and not only because of Folklore and superstition. Stoke of course has Dresden and Etruria as reminders of the Pottery Industry heyday. Stafford has names like Gaolgate St and Eastgate Street in relation to its history as a walled town. Gallows tree lane is probably exactly that because at one time it was used as such, although the tree itself is unlikely to survive, as the number of public hangings tended to diminish significantly in the 19th century. Many hangings, especially for crimes such as Sheep Stealing and Highway Robbery, actually took place at a Crossroads site with the body left to prominently hang in chains for weeks or months after, as a stark warning to others. There were very strong rural beliefs that the souls of these poor unfortunates were destined to be trapped at the crossroads and remain there. There are many many tales of ghosts haunting these sites and stories of ghostly chains still heard swinging in the breeze where the old Gibbet stood. Things that go bump in the night are likely to be related to closing time at the Dick Turpin pub which is located on Gallowstree Lane. Or, it could be the ghost of Herbert Subbs who was murdered there (on the lane, not in the pub), a murder that has never been solved. See below. Unsolved Murder of Herbert StubbsMy parents lived near Gallowstree Lane and when I asked them, about fifty years ago, where the tree had actually been they told me it used to be near the junction with Sneyd Avenue. (I don’t know the rights and wrongs of that as I’m sure they never saw it either.) Either way, that’s my tuppenceworth.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2019 18:15:48 GMT
Many roads and neighbourhoods have names that carry echoes of the past, and not only because of Folklore and superstition. Stoke of course has Dresden and Etruria as reminders of the Pottery Industry heyday. Stafford has names like Gaolgate St and Eastgate Street in relation to its history as a walled town. Gallows tree lane is probably exactly that because at one time it was used as such, although the tree itself is unlikely to survive, as the number of public hangings tended to diminish significantly in the 19th century. Many hangings, especially for crimes such as Sheep Stealing and Highway Robbery, actually took place at a Crossroads site with the body left to prominently hang in chains for weeks or months after, as a stark warning to others. There were very strong rural beliefs that the souls of these poor unfortunates were destined to be trapped at the crossroads and remain there. There are many many tales of ghosts haunting these sites and stories of ghostly chains still heard swinging in the breeze where the old Gibbet stood. Things that go bump in the night are likely to be related to closing time at the Dick Turpin pub which is located on Gallowstree Lane. Or, it could be the ghost of Herbert Subbs who was murdered there (on the lane, not in the pub), a murder that has never been solved. See below. Unsolved Murder of Herbert StubbsMy parents lived near Gallowstree Lane and when I asked them, about fifty years ago, where the tree had actually been they told me it used to be near the junction with Sneyd Avenue. (I don’t know the rights and wrongs of that as I’m sure they never saw it either.) Either way, that’s my tuppenceworth. Thanks for that. I’m always up and down Gallowstree Lane and often wondered if there really was a gallows tree, especially with the Dick Turpin being there too. I know Sneyd Avenue originally ended at the Paris Avenue turn, beyond there was all fields... which may have contained the Gallows Tree as you say 👍
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Post by marylandstoke on Dec 9, 2019 18:16:05 GMT
This kind of reminds me about a road I use most days, Gallowstree Lane. Was this a place where in the past they actually hung people? If so, where is the tree that people were hung from? Do people who live there, ever feel certain things that once went bump in the night? Fascinating. If they had built a gallows why would a tree be involved?
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Post by yeokel on Dec 9, 2019 18:52:57 GMT
This kind of reminds me about a road I use most days, Gallowstree Lane. Was this a place where in the past they actually hung people? If so, where is the tree that people were hung from? Do people who live there, ever feel certain things that once went bump in the night? Fascinating. If they had built a gallows why would a tree be involved? Perhaps the tree fell down and so they replaced it with a gallows but they wanted to commemorate the old faithful tree?
