Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Country and County: Hertfordshire

Apparitions / Haunted Pubs / Hauntings

The Brocket Arms, Ayot St Lawrence

This old pub, parts of which date to the 14th Century, was a stop of point for pilgrims on their way to St Albans Abbey. It is not far from Minsden Chapel, which is also haunted. A local legend suggests a tunnel exists from the pub to the Chapel or to the ruined church in the village, which is most likely a memory of the route taken by pilgrims.

Apparitions / Haunted Pubs / Hauntings

The White Hart, Hemel Hempstead

The White Hart is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young man who was murdered while fighting off a press gang. He is thought to have died at the bottom of the stairs, where the figure of a man has been seen with a look of terror on his face.

Ancient Sites / Apparitions / Burial Mounds / Hauntings / Occult

Knebworth House

Knebworth has a number of legends and ghost stories, it was home to Sir Bulwer Lytton, the Victorian author with an avid interest in the occult. He was certainly involved with many people who were major players in occult thought from that time, including Eliphas Levi, the famous French Magus who visited Knebworth on several occasions.

Hauntings

Hatfield House

Hatfield House, standing in a park near to St Etheldreda’s church in the old part of Hatfield, is said to be haunted by a ghostly coach and horses. They drive up to the house, through the doors and up the stairs.

Directions:
In the old part of Hatfield off the A1000.

Apparitions / Hauntings

Burnham Green

The area is said to be haunted by headless horses, especially in the vicinity of a sunken lane to Welwyn village.

Sunken lanes are trackways, which pass below the level of the surrounding countryside, often with steep banks. Many are considered very ancient, the remnants of old trackways perhaps dating as far back as the Bronze Age.

Apparitions / Hauntings

St Mary’s Church, Ashwell

A headless ghost dressed in black is supposed to haunt the churchyard.

Directions:
Reached via a minor road off the A505 at Slip End.

Apparitions / Civil War Hauntings / Hauntings

Wigginton Common

During the English Civil War, Wigginton Common served as camp for some of Cromwell’s troops. They used it as a base from where they could bombard Berkhamstead castle. There have been reports of Roundheads, seen on the common in the evening at twilight as the light begins to fade.

Ancient Sites / Burial Mounds / Devil / Folklore / Giants / Legends

The Six Hills, Stevenage

The six hills which occupy prominence in the town are tumuli or Round Barrows dating from the Bronze Age. According to legend the hills are spade fulls of earth taken from Whomerly wood and thrown at the town by a giant (or the Devil) intent on destruction. His last shot went well off mark and knocked the steeple off Gravely Church two miles away.

Ancient Sites / Early Christianity

Royston Cave

Underneath the streets of Royston, below the ancient Icknield way lies a secret cave, rediscovered in 1702 and dating back perhaps a thousand years. The cave, which is a bell shaped hole carved from the solid chalk, has a multitude of early Christian carvings depicting saints and religious scenes.

Ancient Sites / Devil / Earth Works / Legends

The Devil’s Dyke

Two giant earthworks named the Devil’s Dyke and the Slad, enclose and area of around 40 hectares to the South of St Albans. The area was excavated in 1932 by Sir Mortimer Wheeler, and the ditch was found to have had an original depth of nearly thirteen metres making it a huge undertaking.