The Thatch Tavern Ghost Whom I thought was Alive! - Read: Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation

In my book "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" I met a lot of ghosts from a lot of different time periods in England. They were all from different professions and walks of life. They included 2 queens, merchants, a waitress, ghostly monks, and members of the royal court to name a few..
  Here's a short video of a ghost I encountered at the Old Thatch Tavern in the town of Stratford Upon Avon. It took me by surprise, because I thought she was a living person!

 You can read more in my book and see the sketch I made of her.

ABOUT "GHOSTS OF ENGLAND ON A MEDIUM'S VACATION by Rob Gutro:
What happens when a medium goes on vacation? Can a medium simply switch off their ability at will? Well…not exactly. Rob Gutro is a medium/author/paranormal investigator and a scientist who has written 4 books about his encounters with human and animal ghosts and spirits. In this book, you will read about his experiences on two separate trips to the United Kingdom. England’s rich history and many epic battles have caused an over-abundance of residual emotional energy. Everywhere he traveled, he had a paranormal experience. He explored royal palaces and spent the night in haunted castles.
  He encountered the ghosts of historical figures including a queen, a prince, and a nobleman; and several ghosts even shared their pain of death experience with him. On one occasion, the doppelganger of a loved one provided directions when he became lost while driving in the countryside due to a malfunctioning GPS. But not all of his encounters were of the human variety: there was also a very special visit from a canine ghost. This book is intended to be more than just a collection of personal ghost stories.
   In addition to relating my ghostly encounters, he has also included a short narrative history of the places where the experiences occurred. After all, knowing the history of a place is key to understanding why a ghost has decided to stay behind. So, join Rob as he relates his encounters with the ghosts of England.
   Rob has written books about the paranormal, two about people (Ghosts and Spirits and Lessons Learned From Talking to the Dead) and 2 about pets (Pets and the Afterlife and Pets and the Afterlife 2), and Kindred Spirits: How a Medium Befriended a Spirit, and Case Files of Inspired Ghost Tracking. The books are available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.com.
 

PODCAST! Here it here (if you missed it live): PSH UK Radio "Ghosts of England"

If you missed my interview earlier today on PSH Radio from the United Kingdom, you can hear the Podcast here! LISTEN:https://www.spreaker.com/user/parasearchuk
Listen to "PSH Radio Rob Gutro" on Spreaker.

Part 12: Haunted Devon, U.K.: Unmarked grave on Dartmoor

Photo: St Peter Tavy Church (Image: Richard Austin)

My latest book is called "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" (by Rob Gutro) and conveys all of the ghosts I met as I traveled throughout England. There are a LOT more ghosts in England that I  did not (yet) meet, and here is the twelfth of several postings from Devonlive in Devon, U.K about some of them.. - Rob

Unmarked grave on Dartmoor

Near Peter Tavy Moor, marked by a granite post, is the grave of poor farm labourer George Stephens (d. 1763), who is said to have committed suicide after losing the prospect of marriage to Mary Bray, a farmer's daughter.

He was buried outside the parish boundary, as was the custom for suicides, and it is said that his ghost still haunts the nearby moor to this day.

He was said to have been so in love with his fiancé he would pace outside her home every night, only to find that a week before they were due to marry she was cheating with his best friend.

He killed her and later himself with a poisoned apple, and was buried under the unmarked post which is still visible on Dartmoor.

SOURCE: Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/viking-ghosts-still-haunt-bloody-2286420 

Part 11: Haunted Devon, U.K.: White lady of the Water

My latest book is called "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" (by Rob Gutro) and conveys

all of the ghosts I met as I traveled throughout England. There are a LOT more ghosts in England that I  did not (yet) meet, and here is the eleventh of several postings from Devonlive in Devon, U.K about some of them.. - Rob

Old Kitty lured to her death by famous White Lady waterfall

Photo: The White Lady waterfall at Lydford 

 

Kit’s Steps at Lydford are said to have been named after a woman called 'Old Kitty' who had slipped and fallen to death as she returned home one day.

Legend holds the 'White lady of the Water' had lured her to jump in, and some local residents used to say they often felt the same call. Other tales say Kitty had tried to jump her horse across the water but it fell and they both plummeted to a sudden death.

