10 most haunted places in Shropshire FEATURE

Everyone has their own story of a ghost that supposedly haunts their home - from hooded monks disappearing into thin air, to gray ladies who float from room to room. A British county that has its fair share of hauntings, Shropshire is full of paranormal and unexplained tales of ghosts and ghouls. Here's our list of the top 10 most haunted places in Shropshire.

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By Amanda Arnold, BritEvents.com

The county of Shropshire is well known for its ghostly haunts, from haunted houses, pubs and hotels to museums and even clocks!

Shropshire is a county in the heart of the Britain, bordering with Wales. Paranormal activity in Shropshire is extremely common, with most sightings and legends being centred around the market town of Ludlow and the county town of Shrewsbury.

There are well over five hundred haunted sites in Shropshire, with myths and legends that have been passed down through the ages. BritEvents.com brings you the top 10 most haunted places in Shropshire to date.

1. RAF Cosford Ghost Albrighton, Shropshire

The RAF Cosford museum is home to the only true Lincoln RF398 long range heavy bomber, which was built in 1945. The bomber seems to be the favourite place for a ghost of a young man. Many of the staff have experienced some strange ghostly occurrences.

Back in 1980, a member of staff was locking up for the evening when he saw someone moving inside the aircraft. The staff member re-entered the hanger to see who it was, looking all around the aircraft before turning off the lights again.

It was then that a cloudy thing appeared. Later that week a mechanic was working on the aircraft and was fumbling around for a spanner, which was then thrust into his hand.

Legend has it that the pilot of the bomber loved the aircraft so much that on his last flight he said he would haunt this baby. The Master Pilot called Hiller was killed near Cosford in an air crash.

2. The Prince Rupert Hotel Butcher Row, Shrewsbury

The Prince Rupert is one of the most haunted hotels in Shrewsbury, with a number of ghostly guests who have no intention on settling the bill and going home.

One of the Directors of the movie Christmas Carol, filmed in Shrewsbury, was staying in the hotel and saw a ghostly, male figure disappear through a wall.

Another sighting from a medium spotted a maid, now named Martha, wandering around the Prince Rupert Suite staircase.

Pillows have also been known to be taken from rooms and found in a lift or on the other side of the building, and a number of guests in the hotel have actually managed to capture some ghostly figures on camera.

3. Ludlow Castle Ludlow

Ludlow Castle has a famous ghost called Marion La Bruyere. This poor love sick woman fell for an enemy of the castle's Lord. Marion agreed to meet her lover and lowered a rope from her tower to enable the knight to climb up and meet her.

On one of these secret meetings the knight left the rope dangling, allowing a small army to climb up the rope and within a short time the castle was invaded and Ludlow was in the hands of its enemy.

Marion realised that she had been used and, in a fit of rage, turned on her lover and slit his throat with his own sword. Realising her mistake, and in grief and shame, Marion threw herself out of the tower and landed on the rocks below.

It has been said that in the early evenings in the tower, when everything is quiet you can see her ghostly figure. If, however you visit the castle on the anniversary of her death you can sometimes hear her blood curdling screams.

4. Whittington Castle- Whittington, Nr Oswestry

The most famous ghostly figures at this charming community-run castle are of children who were the heirs to the castle.

Legend has it that two children have been seen looking out of the windows of the gatehouse towers. The youngsters are believed to have died in terrible circumstances after a cursed Elizabethan chest was opened.

The chest was hidden away for many years, but has recently been taken away to be restored. The chest still remains locked and the key is thought to have been lost in the moat.

Other paranormal activity has been witnessed in the ruins, with the appearance of a horseman in ancient costume and white mists and balls of light appearing from nowhere.

5. The Clock Tower Shifnal

In the small market town of Shifnal, just east of the new town of Telford, stands a clock tower which was said to have been built to give the people of the town no excuse for arriving late for work.

The burgess gave the go-ahead for the work to start, but before it could be finished, he was taken ill. On his deathbed he told the people of Shifnal that he didn't want the clock to be finished.

They took no notice of his wishes, and the day after his funeral, work on the tower commenced and the tower was completed on time.

Since that day some people have seen a ghostly figure leaping across the face of the clock - said to be the spirit of the burgess trying to stop the clock.

6. Condover Hall Condover, Nr Shrewsbury

Now owned by JCA, Condover Hall has the story of a blood-stained hand print on the wall of the stairs to the basement that appears from time to time.

Stories say the hand print belong to Lord Knyvett who, after being stabbed, stumbled down the stairs to the basement, leaving the bloodied print on the wall.