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Post by chuffedstokie on Dec 10, 2019 13:01:58 GMT
On the subject of ghosts (not Eccleshall) an interesting 5 minute read is the story of the ghost of Chicksands Priory in Bedfordshire. It sits in the woods where we used to play as kids. We never saw the poor deceased even on an organised school trip that we went on. Our school was only half a mile down the road. Can't post the link unfortunately but you can't miss it on Google. Its links with the americans and Bletchley park in later years is also fascinating.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2019 13:48:57 GMT
This kind of reminds me about a road I use most days, Gallowstree Lane. Was this a place where in the past they actually hung people? If so, where is the tree that people were hung from? Do people who live there, ever feel certain things that once went bump in the night? Fascinating. If they had built a gallows why would a tree be involved? The tree was used as the gallows as far as I was told, people were hung from one of the boughs.
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Post by somersetstokie on Dec 10, 2019 14:17:53 GMT
An interesting selection of responses but unfortunately no answer to my Question. Is there perhaps a long term resident of Eccleshall who might recall references to Ghost Mile Road, maybe from a childhood memory?
There are are lots of effectively authenticated hauntings in the Ecclesall area, not least the famous "Monkey Man" of Bridge 39 of the Shropshire Union Canal near Woodseaves. But here I am trying to chase down material relating to this particular happening.
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Post by onesteino on Dec 10, 2019 14:59:59 GMT
This kind of reminds me about a road I use most days, Gallowstree Lane. Was this a place where in the past they actually hung people? If so, where is the tree that people were hung from? Do people who live there, ever feel certain things that once went bump in the Going back a few years now when I was studying at Keele, one of my History lecturers told me that Gallowstree Lane was named so because of the gallows that stood on them. He said the gallows would have been there due to the fact that it is quite a high part of the skyline and so the hangings could have been seen for quite some distance and therefore serve as an effective warning.
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Post by hamptonpig on Dec 10, 2019 16:35:50 GMT
Never heard of it - I lived there for 20 odd yrs and my parents still do - and have since the 70's. I'll ask my mum next time I see her but it means nothing to me!
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Post by murphthesurf on Dec 11, 2019 11:09:37 GMT
I am a serious observer of Paranormal Phenomena and whilst doing some research I have come across a couple of references to happenings in a location known locally as "Ghost Mile Lane" in Eccleshall. The reports I have seen are clearly hearsay repeated and there is no supporting detail, although an apparition reportedly haunting the area is described as a "Tudor figure". I have lived in Eccleshall but have never previously been aware of this story and the location referred to. Can anyone on here offer any more substance to these reports, which don't seem to be recent, or perhaps suggest where "Ghost Mile Lane" might be situated? Hi Som: 'Eccleshall - Ghost Mile Road'
I've looked and looked for this but not found much - even tried, in hope, putting the title into Google Earth to try to get a location but nothing came up at all. The only thing really I've been able to find by Gg the title is the following copy/paste mention, which is about # 15 on this link, and there are a further three mentions in it re. Eccleshall: Tudor Man Location: Eccleshall - 'Ghost Mile' Road Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown Further Comments: A piece of road near Eccleshall is so named by locals as several paranormal events have occurred there. This includes a man dressed in Tudor clothing being seen walking along it, and another figure that stepped out in front of an incoming car - the driver swore that he'd hit someone, but the figure vanished. A phantom coach may also haunt the area. www.paranormaldatabase.com/staffordshire/stafdata.php?pageNum_paradata=1&totalRows_paradata=125
Otherwise, you might already know of it, but there's a monthly publication mag called the Stone and Eccleshall Gazette - apparently run by one family - if you want to keep pursuing this subject you could perhaps try contacting them and they might be interested enough to run it as a feature and ask readers who know about it to get in touch: www.stonegazette.co.uk/ www.stonegazette.co.uk/about-us/
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Post by Olgrligm on Dec 11, 2019 11:19:30 GMT
Going way back to Norman and Plantagenet England, the Earl's of Chester owned Newcastle-under-Lyme. I believe that they had royal permission to erect one gallows in their territory, and they elected to put it at the edge of their territory. That is where Gallowstree roundabout now stands.