SOURCE: Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/viking-ghosts-still-haunt-bloody-2286420  

Part 10: Haunted Devon, U.K.: Sheepstor Village Hung a Man for Cholera

My latest book is called "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" (by Rob Gutro) and conveys

all of the ghosts I met as I traveled throughout England. There are a LOT more ghosts in England that I  did not (yet) meet, and here is the tenth of several postings from Devonlive in Devon, U.K about some of them.. - Rob

How Sheepstor villagers hung a man for bringing cholera

Image: Blue Moon Over Burrator as seen from Sheepstor at 6.15pm by Sheepstor Hub on Facebook (Image: Sheepstor Hub on Facebook)

In 1832, a group of cottagers died after cholera came into their family in a strange fashion. When a wealthy merchant and his family died of the disease in Plymouth, two thieves raided their home in search of valuables.

On the run from police, one fled to Sheepstor, posing as a wealthy man in order to gain shelter with a family. Cholera spread to the family and the people of Sheepstor hunted down and hung the thief for bringing sickness to their village.

SOURCE: Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/viking-ghosts-still-haunt-bloody-2286420  

Part 9: Haunted Devon, UK: Legend of Dewerstone Rock

My latest book is called "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" (by Rob Gutro) and conveys
all of the ghosts I met as I traveled throughout England. There are a LOT more ghosts in England that I  did not (yet) meet, and here is the Ninth  of several postings from Devonlive in Devon, U.K about some of them.. - Rob

The legend of Dewerstone Rock

The Dewerstone Rock near Bickleigh has sparked rumours of Satanic visitation for years.

People have reported seeing blue lights, and torch-lit processions on the paths around the rock, but claim they disappear at the sight of humans. Legend tells that a naked human was once spotted and where the human footprints ceased a cloven hoofprints continued. It is even rumoured that a farmer was handed the body of his baby son by the devil himself.

SOURCE: Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/viking-ghosts-still-haunt-bloody-2286420  

Video: My Ghostly Tour Guide at Hever Castle: Ghosts of England book

In my book "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" by Rob Gutro,  I wrote about my encounter with a ghost named "George" when I entered Hever Castle in the United Kingdom. Having no knowledge of the castle, and no idea who it was, I learned it was Queen Anne Boleyn's brother, who met a fateful end under the rule of Henry VIII, George shared a number of personal things with me and accompanied me through Hever Castle, acting as a ghostly tour guide. This video that I made outside the castle captures some of that, and the rest is in the book!
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/oa4rkg-nz9k


ABOUT "GHOSTS OF ENGLAND ON A MEDIUM'S VACATION by Rob Gutro: 

What happens when a medium goes on vacation? Can a medium simply switch off their ability at will? Well…not exactly. Rob Gutro is a medium/author/paranormal investigator and a scientist who has written 4 books about his encounters with human and animal ghosts and spirits.
    In this book, you will read about his experiences on two separate trips to the United Kingdom. England’s rich history and many epic battles have caused an over-abundance of residual emotional energy. Everywhere he traveled, he had a paranormal experience. He explored royal palaces and spent the night in haunted castles. He encountered the ghosts of historical figures including a queen, a prince, and a nobleman; and several ghosts even shared their pain of death experience with him. On one occasion, the doppelganger of a loved one provided directions when he became lost while driving in the countryside due to a malfunctioning GPS.
     But not all of his encounters were of the human variety: there was also a very special visit from a canine ghost. This book is intended to be more than just a collection of personal ghost stories. In addition to relating my ghostly encounters, he has also included a short narrative history of the places where the experiences occurred. After all, knowing the history of a place is key to understanding why a ghost has decided to stay behind.
    So, join Rob as he relates his encounters with the ghosts of England. Rob has written 4 other books about the paranormal, two about people (Ghosts and Spirits and Lessons Learned From Talking to the Dead) and 2 about pets (Pets and the Afterlife and Pets and the Afterlife 2). The books are available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.com.

Part 8: Haunted Devon, UK: Spinsters Rock

Photo: The so-called Spinsters Rock near Drewsteignton

My latest book is called "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" (by Rob Gutro) and conveys

all of the ghosts I met as I traveled throughout England. There are a LOT more ghosts in England that I  did not (yet) meet, and here is the Eighth  of several postings from Devonlive in Devon, U.K about some of them.. - Rob

  Spinsters Rock

This rock formation is a Neolithic dolmen near Drewsteignton on Shilstone Farm west of the village near the A382 road.
Legends surround these rock formations and stone circles in Dartmoor often tell of young maids being turned into stone for dancing on the Sabbath. But it is in fact a neolithic tomb. The distinctive leaf-shaped flint arrowheads used by Neolithic man have been found nearby on the Moor.

