Curl up by the fire and I'll tell you a ghost story. Don't
be alarmed by the creak of the floorboards, the howling of the wind outside,
the shrill ululations of a distant dog. Try not to be perturbed by the
flickering lights or the fleeting shadows..........Whether based on actual sightings or just modern
folklore, Watford certainly has its fair share of Ghost Stories - and its only
since researching the Village's history a selection of these have been related to us. Some are
certainly shouting-out for further research, whilst others totally rely on the
courage of people coming forward to share their experiences.
But what are ghosts? Well that very much depends on if you believe in them at all.... and if you do, the answer has to be that no one really knows for certain. There are numerous theories that attempt to explain the many documented experiences that people have had since the beginning of recorded history, but ghosts and hauntings seem to be a relatively common part of the human experience.
There appears to be several types of ghosts or hauntings, and more than one theory might be needed to explain them all. The traditional view of ghosts is that they are the spirits of dead people that for some reason are "stuck" between this plane of existence and the next, often as a result of some tragedy or trauma. Sometimes referred to as "intelligent hauntings," these ghosts exist in a kind of limbo state in which they haunt the scenes of their deaths or locations that were pleasant to them in life. Very often, these types of ghosts are able to interact with the living. They are, on some level, aware of the living and react to being seen on the occasions that they materialise. Some psychics claim to be able to communicate with them. And when they do, they often try to help these spirits to understand that they are dead and to move on to the next stage of their existence.
Some ghosts appear to be mere recordings on the environment in which they once existed. These types of ghosts do not appear to interact with or seem to be aware of the living. Their appearance and actions are always the same and are like spirit-level recordings - residual energies - that replay over and over again. What causes these recordings to be made and how and why they are played back is a mystery. Whatever the actual mechanism, it apparently possesses longevity as the encore performances of a haunting can continue for many decades or even centuries. Generally, the haunting is a fragment or portion of an actual event.
The following stories & snippets have all been related by current villagers or by those who once resided / worked here.
But what are ghosts? Well that very much depends on if you believe in them at all.... and if you do, the answer has to be that no one really knows for certain. There are numerous theories that attempt to explain the many documented experiences that people have had since the beginning of recorded history, but ghosts and hauntings seem to be a relatively common part of the human experience.
There appears to be several types of ghosts or hauntings, and more than one theory might be needed to explain them all. The traditional view of ghosts is that they are the spirits of dead people that for some reason are "stuck" between this plane of existence and the next, often as a result of some tragedy or trauma. Sometimes referred to as "intelligent hauntings," these ghosts exist in a kind of limbo state in which they haunt the scenes of their deaths or locations that were pleasant to them in life. Very often, these types of ghosts are able to interact with the living. They are, on some level, aware of the living and react to being seen on the occasions that they materialise. Some psychics claim to be able to communicate with them. And when they do, they often try to help these spirits to understand that they are dead and to move on to the next stage of their existence.
Some ghosts appear to be mere recordings on the environment in which they once existed. These types of ghosts do not appear to interact with or seem to be aware of the living. Their appearance and actions are always the same and are like spirit-level recordings - residual energies - that replay over and over again. What causes these recordings to be made and how and why they are played back is a mystery. Whatever the actual mechanism, it apparently possesses longevity as the encore performances of a haunting can continue for many decades or even centuries. Generally, the haunting is a fragment or portion of an actual event.
The following stories & snippets have all been related by current villagers or by those who once resided / worked here.
The White Lady
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Its possibly a bit of a cliché - as so many ghost stories are known to tell of a "White lady", "Grey lady", or "Woman in black" But this snippet was related by three unconnected separate sources and tells of the spectre of a 'white lady' who is occasionally seen crossing Church Street from the vicinity of the old laundry into the driveway of the coach house. Could it possibly be a laundry maid heading back to Watford Court (as this would have been the most direct route back to the main house and other domestic quarters).
