Prepare to be spooked : we look at creepy tales from around Suffolk & Essex

Switching to the Suffolk coast many will have heard the story of the lost town of Dunwich, Britain’s very own Atlantis.

Great storms in 1286 and 1740 caused terrible devastation and, over time, a settlement of eight churches, two hospitals, shops and a windmill were lost to the sea. A once rich port handling fish, furs, timber, fine cloth and wine was drowned, its remains approximately a mile from today’s coastline and some 50 feet below the surface. A popular myth is that on some days you can hear church bells chiming below the waves.

Then there is Black Shuck, Old Shuck, Old Shock or simply Shuck, a large wild dog said to roam the coastline and countryside with sightings in the Fens as well as Norfolk and Suffolk. The name Shuck derives from the word scucca ‘devil, fiend’, and it’s a beast you wouldn’t want to meet due to its fiery eyes and immense size. Apparently it usually visits churchyards at midnight, so not somewhere members of the public would usually spend their late evening leisure time.

One eye witness describes a “huge black dog that prowls along dark lanes and lonesome field footpaths, where, although his howling makes the hearer’s blood run cold, his footfalls make no sound. You may know him at once, should you see him, by his fiery eye, or eyes, in the middle of his head. But such an encounter might bring you the worst of luck. It is said that to meet him is to be warned that your death will occur before the end of the year. So you will do well to shut your eyes.”

Shuck wasn’t the only terror of the Fens. There have been stories of the ‘Lantern Men’ at Wicken Fen, figures carrying lights believed to be evil spirits luring victims to a watery death in the reed beds. If spotted, how do you evade the whispering call of these shadowy men? The answer, it is claimed, is to throw yourself face down in the ground with your mouth pressed firmly into the earth.

Interest can be piqued if a ghostly encounter is with a well known figure from history. Such is the case with the Blickling Estate in Norfolk, the birthplace of Henry VIII’s second wife Anne Boleyn. Unable to provide Henry with the son he wanted she was charged with high treason and hanged at the Tower of London.

Claims have been made that at night Boleyn’s ghost appears in a coach drawn by a headless (are there any other types?) horseman. She has her head on her lap, but when nearing the front of the house, this frightening ensemble disappears.

Moving south into Suffolk, the much haunted town of Bury St Edmunds has another lady of the night. The ‘Grey Lady’ has been spotted among the town’s many landmarks, notably the Abbey Ruins and the Theatre Royal. She may or may not be a nun who killed Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, uncle of Henry VI. Another theory is she was a medieval nun punished with execution for a liason with a monk at the Abbey.

Apparitions of  Benedictine monks are also seen walking the grounds of the Abbey and surrounding buildings.

With so many eerie goings-on local guides offer a ‘Ghostly and Macabre Walk’ through the town from Halloween to the end of March.

Woodland at night can make for an uneasy setting so perhaps it’s no surprise that Warren Lodge in Norfolk’s Thetford Forest is said to be the home of a rabbit with large flaming eyes. If seen misfortune follows. It is thought there was once a medieval leper colony near the Lodge so watch out for a faceless man wandering among the trees. Not far away at Thetford Priory a ghostly monk-like character has been seen at a window.

The clergy seem to repeatedly figure in paranormal occurrences. The footsteps of an old chaplain have been heard pacing a chapel connected to Orford Castle. Might he be searching for liquid refreshment? Many have reported the smell of ale in the castle, but it never lingers for long.

Of course, ghosts or apprations can frighten as well as intrigue. One East Anglian hotel owner has admitted: “We don’t usually mention that one of our rooms is said to be haunted. For every visitor keen to try a night there are plenty of others it discourages.”