SOURCE: Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/viking-ghosts-still-haunt-bloody-2286420  

Part 7: Haunted Devon, UK: Crazywell Pool has mystic powers

My latest book is called "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" (by Rob Gutro) and conveys
all of the ghosts I met as I traveled throughout England. There are a LOT more ghosts in England that I  did not (yet) meet, and here is the Seventh  of several postings from Devonlive in Devon, U.K about some of them.. - Rob

  Crazywell Pool has mystic powers at night but turns into a 'pop up lido' by day

PHOTO: Crazywell Pool, a Dartmoor beauty spot which was turned into a 'pop-up lido' for Devon's hardy wild swimmers

This pool in Dartmoor has been said to be bottomless with mystical powers. If you simply stare into the water on Midsummer’s Eve, legend claims you will see the next parishioner to die in the water. One Midsummer’s night the legend was being told in an inn and a challenge was laid to go to the pool. Two boys went, and died on their way home.

It is actually an old shallow-cast mine, which is fed by a natural spring and is now a popular spot for wild swimming. The pool is high up on the moors, so expect to be exposed to the elements, and be prepared for the water to be cold. The area enjoys uninterrupted views across the moors, making it the perfect place to get back to nature, floating in the breeze, listening to the birds.

 

In 2012 the Dartmoor beauty spot turned into a 'pop-up lido' for a group of Devon's hardy wild swimmers complete with an art installation consisting of a portable lifeguard's chair.
Between 50 and 70 people took part in the 'living artwork', setting up deckchairs and towels around the 'pool', swimming, picnicking and listening to their portable radios.

SOURCE: Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/viking-ghosts-still-haunt-bloody-2286420  

Part 6: Haunted Devon, UK: Ghost of St. Thomas Beckett's Murderer

My latest book is called "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" (by Rob Gutro) and conveys
all of the ghosts I met as I traveled throughout England. There are a LOT more ghosts in England that I  did not (yet) meet, and here is the Sixth of several postings from Devonlive in Devon, U.K about some of them..
  This one is special because I encountered the GHOST of Thomas Beckett! 
- Rob  

Why the ghost of St Thomas à Beckett's murderer haunts Ilfracombe

Photo: Mortehoe Cemetery

Ilfracombe is said to be haunted by the ghost of one of the murderers of Thomas à Beckett, Sir Will de Tracey. He hid on Crookham Common between Mortehoe and Ilfracombe where his daughter fed him bits of food.
On his death, legend tells that he would haunt the shore forever, which already is said to be cursed and a danger to ships as five vessels were wrecked on the winter of 1852.

SOURCE: Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/viking-ghosts-still-haunt-bloody-2286420  

Part 5: Haunted Devon, UK: Viking Ghosts

My latest book is called "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" (by Rob Gutro) and conveys

all of the ghosts I met as I traveled throughout England. There are a LOT more ghosts in England that I  did not (yet) meet, and here is the fifth of several postings from Devonlive in Devon, U.K about some of them.. - Rob   

How Viking ghosts from 'the first Battle of Britain' still haunt Bloody Corner

Photo: Bloody Corner in Appledore where 1,000 died in a Viking battle

Visitors to North Devon beaches claim on clear nights they can hear battle noises and shadows of fighting men, as the “bloody corner” battle haunts Appledore. Viking raids were a great threat to Devon villages during the reign of Alfred the Great.
Ancient records of Northam exist from around the 10th and 11th Century and they retell the story of a battle with “Hubba the Dane” at Bloody Corner in the late 9th Century.
Tradition says he landed at what is now Boathyde (Hyde meaning a Cove) with a fleet of more than ships and marched to attack the “Hill Fort” at Kenwith.
The legend is that they were defeated by Odun, Earl of Devon. Hubba and 1000 of his men were said to have been killed. The men were buried at Bonehill (Bunhill was the old name for a burial ground) and Hubba was buried in a Cairn, in the area now known as Hubbastone. There is a stone tablet at Bloody Corner in Northam (above), erected by Charles Chappell, which reads:

“Stop Stranger Stop,

Near this spot lies buried

King Hubba the Dane,

who was slayed in a bloody retreat,

by King Alfred the Great”

But in 2008 the best selling author of the Horrible Histories books claimed to have discovered the long-lost site of the ancient 'Battle of Cynwit' - a bloody clash which saved England from the Vikings.