The latest reported sighting of a strange apparition was in February 2017. |
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1851
Widow Elizabeth Loyd, aged 38, Laundress. Ann Baker, aged 32, Laundress. 1871 Hannah Berrel, aged 29, Laundry Maid. Fanny Crisp, aged 23, Laundry Maid. 1881 Alice Wood, aged 59, Laundress. Elizabeth Ward, aged 28, Laundry Maid. 1891 Jane Smith-Richards, aged 23, Laundress. Rebecca Louisa Harries., aged 19, Laundry Maid. *It is noted on the 1891 census that the Laundry Maids sleep in the Laundry. 1901 Widow Ellen Miller, aged 49, Laundress. |
Victorian Mother & Child
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The Kilsby Road, or Dog Kennel Hill as it is also known, is reportedly haunted by a woman and child who have been seen on Springtime afternoons walking from the Watford direction towards the canal. The stories of such sightings are known to go back many years and have been witnessed on a number of occasions. One such eerie observation came in 1976: "I remember the year clearly because a few months later we had a severe drought and it became the hottest Summer for decades. My wife and I were walking though the fields with our dog and on reaching the fence we had to walk along the fence-line to reach the stile to get back onto Dog Kennel Hill. We started to hear the giggling noise of a little girl and presumed it was being carried on the wind from the cottages at the top of the hill - as there was nobody within our sight. It was then to our amazement that a woman and little girl appeared as if out of nowhere about 40 or 50 odd feet up the road in front of us on the other side of the stock fence. We stopped dead in our tracks and watched as they went passed, dressed in old fashioned style clothing and holding hands. We knew instantly that something wasn't right and they had only gone past by a few yards before disappearing into a blurred haze. My wife wanted to follow down the road but I was having none of it. As we stood there looking down the road they reappeared close to the turning to the gated road - but not in the same way - this time it was just shapes, but obviously moving human shapes. We saw them only for a few seconds more before they disappeared again. Oddly enough our dog didn't react at all. We later made discreet enquiries from some friends who had lived in the village for many years. They had heard the stories of ghosts at the old Court and thought it might have been restless spirits disturbed by the recent demolition of the building." (Identity withheld upon request).
A second local resident whose family have lived and worked in Watford since the 1930s recently confirmed: "I don't remember my mum saying anything about ghosts at Watford Court but I have heard of a ghost being seen in Dog Kennel Lane". (Identity withheld). GHOST MYSTERY SOLVED?
At around the end of February 1899 Sarah Ellen Miller, the daughter of Hugh and Ann Devereux of Watford, had been suffering from what was thought to be a nervous breakdown. On the advice of her Northampton Doctor she came to stay with her parents for a "change of scene and air", and brought with her to stay her eight-year-old daughter; Dorothy Elizabeth Devereux Miller. Although having obviously suffered from severe bouts of anxiety and depression, it was believed that her condition had greatly improved. Her husband, Samuel Pope Miller, had visited each weekend and whenever he could get away from his job as a painter and decorator in Northampton. He later told an inquest that "she had recently seemed more like herself". However, on Friday the 28th of April 1899 at about 2pm she had decided to go for a walk with her daughter. At about 2.30pm Herbert Harry Francis Cleaver, a local farm labourer, had seen Sarah and Dorothy walking down the Dog Kennel Lane, arm in arm. At five o'clock the same afternoon William Webb, the Lock-keeper at Watford Locks, was walking along the tow path when he discovered the bodies of Sarah and Dorothy drowned in the canal; "The woman had the little girl clasped around the waist and was holding her to her breast." He eventually managed to drag the bodies out of the water and noticed that there was no movement and the bodies were quite cold. After laying the bodies on the grass he searched for the Parish Constable, who then arranged for the bodies to be conveyed in a cart to the Henley Arms Inn. The following afternoon an inquest was convened at the Henley Arms Inn, with several notable villagers serving on the jury. The full details and result of the inquest can be read in the transcript (listed below). Sarah and Dorothy's funeral took place at the Church of St Peter & St Paul on the afternoon of Tuesday the 2nd of May 1899 in the presence of a large number of villagers, who showed every sympathy with the bereaved. The floral tributes sent by sorrowing relatives were very beautiful and numerous. The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr J.C. Luck of Long Buckby. Nothamptonshire Mercury - 29th April 1899
DISTRESSING AFFAIR AT WATFORD: Last evening the body of Sarah Ellen Miller, wife of a Northampton painter and house decorator, was found in the Grand Union Canal near Watford, Northants. Clasped in her arms was her only child, a girl 8 years old. The deceased woman, who was aged 44, had been in failing health, and was on a visit to her father, Mr Devereux, agent on Lord Henley’s estate. It is supposed that in a fit of depression, the woman jumped into the water with her child. |
1958 - This photo was taken from a boat near to Watford Locks - It appears to show a ghostly figure on the embankment of the canal (top right). Could it be the restless spirit of Sarah Miller?
The grave of Sarah Ellen Miller and her daughter; Dorothy Elizabeth Devereux Miller
The Haunted Dog Kennel Lane & Hill at Watford (Photo by Clive Welch, 2014)
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The Inquest into the deaths of Sarah Ellen Miller and Dorothy Elizabeth Devereux Miller - Held on Saturday 29th April 1899 at the Henley Arms Inn, Watford, by the Divisional Coroner; Mr Terry of Northampton, and as reported in the Northampton Chronicle...............
A sad tragedy was enacted at Watford, near Rugby, on Friday afternoon last, when, by some mysterious means, Mrs Sarah Ellen Miller, the wife of Mr S.P.Miller, painter and house decorator, of St Michaels’ Road and Abington Road Northampton, was found drowned in the Grand Junction Canal, with her eight year old daughter – Dorothy Elizabeth Devereux Miller – a fascinating little creature, tightly clasped to her breast. Mrs Miller, who was a native of Watford, had of late been in a nervous and depressed condition, and in consequence of her medical advisor recommending a change of scene and air, had taken up her abode with her father and mother, Mr and Mrs Hugh Devereux, at Watford, where she had been staying for just over six weeks. With her daughter, she left Mrs Devereux’s at two o’clock on Friday afternoon for the purpose, as had been her custom while at Watford, of taking a walk. At five o’clock Mrs Miller and the little girl were found in the canal close to the avenue bridge, and only a quarter of a mile from the house of Mrs Devereux. The bodies were taken from the water by Lock Keeper Webb and were taken to the Henley Arms Inn, where, on Saturday afternoon, the Divisional Coroner (Mr Terry of Northampton) held the inquest. The following was sworn upon the Jury:- Mr B. Simmonds (Foreman), Mr H. Poole, Mr C. Meacham, Mr C. Bennett, Mr C. Cleaver, Mr J. Marlow, Mr G. Baker, Mr J. Newton, Mr W. Sail, Mr J. R. Abbey, Mr F. Perkins, and Mr H. Eames.
The Coroner outlined the circumstances of the case so far as he had heard them, and said that the affair was a very sad one. There were two deaths to enquire into, but one set of circumstances covered both. There could be no doubt that the death was due to drowning, and an important fact was that the child was clasped in the Mother’s arms. There was but little doubt that it would be the duty of the Jury to say, with regard to the death of the little girl, that it was a case of murder.
The first witness was Mr Samuel Pope Miller, the husband of the deceased woman, and the father of the girl. He said that he lived at 46 St Michaels’ Road, Northampton, and had business premises in Abington Street, where he carried on the trade of painter and decorator. The full name of his wife was Sarah Ellen, and she was 44 years of age. His daughters’ name was Dorothy Elizabeth Devereux Miller and she was eight years of age. Mrs Miller had been in in-different health for several months, and had, in consequence of Dr Cook, of Northampton, ordering her two or three months change, been visiting her father and mother at Watford, where she had stayed for nearly two months. Witness’s daughter had been staying with her mother all the time, and witness had paid from Saturday to Monday visits to the village every week. The last time witness saw his wife and daughter alive was Monday morning last. During the last fortnight Mrs Miller had seemed more like herself than during the earlier period of her stay, when she was very nervous and depressed. She had been in no trouble of any kind, and in her fits of depression she had never said anything to lead witness to think that she contemplated destroying herself. The daughter was a very healthy child.
Mrs Devereux, the mother of Mrs Miller, was next called, but, at the request of the Jury, who wished to spare her feelings, the Coroner dispensed with her evidence. She is an old lady of over seventy years of age, and was very much upset by the death of her daughter and her granddaughter.
Herbert Harry Francis Cleaver, a Labourer living at Watford, deposed that a half past two on Friday afternoon he saw Mrs Miller going down the Dog Kennel Lane in the direction of the canal. Her daughter was with her and the pair were walking along very quietly, arm in arm. Mrs Miller looked rather strange, but the little girl smiled at witness as he passed them. At that time they were a quarter of a mile from the canal.
W.M.Webb, a Lock Keeper in the employ of the Grand Junction Canal Company, deposed that at five o’clock on Friday afternoon he was walking along the towing path, when near the avenue bridge he noticed some clothing in the water. He went to his house close by and fetched drags, and then recovered, from the middle of the canal, the dead bodies of Mrs Miller and her daughter. The woman had the little girl clasped round the waist, her fingers being interlaced, and was holding her to her breast. Witness tried to get the bodies out onto the bank, but as he was pulling Mrs Miller her hands unlocked, and the girl slipped from her. Witness at once took the child from the canal, and then lifted the woman out. When he first saw the clothing in the water there was no movement on the surface, save the ripples made by the wind, and when he got the bodies out both were quite cold. After laying the bodies on the grass close to the hedge, witness searched for the Parish Constable, who he found, and the bodies were then conveyed in a cart to the Henley Arms Inn.
Dr Cox, of Long Buckby, stated that he had attended Mrs Miller since the end of March. She was in a very weak state when witness saw her, and complained of want of sleep and want of appetite. Witness saw her nearly every other day up to the 3rd of April, when she asked witness to call occasionally as she was getting rather better. Her great trouble was her inability to work. She could not be still for more than a minute or two and wanted to be always on the move. Witness last saw her alive on the 22nd inst, and they then talked of her going away to some convalescent home. She was very depressed, and although she did not give any intimation of intending to commit suicide, her mental condition was certainly wrong. As a rule Mrs Miller was a lively person, but the period of life which she had arrived was the cause of the depression. She could not have been in a sound state of mind on Friday afternoon, and could not have been accountable for her actions. There were no marks of violence on either of the bodies, and the death in each case was due to drowning.
By a Juror: Witness did not consider that Mrs Miller was a person likely to commit suicide. The bodies had been in the water about an hour and a half.
Mr Miller asked the Coroner, if it was in his power, to direct the jury to return an open verdict.
The Coroner: “No doubt the jury will consider that”.
The Coroner, summing up, said that the wish which Mr Miller had expressed was only a natural one for the husband and father. The question was whether the evidence was not sufficient to enable the Jury to come to the conclusion that it was really a deliberate act. The hands of the mother were clasped round the body of the child, and the fact of her being in a state of temporary insanity would have no effect whatsoever on the duty of the Jury as to the verdict they returned with regard to the child. His direction would be that if the Jury were satisfied that it was a deliberate act on the part of the mother, whether she knew what she was doing or not, it would be their duty to say that it was really a case of murder. It really made little difference except as to the sound of wilful murder. There was nothing to lead them to suspect that it might be an accident, but he thought there would be no difficulty in their coming to the conclusion that Mrs Miller was in a state of temporary insanity. At the same time, he did not know but what it was open to the Jury, if they thought well, to say that the woman and child were found drowned, and that there was no evidence to show how the woman and the girl got into the water. If they happened to fall in at the same time, the woman would naturally clasp her hands round the child to save her. He did not think he would take it upon himself to say that the evidence was such as made it the bounden duty of the Jury to return, in the case of the child, a verdict of murder.
The Forman: “No Sir”.
The Coroner: “I do not know that I feel that I could quite direct you positively to do that. I think, after all, it is best to leave it in your hands”.
A Juryman: “It will be more charitable to return an open verdict. There is no evidence to show how they got there”. – Other members of the jury concurred with this view.
The Coroner: “Do you return an open verdict in both cases?”
The Jury: “Yes”.
The Coroner: “Very well. It is not as if it makes any practical difference. The poor woman is dead”.
Funeral of the victims
The funeral of the wife and daughter of Mr S.P.Miller, of Northampton, who met their end in such a tragic manner at Watford last week, took place at Watford on Tuesday afternoon in the presence of a large number of villagers, who showed every sympathy with the bereaved. The remains of the deceased were enclosed in polished oak coffins with brass fittings. The floral tributes sent by sorrowing relatives were very beautiful and numerous. The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr J.C.Luck of Long Buckby.
A sad tragedy was enacted at Watford, near Rugby, on Friday afternoon last, when, by some mysterious means, Mrs Sarah Ellen Miller, the wife of Mr S.P.Miller, painter and house decorator, of St Michaels’ Road and Abington Road Northampton, was found drowned in the Grand Junction Canal, with her eight year old daughter – Dorothy Elizabeth Devereux Miller – a fascinating little creature, tightly clasped to her breast. Mrs Miller, who was a native of Watford, had of late been in a nervous and depressed condition, and in consequence of her medical advisor recommending a change of scene and air, had taken up her abode with her father and mother, Mr and Mrs Hugh Devereux, at Watford, where she had been staying for just over six weeks. With her daughter, she left Mrs Devereux’s at two o’clock on Friday afternoon for the purpose, as had been her custom while at Watford, of taking a walk. At five o’clock Mrs Miller and the little girl were found in the canal close to the avenue bridge, and only a quarter of a mile from the house of Mrs Devereux. The bodies were taken from the water by Lock Keeper Webb and were taken to the Henley Arms Inn, where, on Saturday afternoon, the Divisional Coroner (Mr Terry of Northampton) held the inquest. The following was sworn upon the Jury:- Mr B. Simmonds (Foreman), Mr H. Poole, Mr C. Meacham, Mr C. Bennett, Mr C. Cleaver, Mr J. Marlow, Mr G. Baker, Mr J. Newton, Mr W. Sail, Mr J. R. Abbey, Mr F. Perkins, and Mr H. Eames.
The Coroner outlined the circumstances of the case so far as he had heard them, and said that the affair was a very sad one. There were two deaths to enquire into, but one set of circumstances covered both. There could be no doubt that the death was due to drowning, and an important fact was that the child was clasped in the Mother’s arms. There was but little doubt that it would be the duty of the Jury to say, with regard to the death of the little girl, that it was a case of murder.
The first witness was Mr Samuel Pope Miller, the husband of the deceased woman, and the father of the girl. He said that he lived at 46 St Michaels’ Road, Northampton, and had business premises in Abington Street, where he carried on the trade of painter and decorator. The full name of his wife was Sarah Ellen, and she was 44 years of age. His daughters’ name was Dorothy Elizabeth Devereux Miller and she was eight years of age. Mrs Miller had been in in-different health for several months, and had, in consequence of Dr Cook, of Northampton, ordering her two or three months change, been visiting her father and mother at Watford, where she had stayed for nearly two months. Witness’s daughter had been staying with her mother all the time, and witness had paid from Saturday to Monday visits to the village every week. The last time witness saw his wife and daughter alive was Monday morning last. During the last fortnight Mrs Miller had seemed more like herself than during the earlier period of her stay, when she was very nervous and depressed. She had been in no trouble of any kind, and in her fits of depression she had never said anything to lead witness to think that she contemplated destroying herself. The daughter was a very healthy child.
Mrs Devereux, the mother of Mrs Miller, was next called, but, at the request of the Jury, who wished to spare her feelings, the Coroner dispensed with her evidence. She is an old lady of over seventy years of age, and was very much upset by the death of her daughter and her granddaughter.
Herbert Harry Francis Cleaver, a Labourer living at Watford, deposed that a half past two on Friday afternoon he saw Mrs Miller going down the Dog Kennel Lane in the direction of the canal. Her daughter was with her and the pair were walking along very quietly, arm in arm. Mrs Miller looked rather strange, but the little girl smiled at witness as he passed them. At that time they were a quarter of a mile from the canal.
W.M.Webb, a Lock Keeper in the employ of the Grand Junction Canal Company, deposed that at five o’clock on Friday afternoon he was walking along the towing path, when near the avenue bridge he noticed some clothing in the water. He went to his house close by and fetched drags, and then recovered, from the middle of the canal, the dead bodies of Mrs Miller and her daughter. The woman had the little girl clasped round the waist, her fingers being interlaced, and was holding her to her breast. Witness tried to get the bodies out onto the bank, but as he was pulling Mrs Miller her hands unlocked, and the girl slipped from her. Witness at once took the child from the canal, and then lifted the woman out. When he first saw the clothing in the water there was no movement on the surface, save the ripples made by the wind, and when he got the bodies out both were quite cold. After laying the bodies on the grass close to the hedge, witness searched for the Parish Constable, who he found, and the bodies were then conveyed in a cart to the Henley Arms Inn.
Dr Cox, of Long Buckby, stated that he had attended Mrs Miller since the end of March. She was in a very weak state when witness saw her, and complained of want of sleep and want of appetite. Witness saw her nearly every other day up to the 3rd of April, when she asked witness to call occasionally as she was getting rather better. Her great trouble was her inability to work. She could not be still for more than a minute or two and wanted to be always on the move. Witness last saw her alive on the 22nd inst, and they then talked of her going away to some convalescent home. She was very depressed, and although she did not give any intimation of intending to commit suicide, her mental condition was certainly wrong. As a rule Mrs Miller was a lively person, but the period of life which she had arrived was the cause of the depression. She could not have been in a sound state of mind on Friday afternoon, and could not have been accountable for her actions. There were no marks of violence on either of the bodies, and the death in each case was due to drowning.
By a Juror: Witness did not consider that Mrs Miller was a person likely to commit suicide. The bodies had been in the water about an hour and a half.
Mr Miller asked the Coroner, if it was in his power, to direct the jury to return an open verdict.
The Coroner: “No doubt the jury will consider that”.
The Coroner, summing up, said that the wish which Mr Miller had expressed was only a natural one for the husband and father. The question was whether the evidence was not sufficient to enable the Jury to come to the conclusion that it was really a deliberate act. The hands of the mother were clasped round the body of the child, and the fact of her being in a state of temporary insanity would have no effect whatsoever on the duty of the Jury as to the verdict they returned with regard to the child. His direction would be that if the Jury were satisfied that it was a deliberate act on the part of the mother, whether she knew what she was doing or not, it would be their duty to say that it was really a case of murder. It really made little difference except as to the sound of wilful murder. There was nothing to lead them to suspect that it might be an accident, but he thought there would be no difficulty in their coming to the conclusion that Mrs Miller was in a state of temporary insanity. At the same time, he did not know but what it was open to the Jury, if they thought well, to say that the woman and child were found drowned, and that there was no evidence to show how the woman and the girl got into the water. If they happened to fall in at the same time, the woman would naturally clasp her hands round the child to save her. He did not think he would take it upon himself to say that the evidence was such as made it the bounden duty of the Jury to return, in the case of the child, a verdict of murder.
The Forman: “No Sir”.
The Coroner: “I do not know that I feel that I could quite direct you positively to do that. I think, after all, it is best to leave it in your hands”.
A Juryman: “It will be more charitable to return an open verdict. There is no evidence to show how they got there”. – Other members of the jury concurred with this view.
The Coroner: “Do you return an open verdict in both cases?”
The Jury: “Yes”.
The Coroner: “Very well. It is not as if it makes any practical difference. The poor woman is dead”.
Funeral of the victims
The funeral of the wife and daughter of Mr S.P.Miller, of Northampton, who met their end in such a tragic manner at Watford last week, took place at Watford on Tuesday afternoon in the presence of a large number of villagers, who showed every sympathy with the bereaved. The remains of the deceased were enclosed in polished oak coffins with brass fittings. The floral tributes sent by sorrowing relatives were very beautiful and numerous. The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr J.C.Luck of Long Buckby.
GHOST HUNT 28th April 2017
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UNEXPLAINABLE? A Ghost Hunt in the Dog Kennel Lane (Kilsby Road) was held on the 28th of April 2017 on the 118th anniversary of the death Sarah Ellen Miller and her 8-year-old daughter; Dorothy Elizabeth Devereux Miller. Cameras were positioned in the Lane from around 1.20pm (roughly the last time they were seen alive in 1899 by Herbert Harry Francis Cleaver, who deposed at the inquest that he saw the pair at half past two on Friday afternoon - BUT in 1899 British Summer Time had not been introduced. BST was established in 1916 - making today's timing to be 1.30pm). Nothing was seen by those on the Ghost Hunt but on reviewing the many photos taken one showed a strange anomaly. The second photo (above) appears to show a large bluish-silver orb around head height on the left-hand-side of the Lane. The two photos were taken a short time frame apart, with the second one being taken at exactly 1.33pm (The time when they were reportedly seen in 1899). As further photos proved, it was definitely not a mark or dust on the camera lens, nor has the image been "doctored" in any way. Make of it what you will.
