Haunted Maidstone E-Book

Neil Arnold

• Herausgeber: The History Press
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 182

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

For the first time, the historic town of Maidstone gives up its darkest and eeriest secrets. Including previously unpublished accounts of ghostly activity and re-examining classic cases, this is a treasure trove of original material and atmospheric photography. From tales of haunted buildings to ghosts witnessed on winding roads, this volume of the strange sheds light on some of the town's scariest mysteries as we peer into its darkest corners. With a foreword by Sean Tudor, the Blue Bell Hill ghost expert, it unravels stories which will send a shiver down the spine of any resident, historian or ghost-hunter.

Leseprobe

HAUNTED MAIDSTONE

HAUNTED

MAIDSTONE

Neil Arnold

This book is dedicated to Charles Igglesden – the original chronicler of curious Kent, and to Sean Tudor for his sterling research into the ‘ghosts’ of Blue Bell Hill

First published 2011

Reprinted 2013

The History Press

The Mill, Brimscombe Port

Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2QG

www.thehistorypress.co.uk

This ebook edition first published in 2014

All rights reserved

© Neil Arnold, 2011, 2014

The right of Neil Arnold to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

EPUB ISBN 978 0 7509 5987 2

Original typesetting by The History Press

Contents

This is a curious yarn that I am going to tell you. ‘The House Among The Laurels’, by William Hope Hodgson (Carnacki the Ghost Finder)

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Allington

Aylesford

Barming

Bearsted

Blue Bell Hill

Boughton Malherbe

Boxley

Broomfield

Burham

Coxheath

Detling

East Farleigh

Grafty Green

Harrietsham

Headcorn

Hollingbourne

Hunton

Langley

Leeds

Lenham

Linton

Loose

Maidstone Central

Nettlestead

Otham

Sutton Valence

Teston

Thurnham

Tovil

Ulcombe

Wateringbury

West Farleigh

Yalding

Bibliography

WHEN, 2,000 years ago, the invading Roman legions landed on the shores of Kent, it must have been with some trepidation, even for Rome’s battle-hardened soldiers. Known as Insula Sacra (the Sacred Isle), Britain was an island that lay beyond the limits of the Roman world. Shrouded in mystery and superstition, it was believed to be a land of ghosts, a place to which the Celtic peoples of Brittany consigned the souls of their dead. As they advanced inland into the frontier territory of Kent, the legionaries would have recalled Julius Caesar’s foray into this land in 43 BC, from which he had returned to regale the Romans with tales of formidable tribes of wild, warrior peoples who daubed their bodies with blue dye; and the elevated caste of learned, austere magician-priests, who presided over arcane and bloody propitiations at the stone altars and mounds that studded their sacred groves and hilltops.

Dark and virtually impenetrable, the choking forests of the Weald harboured manifold dangers. They were the domain of wild animals – boar, bears and wolves; the refuge of bandits, and the haunt of spectres and demons. The routes of conquest therefore avoided the forests, and followed the navigable channels beside rivers and coastlands, over high ground and the native British track ways. The subjugation of the tribes of Kent, and then much of Britain, was to lead to 400 years of Roman occupation, in which time the Romans established their settlements and made their thoroughfares where the indigenous ones had once stood, thus establishing the basis for the network of towns and roads familiar today.

In his latest outing in Kent, in pursuit of the macabre and mysterious, Neil Arnold focuses on one such settlement and its environs. The County Town of Maidstone, first recorded by name in the tenth-century Saxon charters as ‘Maeides Stana’, evolved from a collection of Roman farmsteads and villas that sprang up where the Roman road from Lemanis (Lympne) to Durobrivae (Rochester) passed close to the River Medway. As may be expected of its long history, the borough of Maidstone has witnessed tumult, trauma and triumph aplenty, providing sufficient emotional charge for their echoes to reverberate down the centuries.

Penenden Heath, for example, served as a place of gatherings and executions from Anglo-Saxon times. In 1381, Wat Tyler marched from here into Maidstone at the start of the Peasants’ Revolt; and the heath served as the garrison for the defending Royalist army during the Civil War Battle of Maidstone, which raged in its streets in 1648. Suspected witches were hanged here in the seventeenth century on a knoll overlooking the heath, and felons continued to be hanged at this spot until the early nineteenth century, when the place of execution was moved to outside the gates of the new Maidstone Prison. In the town centre, in June 1557, as commemorated by a plaque affixed to the wall of Drakes Cork & Cask house, Edmund Allin, his wife and five others were burned for their refusal to take the Catholic Mass.

The creaking gallows, the people, and many of the buildings have long gone, but the locations and their ghostly memories remain. Join the author as he peels back the layers of history and legend to reveal Maidstone’s oldest recorded supernatural occurrences; and as he explores the chilling and mystifying occurrences that continue to be reported in the town and in the surrounding villages, roads and countryside. All you need is warm clothing, a torch, and a stout heart!