Nick Arnold, author of the children's book series, says he has solved a 1,200 year mystery and located the site of one the most important conflicts in Britain.

Photo: This is where Horrible Histories author Nick Arnold thinks the battlefield near Appledore really was.

The famous battle in 878 saw the rampaging Viking armies overruning the country except for Devon and Cornwall. England's ruler, King Alfred the Great, had gone into hiding and the last of the Saxon soldiers took refuge in a fortress named Cynwit or Cynuit (corr).
The stronghold was surrounded and besieged by the 1,200 strong Viking force - but according to historical accounts the English made a final charge. In a last ditch act of defiance the remaining English stormed from the fortress and overcame their invaders - banishing them from the country forever.

The clash has been dubbed the 'first battle of Britain' but the site of the fortress became lost and all attempts to definitively identify it have failed. For 300 years historians have speculated its location.
But Nick claims they were looking in the wrong place and says he has located the remains of the fort and the battlefield at Castle Hill near Beaford.

SOURCE: Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/viking-ghosts-still-haunt-bloody-2286420  

Sudeley Castle Video Tour of Old Barn Garden (featured in Ghosts of England book)

In my newest book  Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation  by Rob Gutro,  I wrote about my experiences at Sudeley Castle. You can read about the ghosts in the book, but in this short video I took during my visit, I give you a look around the Old Barn Garden area and a bit of the history (there's more history in the chapter on Sudeley).  Enjoy your quick view of this video that I call the Tour of the Old Barn Garden.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/1dSNIq5Tbjg



ABOUT "GHOSTS OF ENGLAND ON A MEDIUM'S VACATION by Rob Gutro: 

What happens when a medium goes on vacation? Can a medium simply switch off their ability at will? Well…not exactly. Rob Gutro is a medium/author/paranormal investigator and a scientist who has written 4 books about his encounters with human and animal ghosts and spirits.
    In this book, you will read about his experiences on two separate trips to the United Kingdom. England’s rich history and many epic battles have caused an over-abundance of residual emotional energy. Everywhere he traveled, he had a paranormal experience. He explored royal palaces and spent the night in haunted castles. He encountered the ghosts of historical figures including a queen, a prince, and a nobleman; and several ghosts even shared their pain of death experience with him. On one occasion, the doppelganger of a loved one provided directions when he became lost while driving in the countryside due to a malfunctioning GPS.
     But not all of his encounters were of the human variety: there was also a very special visit from a canine ghost. This book is intended to be more than just a collection of personal ghost stories. In addition to relating my ghostly encounters, he has also included a short narrative history of the places where the experiences occurred. After all, knowing the history of a place is key to understanding why a ghost has decided to stay behind.
    So, join Rob as he relates his encounters with the ghosts of England. Rob has written 4 other books about the paranormal, two about people (Ghosts and Spirits and Lessons Learned From Talking to the Dead) and 2 about pets (Pets and the Afterlife and Pets and the Afterlife 2). The books are available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.com.

Part 4: Haunted Devon, UK: True Story Behind Hound of the Baskervilles

My latest book is called "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" (by Rob Gutro) and conveys

all of the ghosts I met as I traveled throughout England. There are a LOT more ghosts in England that I  did not (yet) meet, and here is the fourth of several postings from Devonlive in Devon, U.K about some of them.. - Rob   

  The true story behind the Hound of the Baskervilles

Photo: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stayed at the former Duchy Hotel at Princetown, now the Dartmoor visitor centre

This is the story that inspired Arthur Conan Doyle to write The Hound of the Baskervilles when he was staying at the former Duchy Hotel in Princetown, which is now the Dartmoor visitor centre.
Legend has it that evil Squire Richard Cabell was much feared during his lifetime around Dartmoor - but he war even more fearful in death when he led a pack of black hounds.
To this day you can see where he was buried in Buckfastleigh Church and his coffin was secured with a giant slab to ensure his hounds wouldn’t ride on the moor.

Photo: The Cabell tomb in Buckfastleigh church (Image: Lincoln Shaw)

Legendary Dartmoor says you can still see the spooky 'sepulchre': "As you walk up the main pathway you will find a huge building that defies description. Known locally as ‘the sepulchre’, this ‘penthouse tomb’ would probably be more suited to Colditz.