The wall was scrubbed in an attempt to wash it away, but all attempts failed. Finally the hand print could only be removed by chipping out the stained brick.

Sources say that the butler of Condover Hall was sentenced to death by the testimony of the son of Lord Knyvett, who some say secretly stabbed his father to death and blamed it on the poor butler.

Before the Butler was put to death he said Before heaven I am innocent, though my master's son swears me guilty. And as I perish an innocent man, may those who follow my murdered lord be cursed.

There have been no prosperous heirs to Condover Hall, and it is assumed that the butlers curse still affects the hall to this day.

7. The Feathers Hotel Ludlow

This beautiful building in Ludlow dates back to 1619. Now a popular hotel, The Feathers Hotel is said to be the most haunted in the UK, giving many visitors a terrifying night over the years.

The most haunted room is 211, and is said to be host to a jealous ghost who doesn't like the company of women. One guest was shocked to be woken by someone pulling her out of the bed by her hair.

After finally settling down, the guest was woken again by being drenched in water, although the bed remained dry. Her partner on the other hand, had the sensation of a kindly reassuring stroking on the side of his face.

Another apparition of a man dressed in Victorian clothing has been seen walking through room 232 and 233 with his dog, before vanishing into thin air.

A more modern-looking ghost has been seen in the car park, mostly by men. The ghost, scantily clad in a mini skirt, has been witnessed walking though cars before disappearing.

8. Buildwas Power Station Buildwas, Ironbridge,Telford

The Ironbridge Power Station coal bay was partly built on the ruins of the local Buildwas Abbey. This sinister and imposing building still exists as a working power station. Many of the late shift workers have been rumoured to have seen a ghostly black monk walking around the most recent part of the building.

Another of the employees has seen an apparition of a phantom lady floating towards him, but then disappearing in front of his eyes.

Residents in nearby Leighton village have experienced both audio and visual paranormal activity in the area around Buildwas Power Station.

9. The Dun Cow Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury

The Dun Cow is a public house in Shrewsbury, and in the 1980's it was run by a Mr and Mrs Hayes. One evening Mrs Hayes was woken suddenly and appearing in front of her in the room was a hooded figure. The Monk-like figure was draped in in a dotted, bright and colourful habit and was peering into her daughter's cot.

The ghostly figure was disturbed by Mrs Hayes waking up; he disappeared, only to return two years later, when their two year old daughter awoke in her bed screaming that there was a frightening man in her room.

Mr Hayes, and many of the pub's patrons have also witnessed the supposedly caring monk vanishing through the walls.

10. St Nicholas Church Montgomery

St Nicholas' church, located in the charming town of Montgomery, is the final resting place of John Davies.

John Davies strongly denied the charge of robbery of which he was accused, but after being convicted, was hanged for his crime during the last century.

As he stood on the gallows he denied the conviction, and as the rope was put round his neck he stated I am innocent of this crime and God will not allow the grass to grow on my grave for 100 years.

At the time, not a single person believed him, and he died with those words hanging in the air. After John Davies was buried in the graveyard, people began to notice a bare patch shaped like a cross in the centre of his grave plot.

It is said that many people have tried to sow seed to rid the grave of the curse, only to be paralysed or meet an untimely death.

This ghostly grave plot remained like that for nearly 50 years, a disturbing reminder of the acclaimed innocence of a local resident.

My own ghostly experiences

My own personal experience of just two sightings have been quite unnerving. Whilst sitting in a quiet walled garden in Attingham Park, a National Trust property in Shrewsbury, I was visited by an extremely nosey Victorian looking lady, moving swiftly from the garden cottage into the garden itself.

She seemed very interested in my mobile phone. Suffice to say I gathered up my children, who were unaware of the ghostly presence and made a swift exit!

During my time as the owner of Coffee & Co. in the Darwin Centre in Shrewsbury, I was very often aware of a cowled apparition on the stairs; he appeared to me early in the mornings dressed as a Monk with a grey beard.

A ghost with a sense of humour, he was known to move cups and saucers from one counter to another, empty the contents of the cupboard neatly on to the floor and communicate in very strange ways (too scary to explain)!

I finally got advice and was told that the Darwin Centre is built on the castle walls, which could explain the Monks figure. The shop also backs onto the 70 Steps, which of course has seen some brutal murders in centuries gone by.

There you have it - a spine tingling list of a few ghostly haunts in the beautiful county of Shropshire. Sleep well.

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