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Post by murphthesurf on Dec 11, 2019 11:30:29 GMT
On the subject of ghosts (not Eccleshall) an interesting 5 minute read is the story of the ghost of Chicksands Priory in Bedfordshire. It sits in the woods where we used to play as kids. We never saw the poor deceased even on an organised school trip that we went on. Our school was only half a mile down the road. Can't post the link unfortunately but you can't miss it on Google. Its links with the americans and Bletchley park in later years is also fascinating. Permittez-moi! Binkin' 'eck, Chuff - it's got a bit of everything, this place - there's a mention of Chicksands in the Domesday Book survey of 1086, plus it was a place of refuge for no lesser megaperson than Archbishop Thomas a Becket, while fleeing to France to avoid the wrath of his former friend King Henry II when the previously strong relationship between that particular twosome stared going pear-shaped. It became a home to a religious order in 1147, but chastity vows were definitely being broken, as two of the nuns were found to be pregnant and at least one of them was punished by being bricked up alive in one of the walls and the ghost of the girl, known as Rosetta, has been seen by many officers and civilians staying at RAF Chicksands, always on the 17th of the month - she is said to be eternally searching for the body of her lover, who was beheaded. The link also says (apart from loads of other stuff): 'More recently, Chicksands played a huge part in the Second World War by receiving signals which were later decoded at Bletchley Park, where the German Enigma code was broken.The breaking of the code is often said to have taken two years off the duration of the war. Since the war, Chicksands was firstly an American airbase, and more recently a top secret intelligence base for the British military. For a house whose walls have witnessed tragedy and scandal, it seems fitting that it currently sits in the hands of one of the most secretive organisations in the world, involved in top secret training and research. If those walls could talk, they would have an awful lot to say.' Anyway, read all about it: virtual-library.culturalservices.net/webingres/bedfordshire/vlib/0.digitised_resources/chicksands_news_priory_spy.htm Also: newsblaze.com/entertainment/books/the-ghost-at-chicksands-priory-investigation-report_10952/
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Post by chuffedstokie on Dec 11, 2019 12:01:51 GMT
On the subject of ghosts (not Eccleshall) an interesting 5 minute read is the story of the ghost of Chicksands Priory in Bedfordshire. It sits in the woods where we used to play as kids. We never saw the poor deceased even on an organised school trip that we went on. Our school was only half a mile down the road. Can't post the link unfortunately but you can't miss it on Google. Its links with the americans and Bletchley park in later years is also fascinating. Permittez-moi! Binkin' 'eck, Chuff - it's got a bit of everything, this place - there's a mention of Chicksands in the Domesday Book survey of 1086, plus it was a place of refuge for no lesser megaperson than Archbishop Thomas a Becket, while fleeing to France to avoid the wrath of his former friend King Henry II when the previously strong relationship between that particular twosome stared going pear-shaped. It became a home to a religious order in 1147, but chastity vows were definitely being broken, as two of the nuns were found to be pregnant and at least one of them was punished by being bricked up alive in one of the walls and the ghost of the girl, known as Rosetta, has been seen by many officers and civilians staying at RAF Chicksands, always on the 17th of the month - she is said to be eternally searching for the body of her lover, who was beheaded. The link also says (apart from loads of other stuff): 'More recently, Chicksands played a huge part in the Second World War by receiving signals which were later decoded at Bletchley Park, where the German Enigma code was broken.The breaking of the code is often said to have taken two years off the duration of the war. Since the war, Chicksands was firstly an American airbase, and more recently a top secret intelligence base for the British military. For a house whose walls have witnessed tragedy and scandal, it seems fitting that it currently sits in the hands of one of the most secretive organisations in the world, involved in top secret training and research. If those walls could talk, they would have an awful lot to say.' Anyway, read all about it: virtual-library.culturalservices.net/webingres/bedfordshire/vlib/0.digitised_resources/chicksands_news_priory_spy.htm Also: newsblaze.com/entertainment/books/the-ghost-at-chicksands-priory-investigation-report_10952/
That's brilliant murph thanks for that. Also worth a look are the pictures of RAF Chicksands. Britain from Above have some great shots of what was known locally as The Elephant Cage. It covered acres and was the centre of the intelligence gathering system. Also sticking up above the tree line was what looked like a huge golf ball on a tee, again part of the sensitive listening process. In a low key low security twist the local Bedford to Hitchin bus service ran straight through the base and right past the old priory. Never did see poor old Rosetta.
