Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Country and County: Shropshire

Apparitions / Haunted Hotels / Haunted Pubs / Hauntings

The Feathers Hotel

The Feathers Hotel is a beautiful seventeenth century building with a carved timber façade and a reputation of being haunted. It was originally built for an attorney called Rees Jones in 1619 and the Feathers name relates to the Ostrich Feathers that are part of the design in the exterior wooden façade.

Festivals / May

Arbor Day, Aston on Clun

29th May – Is Arbor Day in Aston on Clun.  A Poplar tree in the town is bedecked with flags, they are left on the tree all year round.   The ceremony has been held each year at Aston on Clun since 1786 andprobablt dates back to 1660 when King Charles II declared a holiday in May called Arbor day following th erestoration of the monarchy.

Hauntings / Other Mysteries / Photographed Ghosts / Simulacra

Wem Town Hall

On 19th November 1995 Wem Town Hall burnt down. As this ninety year old building was burning some locals gathered to watch and one of them, Tony O’Rahilly, took a very interesting picture with a 200mm lens from the road. The picture, once developed, shows what appears to be a young girl in the doorway of the burning building.

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Buried Treasure / Giants / Legends

The Giants of Stokesay Castle

This legend belongs to the area around Stokesay Castle in Shropshire, and was first recorded in Shropshire Folklore, A Sheaf of Gleanings by Burne and Jackson London 1883. What follows is a short adaptation of the original folklore.

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Articles / English Folktales / Folklore / Folktales / Giants / Legends

The Origin of The Wrekin

This is one of two folktales, which explain the origin of the Wrekin, a 1,334 foot high hill standing on the Shropshire plain. The hill has the remains of an Iron Age Hillfort on its summit, and folk evidence suggests it was an important focal point for our prehistoric ancestors.

Ancient Sites / Legends / Stone Circles

Mitchell’s Fold

Fourteen stones remain of this circle which probably numbered about thirty when it was built around 2000-1400BC. It sits on the ridge of Stapeley Hill, in view of the Stiperstones and the Welsh border. The circle is 27 metres in diameter and is 330 metres above sea level.

Ancient Sites / Giants / Legends

The Wrekin

This impressive hill sits in the middle of a rolling landscape and at 1,334 feet is an impressive landmark for miles around. The hill is crowned with the remains of an Iron age Hill fort and it is said that a beacon fire was lit on its summit during the Spanish Armada.

Devil / Folklore / Legends

Stiperstones

As with many tales regarding in Britain about the Devil, this one also has him carrying an apron full of stones, in this case from Ireland. He sat to rest upon what is now called The Devil’s Chair and is the highest rock on this ridge. As usual, the apron strings break and he drops his load of stones.

Hauntings

Ludlow Castle

Ludlow castle said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman betrayed by her lover and forced to commit suicide after extracting her revenge. The events leading to this may have occurred in 1138 when Matilda captured Ludlow Castle and King Stephen had it under siege. Ludlow was the most important castle in the Marches of Wales and stronghold of the Earls of March.

Apparitions / Hauntings

Corve Street, Ludlow

Once the site of a Grey Friars Priory with links to St Leonard’s Church, this street now has the reputation of being haunted. A nurse called Evelyn Sheppard had a strange experience there in 1971. "In front of me was a refined-looking gentleman wearing the style of clothes associated with the caricature of John Bull.