Sean Tudor, 2011

I would like to thank the following people for their love, support, help and encouragement whilst writing this book: My mum Paulene, and dad, Ron; my sister Vicki; my nan Win, and grandad, Ron; my girlfriend Jemma; ; Sean Tudor; Joe Chester; Rod Stevens; Rachel Langley; Charles Igglesden; Ghost Search UK; Ghost Connections; Medway Archives & Local Studies Centre; Maidstone Town Hall; Hazlitt Theatre; Banks Wine Bar; Maidstone Museum; Frederick Sanders; Tom Atkinson; Kent Messenger; KentOnline; Historic Kent; The Why Files; the Daily Mail; Your Maidstone; Fortean Times, Corriene Vickers; Evelyn ‘Missy’ Lindley; Medway Today; Sharon Ramsden; the Evening Post. Also, many thanks to all the pub landlords and their staff for speaking of their resident ghosts and all at The History Press – Cate Ludlow, Beth Amphlett, Nicola Guy, Jenny Briancourt, Matilda Richards, and Kerry Green.

With a special thanks to Simon Wyatt. All illustrations are courtesy of Simon Wyatt, 2011.

Who’s there? I shouted out in a voice about twice as deep as natural and with that queer breathlessness that a sudden fright so often gives one.

‘The Searcher Of The End House’, by William Hope Hodgson (Carnacki the Ghost Finder)

THE Borough of Maidstone is located in the county of Kent. Known as the ‘Garden of England’, it is situated just over 30 miles from the centre of London. In Kent, Maidstone has the highest concentration of population for a single town – approximately 140,000. The town’s lineage can be seen as it appears in the Domesday Book as Meddestane.

Maidstone began life as a Saxon village with a population of around 250. Then from the tenth century it was owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury. By the thirteenth century it was large enough to be considered a town, although its status as a town wasn’t awarded until 1549. As it was situated so close to the River Medway, Maidstone prospered as a centre for commerce. The river enabled produce to be transported to and from London via the waterway. The passing and local trade encouraged the businesses to expand. Market stalls were a common sight, littering the streets on a regular basis while fresh fruit and vegetables were sold in abundance. During the Middle Ages, a huge annual fair would take place, with people travelling from London and all over Kent to buy and sell goods. The town also harboured hundreds of small businesses, such as stonemasons, blacksmiths, bakers, brewers, and carpenters.

Although the dreaded Black Death affected the population during the middle of the fourteenth century, the population grew into the thousands rapidly (unbeknownst to many, behind Brenchley Gardens in the town centre sits what is known as Bones Alley – the site of a plague pit). In 1547 the King took control of the town, and by the seventeenth century more than 3,000 people resided there.

By the eighteenth century the population of Maidstone had risen to around 4,000. This number doubled by the end of that century. Around fifty years later, more than 20,000 people inhabited the town. Although, like many towns during this era, Maidstone was reasonably unsanitary, by the 1870s the streets had become cleaner and sewage systems were introduced. By 1858 Maidstone had its own museum.

During 1834 a startling discovery was made in Maidstone. An iguanodon – an extinct reptile from the early Cretaceous period – 20ft in length, and standing 13ft in height, was unearthed in a quarry which is now covered by the Queens Road. The creature was found in a slab of Kentish rag stone. The iguanodon now features in the Maidstone coat of arms. A wild ox, a woolly rhino, pterodactyls, plesiosaurus, ancient sharks, and mammoths have also been excavated in the town.

In 1901 Maidstone was given the power of electricity; by this time more than 40,000 people lived there. During the 1920s, the slums were demolished to make way for council houses, and in 1955 the Hazlitt Theatre was opened. By the twenty-first century more than 70,000 people resided in Maidstone.

Despite its history of epidemics and unsavoury slums, Maidstone’s folklore has rarely been spoken of – until now. For many years people have reported strange encounters with ghosts and spirits in Maidstone’s creaking buildings, rural pubs, and on old ground in the darkest corners. One of the most disturbing reports dates back to the June of 1206, and was recorded by Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall:

In the holy night of John the Baptist, all night thunder roared and lightning, terrific, incessantly flashed all over England. A certain strange monster was struck by lightning at Maidstone, in Kent, where, in the highest degree, the most horrible thunder reverberated. The monster had the head of an ass, the belly of a human being, and other monstrous members of limbs of animals very unlike each other. Its black corpse was scorched and so intolerable a stench came from it that hardly anyone was able to go near it.

Some theorise that the foul-smelling abomination may have been a wild animal such as an escaped bear (a bear pit used to sit in the vicinity of the High Street which meets the bridge), or was this fetid corpse a demon from another realm?

Dear reader, I do not ask you whether you believe in tales of ghosts, ghouls and monsters or not, but there is no doubt that after reading Haunted Maidstone you’ll be more aware of the town’s mysterious side. The hustle and bustle of the busy High Street today may give no inkling whatsoever to the events of the past, for very few people realise just how much blood has seeped into the soil of this town. From witch burnings to public hangings, to murders, Maidstone’s folklore is rich in ghastly atmosphere. There are the classic ghost stories of Hollingbourne, Boughton Malherbe and Boxley, and the obscure cases at Aylesford, Bearsted, and the town centre. And, for the first time ever in print, a possible solution to the riddle of the ‘Ghost of Blue Bell Hill’, which delves deeper into the often repeated, yet inaccurate legend.

With so many tales of ghosts recorded in this book, please be aware that most of the buildings, and some areas of land mentioned, are private property, and those who wish to conduct ghost hunts should contact the owners first. So, grab a lantern, take a deep breath and join me in this supernatural jaunt through Maidstone’s annals of the arcane. You won’t be disappointed, but you’ll certainly be chilled.

Neil Arnold, 2011

Maidstone Coat of Arms.

Presently through the thin gloomy red vapour I saw something that killed the hope in me, and gave me a horrible despair…

‘The Hog’, by William Hope Hodgson (Carnacki the Ghost Finder)

And, indeed, as you are all aware, I am a big sceptic concerning the truth of ghost-tales as any man you are likely to meet; only I am what I might term an unprejudiced sceptic. I am not given to either believing or disbelieving things ‘on principle’, as I have found many idiots prone to be, and what is more, some of them not ashamed to boast of the insane fact. I view all reported ‘haunting(s)’ as unproven until I have examined into them, and I am bound to admit that ninety-nine cases in a hundred turn out to be sheer bosh and fancy. But the hundredth! Well, if it were not for the hundredth, I should have few stories to tell you – eh ?

‘The Thing Invisible’, by William Hope Hodgson (Carnacki the Ghost Finder)

ALLINGTON

Recorded in the Domesday as Elentun, and in later records as Alynton, the village lies to the north-west of Maidstone town centre. Allington Locks attract many people, and each year visitors walk the stretch of the river to Teston.

An Anomaly at Allington Castle

An ancient order of Carmelites took over this grade I listed manor house in Allington in 1951, after it was converted from being a castle in 1492. The castle is stone built and was fortified in 1281; it even boasts a moat. In 1521, rebel leader Thomas Wyatt was born here. However, the castle is now privately owned.

Solomon’s Tower remains as part of the original building of Sir Stephen de Penchester, and in this area the phantom of a servant girl is said to loiter. The girl has also been seen on occasion in the garden of the King’s Tower. Much of the activity has ceased, but noises have been heard by people residing at the property, who reported footfalls echoing through the upstairs rooms as they sat down below.

Legend has it that the phantom maid was hanged, after drowning her illegitimate baby in the old, murky moat.

AYLESFORD

Aylesford is a large parish in the M2/M20 corridor between Chatham and Maidstone. Aylesford appears as Ægelesford in the Saxon Chronicle, although the parish name has had a variety of spellings. The River Medway courses through the village.

The Friars at Aylesford.

Phantoms of the Friars

Dating back to the thirteenth century, the Friars at Aylesford is a tranquil setting and home to the Order of Carmelite monks. The first Carmelites, from the Holy Land, settled here and in 1242, under the patronage of crusader Richard de Grey, founded the priory on a small piece of land at his manor. Five years later, Richard of Wendover, the Bishop of Rochester, officially recognised the Order at Aylesford. The Friars website records:

During the sixteenth century a tradition developed that St Simon Stock (died 1265), Prior General of the Order, had a vision of Our Lady promising her protection to those who wore the Carmelite habit, and the wearing of the scapular subsequently became an important Marian devotion. Some believe the vision happened at Aylesford but it is more commonly thought to have occurred in Cambridge.

Although the Friars is a very peaceful setting, the age of the buildings, which are several hundred years old, fosters the belief that there are a few resident ghosts. An area known as the Monk’s Walk was once said, unsurprisingly, to be haunted by a monk who was imprisoned behind a wall. The figure is said to wander around in a white gown, his head downcast. This seemingly serene ghostly yarn then takes a dramatic twist, for it is said that suddenly, from behind a tree, two friars leap and apprehend the wandering monk. The victim is then gagged and dragged towards the Priory. The only noise heard being the muffled cries of the accosted monk. A few seconds later the ghostly trio completely vanish into thin air.

Charles Igglesden wrote of the monk in the third volume of his book, A Saunter Through Kent With Pen And Pencil, stating:

…it is said, one monk had offended his brethren in a manner that no ordinary death could expiate. Into the chamber – this old cell in the buttress – was he thrust; food and water sufficient to last him a few days were placed at his side, and then – the wall was bricked up. What a death! Slow, but sure.

Igglesden also wrote that many years later, the wall was pulled down and there lay the skeleton of the unfortunate monk, and so it was he who haunted the terrace. After the wall was taken down, the skeleton was given a proper burial and so, according to legend, the ghost no longer lurks.

Of the Old Carmelite Priory there is also a legend, written of by Igglesden, concerning a magical spring once found in neighbouring Burham. The ‘waters were reverenced for the virtues they possessed’, wrote Igglesden, who goes on to mention:

Not only would they heal the sick but a sinner might come here and heal himself from sin – for a consideration. Pilgrims came from all parts to test the power of the spring. But the Carmelites were too deep for the rustics of Burham. They obtained the consent of Richard the Second to run off the water to the Friars at Aylesford, an arrangement which brought it within their grasp and at the same time enabled them to take the tributes of pilgrims. They not only obtained a fine supply of clear drinking water, but filled their coffers too.

Vanished without Trace

There is a peculiar legend connected to the cellars that are said to sit below the priory. It was once believed that these rooms lead to entrances of subterranean passageways, said to stretch as far as Boxley Abbey. However, not many people dare venture into the blackness, for it was once rumoured that those who stepped into the depths never returned. One day, a brave man – a local fiddler – decided he would unravel the enigma and prove that the air of mystery surrounding the passageways was complete hogwash.

‘When I enter,’ he said, ‘I will start to play my fiddle, and as I proceed through the darkness you will trace me by the sound.’

The confident fiddler slinked into the pitch-black passageway and began to play his tune. He strode off into the dark, and as those who stood by watched his form skip into the inky dark, their ears were met with one shrill scream from his fiddle and then a sudden, overwhelming silence. No-one dared follow the intrepid explorer, for fright had overcome them. The fiddler never returned and the entrance was quickly sealed up, leaving the adventurer alone to forever wander those cavernous tunnels.

Secret passages were said to wind beneath the priory.

The Fiery Spectre

Author Edward Verall Lucas gives mention to a dramatic road apparition from Aylesford, stating in his Saunterer’s Rewards, of the Culpeper family (mentioned also under Hollingbourne):

Sir William….a wild squire who lived at Aylesford, near Maidstone, not very far from Hollingbourne, is said to still be expiating a sin (merely killing one of his servants) by driving for evermore a coach and four down the avenue – on windy nights often destroying trees in his progress.

A horse and rider, possibly the same spirit, appear near the White Horse Stone, but both ghosts are said to be engulfed in flame.

The Paranormal at Preston Hall

Preston Hall exists today as a medical centre administered by the Royal British Legion, but in the past it was a delightful mansion dating back to 1102. The Culpeper family were associated with the house; during the reign of King John (1199-1216) it was owned by Walter Culpeper. The original construction was pulled down in 1848, two years after it had become a hospital. However, in 1992 Princess Diana opened the Heart of Kent Hospice on the site.

Like many ghost stories, there is a touch of romance about the tale pertaining to Preston Hall. An Elizabethan woman would often tiptoe out of the hall at night to meet her secret lover. However, on one occasion, a maid bumped into the man, and in a fit of jealous rage the Elizabethan lady murdered him, even though he and the maid had only crossed paths by accident. The ghost of a female in a long, flowing dress has been seen in one of the rooms which used to be a bedroom. It is also possible that another haunting – apparent by the sound of a couple arguing – could be connected to the tragic love story.

The Red Bull

This pub can be found at No. 1 Mackenders Lane, in Eccles, Aylesford. Although recent enquiries provided only scant mention of the ghost of an old man behind the bar, during the 1990s another ghost had been seen. A group of ten female friends (including the mother of the author) were eating in the pub one evening when suddenly a spoon was thrown across the table.

‘Did you see that?’ said one friend to another.

Preston Hall Hospital.

‘Yes,’ replied a woman called Myra. ‘There’s a little girl standing opposite who threw it.’

The girl was described as wearing a Victorian dress with puffed shoulders, and as having ringlets in her hair. The girl then vanished. Although the log fire was lit, the entire group described how the air had turned extremely cold.

The Ghost of Larkfield Priory Hotel

Larkfield, at Aylesford, has a long-standing ghost story that concerns the Priory Hotel, situated just over 3 miles outside of Maidstone. Larkfield is an ancient hamlet once referred to as ‘Labroschesfel Hundret’. The hotel is a traditional old-character building, built during the mid-nineteenth century. It was constructed on Larkfield Farm and originally existed as Larkfield House, until it was destroyed by a fire in 1890.