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Post by somersetstokie on Dec 11, 2019 13:21:05 GMT
Thanks Murph and Chuffed, for your contributions. I'm still working on this and have emailed various societies etc who could have information. The frustrating thing is, if the reports are taken as being of serious intent, if I lived in the area for so long, why didn't I know about it?
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Post by auntiegeorge on Dec 11, 2019 13:28:22 GMT
Somerset - have you tried contacting any of the local papers? I know there is a local history society in Eccleshall. My mother taught at the Lonsdale Primary School in Eccleshall for most of the 1980s and still has many contacts and friends in the town. I'll ask her who might be best to contact when I call her this weekend.
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Post by somersetstokie on Dec 11, 2019 13:34:41 GMT
Somerset - have you tried contacting any of the local papers? I know there is a local history society in Eccleshall. My mother taught at the Lonsdale Primary School in Eccleshall for most of the 1980s and still has many contacts and friends in the town. I'll ask her who might be best to contact when I call her this weekend. Thanks. I am trying all sorts of suggestions. Have even emailed the Carters at Eccleshall Castle, as their family have lived there for over a hundred years and there might be something they had heard and maybe it relates to the Civil War period at the Castle or earlier.
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Post by PotteringThrough on Dec 11, 2019 14:04:21 GMT
Is it possible the ghost died?
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Post by Saul Krakinov on Dec 11, 2019 21:55:04 GMT
Our house is haunted and on certain days when i'm going to be out late i actually ask the ghost to look after our dog for us
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Post by elystokie on Dec 11, 2019 22:05:48 GMT
Our house is haunted and on certain days when i'm going to be out late i actually ask the ghost to look after our dog for us Do you often get a reply?
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Post by Saul Krakinov on Dec 11, 2019 22:22:32 GMT
Our house is haunted and on certain days when i'm going to be out late i actually ask the ghost to look after our dog for us Do you often get a reply? No, thank fuck 😁 Not seen or heard from her (The ghost) for about 7 years now though, thankfully
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Post by elystokie on Dec 11, 2019 22:50:19 GMT
Do you often get a reply? No, thank fuck 😁 Not seen or heard from her (The ghost) for about 7 years now though, thankfully Did it cross your mind to ask her if she fancied a threesome with you and your missus?
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Post by murphthesurf on Dec 12, 2019 0:50:53 GMT
Do you often get a reply? No, thank fuck 😁 Not seen or heard from her (The ghost) for about 7 years now though, thankfully Can we have info on your ghost, please, Saul? Ta ever so.
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Post by murphthesurf on Dec 12, 2019 1:01:04 GMT
No, thank fuck 😁 Not seen or heard from her (The ghost) for about 7 years now though, thankfully Did it cross your mind to ask her if she fancied a threesome with you and your missus? 1. Some of you lot on 'ere, Eels, honestly, talk about a one-track mind! (At least you're consistent....... ) 2. And anyway, I'm sure it's a widely-held belief that dogs (and many animals) are supposed to be highly receptive to ghostly presences, and they apparently start acting up, eg. backing off, refusing to go into certain rooms, ears down or hackles rising, etc., when they sense that 'company' is present..... (cue X Files music)......
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