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The Penguin Book of Ghosts: Prepare to be haunted by England's most unforgettable ghosts
England's history echoes with stories of unquiet spirits and hauntings, of headless highwaymen and grey ladies, of indelible bloodstains and premonitions of death. Here, county by county and place by place, Jennifer Westwood and Jacqueline Simpson gather together all the most interesting supernatural tales from The Lore of the Land. From a ghostly army marching across Cumbria and landlords' appeals against rates (because no one will rent their haunted houses), to Francis Drake's drum summoning him when England is in danger, these fascinating and unforgettable stories are part of our legendary past - and present.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 25, 2022
Love this collection of ghost stories from across England, it's lovely to open and just read myself a lil bite sized tale or a longer one if I'm in the mood. My favourite are the stories about animal apparitions like the duck ghost that terrifies this one small town made someone so scared they had a fatal accident lmao
July 30, 2016
This is not merely a collection of purportedly true ghost stories, although many are included. But also a way of placing these visitations and legends throughout England ‘s rich tradition of folklore.
Much of the material in this book has been taken from the celebrated and seminal work The Lore of the Land published in 2005 by Westwood and Simpson but in this ghost stories come much more to the fore.
In the introduction, this book’s authors, Sophia Kingshill and Jennifer Westwood discuss how folklore can evolve as it passes from writers and the oral tradition of storytelling and storytellers. A gruesome and macabre haunting may have been an invention to keep the curious away from a smugglers location. But as, with the Cock Lane Ghost, it can also be merely a way to make money and achieve notoriety.
The authors also discuss the prevalence of Screaming Skulls in country houses and also the appearance of omens such as the Radiant Boy of Knebworth. Also the vast army of phantom coach and horses that regularly travel across the dark countryside often with a headless occupant or headless horses. So that’s why there’s so many skulls in houses screaming away. The coach and horses now have a modern equivalent in the phantom hitchhiker as at Blue Bell Hill in Kent. And do not linger too long at night near a crossroads as that’s where suicides were buried so that if they did return after death they would be confused as to which way to go. There’s also the ‘fetch’ which is the visitant who appears to let the horror struck person know that they will soon be joining them in the afterlife.
The book is organised into chapters; one for each English county. In each chapter the stories pertaining to that area are related and then put into their folklore context. This is especially useful when discussing phenomena like Black Dogs which are more prevalent than I thought. The ghost stories and legends are entertainingly told and after reading it I really felt that I understood much more about England’s cultural heritage and traditions. Mind you I don’t think I’ll be exploring a crossroads late at night anytime soon…….
Much of the material in this book has been taken from the celebrated and seminal work The Lore of the Land published in 2005 by Westwood and Simpson but in this ghost stories come much more to the fore.
In the introduction, this book’s authors, Sophia Kingshill and Jennifer Westwood discuss how folklore can evolve as it passes from writers and the oral tradition of storytelling and storytellers. A gruesome and macabre haunting may have been an invention to keep the curious away from a smugglers location. But as, with the Cock Lane Ghost, it can also be merely a way to make money and achieve notoriety.
The authors also discuss the prevalence of Screaming Skulls in country houses and also the appearance of omens such as the Radiant Boy of Knebworth. Also the vast army of phantom coach and horses that regularly travel across the dark countryside often with a headless occupant or headless horses. So that’s why there’s so many skulls in houses screaming away. The coach and horses now have a modern equivalent in the phantom hitchhiker as at Blue Bell Hill in Kent. And do not linger too long at night near a crossroads as that’s where suicides were buried so that if they did return after death they would be confused as to which way to go. There’s also the ‘fetch’ which is the visitant who appears to let the horror struck person know that they will soon be joining them in the afterlife.
The book is organised into chapters; one for each English county. In each chapter the stories pertaining to that area are related and then put into their folklore context. This is especially useful when discussing phenomena like Black Dogs which are more prevalent than I thought. The ghost stories and legends are entertainingly told and after reading it I really felt that I understood much more about England’s cultural heritage and traditions. Mind you I don’t think I’ll be exploring a crossroads late at night anytime soon…….
May 10, 2022
Haunted England is a compelling introduction to haunted sites in England, organised by county and thus providing a good guide for a haunted tour of the country. As such, the book fulfills its primary purpose admirably. However, beyond being a list of haunted places by area, the book does not provide much context. There are no discussions of hauntings in general nor even an introduction to each county and its ghostly history or particular beliefs. Sometimes, individual accounts of ghosts hint at county-specific or area-specific beliefs, but this area is left largely unexplored. The book thus remains what it is, a collection of stories of ghostly encounters in England, no less and no more. Recommended for people who enjoy the supernatural and are interested in true ghost stories, but there are better books out there.
September 7, 2021
A pleasant read
Not, perhaps, as detailed as it could be, Haunted England is a well-written and very enjoyable way for the paranormal enthusiast and\or history buff to while away a few quiet evening hours.
Not, perhaps, as detailed as it could be, Haunted England is a well-written and very enjoyable way for the paranormal enthusiast and\or history buff to while away a few quiet evening hours.
February 15, 2021
An extensive collection of haunts divided by county. The entries were detailed and it was a pleasant surprise to see some lesser known haunts included in my own locale of Leicestershire.
April 1, 2014
Very dry and not particularly exciting - it was similar to reading a textbook. It fails to mention more famous hauntings but this may have been intentional to focus on more unheard of local legends. There are some gems in there, but the book had the unfortunate tendency to repeat the more boring stories over and over where the only difference where the places and people. It may have been better the author included greater variety in the collection. The upside to this repetition is that I could now tell you everything you need to know about 'wild hunts'. (Did ya hear about that wild hunt they have in Peterborough??) I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
December 21, 2012
In a sentence, how can any book lay claim to be The book of ghosts in Haunted England and not even mention Borley Rectory? Mostly a collection of old ghost stories (ancient ghost stories) that are all right, but...
Want to read
November 5, 2010I haven't really read this.
I was slightly dissapointed with the lack of spine chilling anecdotes.
It reads more like an encyclopaedia, but I will finish it.
I was slightly dissapointed with the lack of spine chilling anecdotes.
It reads more like an encyclopaedia, but I will finish it.
August 31, 2015
A really dry book which did not even have accurate stories of haunted places in England. Most stories were from the 19th century. Not recommending the book!
July 27, 2016
Just the right amount of scariness , a great book to dip into. most of the places mentioned, are open to the public, If you like ghost, and legends, and a good scare, this is ideal
March 6, 2016
There were some curious supposedly real ghost stories, mostly though, I found it disappointing and far less intriguing that I expected. Even for the pure tourist interest it was a waste of time.
April 11, 2017
The stories are too short, sometimes just half a page, at that. But most importantly, they're too old. Instead of ghostly eyewitness accounts we're left with stereotype and non engaging folklore. The creepiness just ain't there while the repetitiveness is omnipresent.
In the end - phantasmagorically boring.
In the end - phantasmagorically boring.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews