The Church of St Mary The Virgin, Clophill

The Grade II listed ruined church of St Mary’s and the churchyard was the scene of a particularly grisly black magic ritual during the 1960’s. The sixties were a time of occult revival in many parts of the country and some groups seem to have been interested in the more diabolical side of magic.

In March 1963 the tomb of an 18th century apothecary’s wife was broken into and the bones arranged ritualistically in the nave of the church. Again on Midsummer’s Eve 1969 graves were broken into and bones arranged. It was never discovered who had carried out these acts and for what purpose although it is likely that the black mass was involved.

The actual site has a very strange atmosphere, probably just imagination because of the ruined church and knowledge of what has happened.

Directions: Reached from a minor road off the A507 from the A6 out of Bedford.