New Forest - most haunted
This Halloween why not visit the New Forest? The New Forest can offer visitors ghostly tales, ghostly New Forest Accommodation and magnificent scenery.
The New Forest is reputed to be one of the most haunted places in the country with stories abounding of headless horses, weeping children and ponds filling with blood.
Gypsies, smugglers, snake catchers, highwaymen and witches all play a part in the colourful folklore history of the New Forest. The area was also famous for its links with spiritualism and this drew Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, to both settle and be buried here.
Witches in Burley, New Forest
Witchcraft is allegedly still thriving in the New Forest. Pagan worshippers have been seen in full costume offering sheaves of wheat as a sacrifice to the Naked Man. The Naked Man is a tree in Wilverley Plain where a highwayman was hanged until the weather and the birds purportedly picked his bones clean. During the late 1950's a famous 'White' witch named Sybil Leek lived in Burley. She was often seen walking around the village in a long, black cloak with her pet jackdaw resting on her shoulder. Hanged Highwaymen in Sway, New Forest A ghostly procession has been seen passing across the car park of the Hare and Hounds Inn Sway on its way to the gibbet at Marlpit Oak - the spot where three highwaymen were once hanged. People from miles around were able to view this ghoulish spectacle high on the heath land crossroads. Folklore tells us that the highwaymen were also buried at the crossroads; the purpose of this was to confuse their departing souls so that they did not know which way to travel and could therefore find no peace.
Weeping Child - Burley, New Forest
A small weeping boy running along the track haunts the footpath at Picket Post near Burley. The child was alleged to have been drowned by a Burley couple because they could not afford to feed him.
Headless Horses - Moyles Court
A 17th century house now a school was once the home of Dame Alice Lisle who was sentenced to death by decapitation in 1685 for sheltering fugitives from Monmouth's rebellion. Dame Alice has been seen with her head under her arm walking around the house and also in a coach drawn by headless horses and without a coachman. People have also been aware of the sudden smell of violets at Moyles Court.
Rufus Stone - New Forest
The Rufus Stone marks the spot where William Rufus died. Tradition tells us that the king shot a stag, missed it and then Sir Walter Tyrell released an arrow which glanced off a tree striking the king in the heart. Sir Walter fled across the Forest pausing at Ocknell Pond some two miles way. The local legend maintains that on the anniversary the pond runs red with blood.
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