The Cricket Match
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"Strolling across the fields of Watford one Summer, the sun was shining and the only obvious distraction was the sound of the motorway. I was probably three-quarters of the way down the field between the houses along Station Road towards the bottom of the field near the motorway when I heard a loud 'crack' - which sounded very close to me. A couple of minutes later the noise came again, although I saw nothing to explain it. Moving-on the noise came a third time - but more distant from me. A few years later I discovered that the village cricket club once had its clubhouse and ground in the exact area where I had been walking. Was the noise I heard 'leather on willow' as an ancient cricket match was re-enacted?"
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M1 Motorway - Built 1959
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Attributed testament of an incident on the M1 motorway at Watford, Northamptonshire:
"In the early 1960s, just after the motorway opened, three friends and myself set off down the motorway. It was totally dark and very few cars, so therefore you were driving in total darkness apart from your headlights......and coming towards us, really out of the darkness, we saw a stone wall stretched across the motorway. We can only call it an apparition. We drove straight through it even though we put our brakes on, and then looked in our rear-view mirror - and there was no wall there." |
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Watford Gap Services
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It is said that in the areas of the service station that the general public rarely visit, strange paranormal happenings have been experienced. In the administrative offices paperclips and drawing pins would "dance around the room by themselves" and staff have claimed to have felt a chilling hand upon their shoulders, with further reports of moving shapes glimpsed within the offices in the gloom of night. Perhaps caused by the restless spirit of a dissatisfied motorist of an over-priced meal? (There must be many) or maybe from an earlier period before the motorway services existed? Apparently the Southbound services were built over derelict farm buildings - although nothing is evident of any buildings from the 1900 map of the area. Whilst it is known that the northbound services were built over an area once used at Watford's ash-dump or tip.
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The Murcott Railway Ghost
Throughout the past 100 years there have been many recorded sightings made by railway employees of a man seen walking along the line at Murcott. Both goods and passenger trains have been brought to a screeching halt after engine drivers have thought to have struck someone. Even in modern times the line has had to be closed whilst Police and Railway Support Teams have gone in search for someone after drivers have reported a possible collision. Thankfully, despite the upheaval, no one, or no body, has ever been discovered.......APART FROM ON ONE OCCASION.
The following newspaper article is taken from the Northampton Mercury dated the 19th of November 1915 (a period when many men were enlisting into the armed forces to fight in World War 1) - and may offer a possible explanation for the ghostly sightings:
The following newspaper article is taken from the Northampton Mercury dated the 19th of November 1915 (a period when many men were enlisting into the armed forces to fight in World War 1) - and may offer a possible explanation for the ghostly sightings:
Footsteps in the Church
'Jack' Garratt with his wife; Doris Ada Garratt
For many years the church clock had to be wound-up every few days - and Watford's 'Jack' Garratt was the man who volunteered to do it. 'Jack' didn't have far to travel and lived with his wife; Doris Ada Garratt, almost opposite the end of Church Street in a cottage in Main Street. However, come rain or shine, when the clock needed winding or adjusting when the clocks went back or forward, 'Jack' would climb the tower to do it.
It was whilst carrying out his tasks that he would often hear footsteps walking around inside the church - but on investigation nobody was ever seen.
Eventually the clock mechanism was changed and connected to the mains electricity, negating the need to wind the clock.
Meanwhile older children in the village would tell the younger ones that there was a ghost called Cuthbert who haunted the churchyard, and would dare them to go and walk around the church alone when it was dark .
It was whilst carrying out his tasks that he would often hear footsteps walking around inside the church - but on investigation nobody was ever seen.
Eventually the clock mechanism was changed and connected to the mains electricity, negating the need to wind the clock.
Meanwhile older children in the village would tell the younger ones that there was a ghost called Cuthbert who haunted the churchyard, and would dare them to go and walk around the church alone when it was dark .
Do you know of a Watford Ghost story or have had a paranormal experience. If so, why not share it. - Anonymity guaranteed.