"If it reminds you of a prison then you are not far wrong because in it are the incarcerated remains of the Cabell family and in particular Squire Richard Cabell.

"If you peer through the heavy metal bars you will see a tomb with a gigantic white slab on top of it. The building and the heavy slab will give you a hint that we are not dealing with the normal family burial plot. It will strongly suggest that somebody is trying to contain something and there we have the legend.

"Squire Richard Cabell lived during the 1600s and was the local squire at Buckfastleigh. He had a passion for hunting and was what in those days described as a ‘monstrously evil man’. He gained this reputation for amongst other things immorality and having sold his soul to the Devil. There was also a rumour that he had murdered his wife.

"On the 5th of July 1677 he passed away and was laid to rest in ‘the sepulchre’ but that was only the beginning of the story.

"The night of his internment saw a phantom pack of hounds come baying across the moor to howl at his tomb. From that night onwards he could be found leading the phantom pack across the moor usually on the anniversary of his death.

"In an attempt to lay the soul to rest the villagers built a large building around the tomb and to be doubly sure a huge slab was placed on top of the grave to stop the ghost of the squire escaping. Even after taking these measures people have reported a strange red glow emanating through the iron bars. Other folk have reported seeing a whole host of demonic creatures gathered around the grave trying to get the promised soul for their master."
SOURCE: Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/viking-ghosts-still-haunt-bloody-2286420  

Part 3: Haunted Devon, UK: The Great Ball of Fire at a Church

My latest book is called "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" (by Rob Gutro) and conveys all of the ghosts I met as I traveled throughout England. There are a LOT more ghosts in England that I  did not (yet) meet, and here is the 3hird of several postings from Devonlive in Devon, U.K about some of them.. - Rob  

The Great Ball of Fire that killed four and injured 62 churchgoers at Widecombe

Photo: Snow returns to Dartmoor, Widecombe Church in 2004 (Image: Steve Pope)

No explanation has ever been found for this terrible event that stuck on sunday October 21 1638.
The Reverend George Lyde was preaching in Widecombe Church when a great ball of fire fell through the roof killing four people and injuring 62. The phenomenon is said to have occurred during a thunderstorm.

There are gruesome contemporary accounts telling how 'an extraordinary flame passed right through the church, filling it with a loathsome smell, like brimstone and a great ball of fire fell through the roof'.

The whole congregation dropped to the floor as a large beam crashed down between the parson and his clark. Neither was hurt but the congregation was hit. One man 'had his head cloven, his skull rent into three pieces and his brains thrown on the ground whole, but the hair of his head, through the violence of the blow struck fast to a pillar near him where it remained a woeful spectacle a long while after'.Rumours began flying around that Satan had come to take sinners - including Widecombe Jan, a wild young bachelor of the parish who was sleeping off his hangover in church when the lightning struck.

It was claimed that the devil was seen tethering his horse outside the church and dropping through the roof with the ball of fire: "Seizing Widecombe Jan, he threw him violently against a pillar, dshing his brains out, while the storm raged throughout the rest of the church, diverting everyone's attention from what was going on."

SOURCE: Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/viking-ghosts-still-haunt-bloody-2286420  

Part 2: Haunted Devon: -The pirate who haunts Burgh Island

My latest book is called "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" (by Rob Gutro) and conveys
all of the ghosts I met as I traveled throughout England. There are a LOT more ghosts in England that I  did not (yet) meet, and here is the second of several postings from Devonlive in Devon, U.K about some of them.. - Rob  


The pirate who haunts Burgh Island

Photo: Burgh Island (Image: SWNS)

In modern times Burgh Island in Bigbury Bay is most often associated with Agatha Christie’s haunting murder mystery novel ‘And Then There Were None’. But in the 14th century it was the hideout of a notorious pirate who was hunted down and hung on the island and his ghost is said to haunt the Pilchard Inn pub.

At the height of its fame the elegant hotel on the island attracted guests including Noel Coward, King Farouk, Lord Mountbatten, Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, Winston Churchill, Amy Johnson the aviator, Gertrude Lawrence, and later The Beatles.

But long, long before that the hotel was the lair of the pirate Tom Crocker. Because Burgh Island is cut off by the tide twice a day it is an easy spot to defend and Crocker made the island his hideout at a time when the south Devon coast was notorious for piracy.
But Crocker was tracked down and hanged there, at a gateway to the island in the third week of August 1395. It is said he still walks the island every year on the aniversary of his death. Locals still report an almost tangible feeling of melancholy at the spot.

Up until a few years ago the bright young things at the hotel organised celebrations on that date and everyone went out looking for him.

Another relic of Tom Crocker on the island is a face said to be etched into the granite chimney-breast of The Pilchard Inn at the entrance to the hotel driveway.

SOURCE: Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/viking-ghosts-still-haunt-bloody-2286420   

Part 1: Haunted Devon, UK - Part 1: -Why Devonians think Sir Francis Drake was a wizard

My latest book is called "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" (by Rob Gutro) and conveys
all of the ghosts I met as I traveled throughout England. There are a LOT more ghosts in England that I  did not (yet) meet, and here is the first of several postings from Devonlive in Devon, U.K about some of them.. - Rob   

Did Sir Francis Drake have  mystical powers? Does the pirate of Burgh Island still haunt the place where he was hung on the anniversary of his death? And were pacts made with the devil which have left a Satanic chill hovering over these Devon landmarks to this day?

Why Devonians think Sir Francis Drake was a wizard

Both the Spanish and the British believed that Sir Francis Drake was a wizard who used supernatural methods. The swashbuckling Elizabethan sea hero helped defeat the Spanish Armada apparently against all the odds.


After Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I he took his duties to the people he represented very seriously. One summer during a particularly bad drought it is said that he rode up on to Dartmoor until he found a spring to deliver drinking water to the people of Plymouth.
He is said to have 'bewitched it with magic incantations and then galloped into town with the stream at his heels.

The stream is still visible as Plymouth leat which rises three miles north and Sheepstor and threads it was down into a reservoir to the north of Plymouth.
In places the Devonport Leat appears to travel uphill, which some believed was against the laws of nature.

The leats were designed to carry water, by means of gravity.The art of the leat builders was a skilled job as they had to ensure the flow of water was not too fast so as to flood and not to slow as to stagnate. This was achieved by following the natural contours of the landscape. On the eastern flank of Beardown where the Devonport Leat flows down towards Plymouth, a section appears to flow uphill.

Photo: Drake's Leat at Roborough Down (Image: Andrew Hackney)

There are still Devonians who believe the spirit of Drake reincarnates with every successive British naval hero.
Even Drake's drum is supposed to have supernatural powers. Drake took the drum with him when he circumnavigated the world. Shortly before he died he ordered the drum to be taken to Buckland Abbey and vowed that if England were ever in danger and someone was to beat the drum he would return to defend the country. According to legend it can be heard to beat at times when England is at war or significant national events take place.
As recently as World War II the drum was said to bang again although many said it was the sound of Ack Ack antiaircraft guns.

Photo: Drake's Drum

Now owned by the National Trust, Buckland Abbey was once the home of Sir Francis Drake who is now believed to haunt the Abbey.


After returning from his three-year circumvention of the globe, Drake was sold the Abbey in 1580. However the locals believed he possessed supernatural powers granted to him through a pact with the devil.

According to reports, Drake’s ghost is said to travel across Dartmoor in a black coach driven by several headless horses, followed by a pack of howling hounds. It is also believed that any living dog that hears the packs’ cries will die immediately.

This picturesque Yarcombe Inn pub was once owned by Drake and is now said to be haunted by his spirit. The grade II-listed building, on the Devon/Somerset border, dates from the 14th century. Its other claim to notoriety is that Admiral Lord Nelson stayed at the inn when he travelled between Portsmouth and Honiton.

  SOURCE: Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/viking-ghosts-still-haunt-bloody-2286420 

Planning a Trip to England? Find the Ghosts I Met!

If you're planning a trip to England in the next year, you can find out where I met ghosts when I visited- by reading my new book "Ghosts of England On a Medium's Vacation."   
 -   In the book I take you to castles, pubs, churches, graveyards , and a bed and breakfast in a Tudor-era castle. You'll meet ghosts from London to Canterbury, York and Stratford-Upon-Avon and other places. 

Thornbury Castle Ruins

  You'll also find out their identities (some took some investigating on my part) and why they stayed behind - and why they are still there!   
   Check out "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation" - available in paperback and E-book on Amazon.com by Rob Gutro



 
Check out my OTHER BOOKS

Pets and the Afterlife: How pets communicate from the other side and more  
Pets and the Afterlife 2: Signs from Pets That Hav
Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead: An answer guide to the paranormal: Updated  
Ghosts and Spirits: Insights from a Medium