The episode begins at Nafferton Castle in Northumberland, and the many fates of the murderer Long Lonkin, then moves a mile to the west to the site of Nafferton New Hall, and its pesky poltergeist. The episode’s archives story is “A Ghost at Whitby” from the 8th December 1891’s Northern Echo. The closing tale is Brockie’s 1886 tale of the Dun Cow.
Episode 26 starts with a visit to the community archaeology project at Carlisle Cricket Club, the Uncovering Roman Carlisle project, with an interview with archaeologists Frank and Anna Giecco. Staying in Carlisle, the podcast then looks to the 1864 sighting of a 'ghost' in Milbourne Street, and reports from the same time at the Glasgow Necropolis. Moving from the northwest to the northeast, I think have a look at some of the ghosts and folklore in Staindrop and Raby Castle, County Durham, before finishing with an account from the Yorkshire Evening Post in 1928, discussing some of the ghostly beliefs in Teesdale and surrounding areas.
Episode 25's main tale is a look at the gypsy curse of Levens Hall, Cumbria, along with its Grey Lady, Pink Lady and ghost dog. We then move onto a 1903 tale of a haunted house told in the Wemyss Gazette, before moving on to William Henderson's version of the Hazlerigg Dunnie story. The podcast closes with a bizarre little tale involving waistcoats, a bad tempered couple and a wise woman's charm...
The podcast starts with the tales of revenants described by the 12th century Augustinian Canon William Parvus, with stories that eventually became the tales we now know as the Vampires of Berwick, Melrose, Alnwick/Annan Castle and Buckingham. This episode's 'from the archives' then looks at an article of a ghostly encounter... or not... related in 1790 in the Caledonian Mercury, before then moving onto the episode's second story, that of some ghostly/witchery encounters in Mallerstang before finishing with some Easter traditions as recorded by William Henderson in 1879.
The episode opens with the 1828 poem "The Benighted Traveller", then moves to the history and tales of fairies and the Lambton Worm at Penshaw Monument near Sunderland. This episode's archives story relates a case of mistaken identity in 1848, followed by the second story of the day which looks at the history and ghostlore of Knaresdale Hall in Northumberland and the poor girl drowned in a pond for catching her brother and aunt doing naughty things... the episode then concludes with a 19th century superstition on how to cancel a betwitchment... if you don't mind getting sore knuckles...
Episode 22 starts with the origins of Burns Night and a look at the folklore surrounding Scotland's national dish, haggis. From there the episode turns to Durham City and the tale of Sir John Duck and the Raven, before heading across to Northumberland for a swift peek at the ghosts of The Lord Crewe Arms in Blanchland. From there, the Boggart gives a reading from the 1850 book "The Phantom World, or the philosophy of spirits, apparitions" before concluding with another 1962 from the archives tale of Blyth's 'Peter the Poltergeist'.
As the podcast sneaks into 2024, The Boggart starts the New Year with a report of a ghost in Sunderland in 1786, then moves on to give a rapid tour of some UK-wide and North East ghosts and hauntings associated with World War II, including brief glimpses at The North East Aircraft Museum, Harperley POW Camp and the Grainger Market in Newcastle. The episode is rounded off with a look at some Northern English and Scottish New Year traditions, including first footing and not letting your fire go out...
Episode 20 marks the Boggart’s 2023 Christmas episode, and the last episode of 2023. It it, for the Scrooges among you, the episode delves into the non-festive tale of The Hexham Heads, before then plunging into the folklore surrounding this festive season. There’s also a shoutout to two of my favourite podcasts – The Three Ravens and The Whispering Woods. I hope you have a fantastic festive season, and see you all in 2024!
Welcome to Episode 19 of the podcast - and the second international episode. In this Episode, The Boggart looks at the Alpine tradition of Krampus, the half-goat demon said to punish naughty children on the eve of the 5th December, and how the story has developed in time, becoming a political tool in the first half of the 20th century, and also how Krampus may have influenced the United States cryptid known as the Goatman...
Episode 18 finds the Boggart telling the tale of the haunting of the Harperley Hotel near Stanley (North East UK) while hosting the Do Business Network (DBN) After Dark Halloween Networking Event.