The A-Z of British Ghosts: An Illustrated Guide to 236 Haunted Sites

by Peter Underwood

This fascinating guide contains over 200 uncanny accounts of ghostly happenings throughout Britain, ranging from legendary to real-life experiences.

Famous haunted houses such as Borley, Hampton Court and Glamis are covered, along with lesser known hauntings such as those associated with Woburn, the Gargoyle Theatre in London's Soho and Bury St Edmunds.

Every entry includes the address of a nearby hotel to assist people planning an overnight stay near a haunted site.

Illustrated with 32 black and white photographs.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ghosts, Paranormal, History

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

(1923/2014): Author, broadcaster, historian of the occult; investigator of the paranormal.

Born in Letchworth in Hertfordshire, Underwood wrote prolifically on ghosts and haunted places within the United Kingdom, and was a leading expert on ‘the most haunted house in England’, Borley Rectory.

An early formative experience came at the age of nine, on the day he learnt of his father’s death; that night, he awoke to see an apparition of his father at the foot of the bed.

Around the same time, he was fascinated to learn of a ghost story associated the old house at Rosehall - where his maternal grandparents lived for a time; it contained a bedroom where guests claimed to see the figure of a headless man..

It was at this young age that Underwood's interest in hauntings and psychic matters began to take root.

On January 1942, Underwood was called up for active service with the Suffolk Regiment. After collapsing at a rifle range at Bury St Edmunds, a serious chest ailment was diagnosed. He was discharged, and returned to his employment at the publishing firm J.M. Dent & Sons.

One of his early investigations was the Borley Rectory haunting, where, over a period of years, Underwood traced and personally interviewed almost every living person who had been connected with the mysterious events surrounding the place.

Underwood built upon the legacy of the work of Harry Price, who had investigated Borley before him. Together with Paul Tabori (literary executor of the Price Estate), Underwood was able to publish all his findings in The Ghosts of Borley (1973).

In his autobiography No Common Task (1983), Underwood remarked that ”98% of reported hauntings have a natural and mundane explanation, but it is the other 2% that have interested me for more than forty years”.

Having joined The Ghost Club back in 1947 - at the personal invitation of Harry Price, Underwood was to become its President for over thirty years: from 1960 to 1993.

Underwood was a long-standing member of the Society for Psychical Research and the Savage Club. In 1976, a bust of him was sculpted by Patricia Finch - winner of the Gold Medal for Sculpture in Venice.

In recognition of his more than seventy years of paranormal investigations, Underwood became the Patron of The Ghost Research Foundation (founded in Oxford), which termed him the King of Ghost Hunters.

Reviews

[Ruth Collier · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an ok ghost book, there were a lot of hauntings I'd never heard of. But the book is a bit dated, it was published in the 90's but the research/information on the current state of the places all dates from the 60's. The book focuses much more on the south (where the author is based i guess) and the photos aren't great. One of the problems with the photos is that they're all in the middle section, with no cross referencing between them and the entries they relate to. In some cases the entry mentions an interesting photo taken at the site that shows a ghost, but then the photo they have used is one the authors son took off the house. I assume there may have been licensing issues with the photos, but it's still a bit frustrating.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed my reread of this fascinating book.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extensive collection of ghostly happenings that anyone interested in the paranormal will find fascinating. It's now quite dated, my copy was published in the nineties and a lot of the accounts stem from the authors investigations during the 1960s. I find the 'illustrated guide' tag a little misleading, as although there are photos of various haunted sites in the middle of the book, they're all clumped together and in grainy black and white - I would have preferred the photos to accompany the corresponding entry. Another niggle is that the book seems to focus quite largely on South East England hauntings - as an example there are only 2 listings for Leicester / Leicestershire but I can assure you there are far more well known examples that the author didn't include. That said, this book will be a good addition to any Fortean library and will provide endless material for budding ghost hunters.

[Layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book at home when going though boxes. no idea who brought it but its a very good little book. Paperback version.

Kindle was unheard of when this book was brought but I dare say can buy on Kindle nowadays.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok read, but certain stories aren’t historically correct which really takes believability away. It makes me feel like it was written from a sensationalist perspective rather than an honest retelling of these hauntings.

[Bethnoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting to dip into.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good old Peter Underwood is my go-to for ghost lore. It's more folklore than dodgy science, but that's how I like this stuff.

[Janet Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous. My brother got it for Christmas, I was riveted.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read. I got it from a jumble sale as a kid. The jumble sale was to raise money for our Scout Group.

We used to read this book, by torchlight, whilst camping with the Scouts. Thhis book, its' stories, sounds of the countryside and wildlife, the dark, our imaginations and midnight feasts all bring back happy memories.

I wish I could find the copy that I have... I think it's packed away in a box in the loft... I'll look it out one of these days and let my daughter look at it for when she's away with Scouts.

[Katie Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Back when this was first published it probably seemed like a good book. But now it looks dated. It lacks any sort of referencing so you've just got to take Underwood's word for it all. Anyone who knows the subject is going to spot the mistakes and things he's left out. I was particularly disappointed that despite Underwood being Britain's No. 1 ghost hunter, etc, etc, the actual amount of his own experiences that he's put into this book is minimal. Basically, it's your typical cobble it together book on ghosts. Should try harder next time.