So Supernatural – HAUNTED: Pluckley Village

Podcast: So Supernatural (Audiochuck | Crime House)
Date: January 9, 2026
Hosts: Racha Pecorero & Yvette Gentile

Episode Overview

This episode explores Pluckley Village in Kent, England—a picturesque place with an extraordinary claim to fame: being the most haunted village in England, if not the world. The hosts delve into Pluckley’s centuries-old ghost stories, the real historical tragedies they may be rooted in, and the ways local lore, tourism, and belief shape the village’s haunted reputation. They also examine how legends can manifest in reality through “thought forms,” questioning what truly makes a place haunted.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

What Makes Pluckley Unique—and Haunted?

• Pluckley is officially famous for its hauntings, entering the Guinness Book of World Records in 1989 for the most ghosts in a single location ([00:35]).
• Beyond ghost stories, it’s known for beautiful historic architecture—including the unique “Deering Window” ([07:08]).
• Many ghost tales are tied to real people and events, like Sarah Sharp (“the Watercress Woman”) and Richard Bridgeland (“the Screaming Man of the Clay Pit”) ([00:35]; [20:31]; [22:14]).

The Building Blocks of Local Lore

• Some believe Pluckley is special (or cursed) due to geography, energy, or traumatic events trapping souls ([02:52]).
  • Quote: “Maybe there are portals to the underworld or to other dimensions there. Maybe spirits are just attracted to the energy.” (Yvette Gentile, [02:52])
• Others argue that ghosts act like people in choosing to stay where they loved or lived ([03:54]).

Notable Legends of Pluckley

• The Red Lady: A mysterious Deering family member said to appear at midnight at St. Nicholas church, holding a rose ([08:19]).
• The Hell Bush: A supposedly cursed bush that can summon the devil through an elaborate ritual ([09:58]).
• The Screaming Woods: Haunted by a hanging schoolmaster, though the origins and facts behind the story are murky ([25:18]).

Frederick Sanders: Pluckley’s First “Ghost Investigator”

• In the late 1930s, local Frederick Sanders investigates the village’s ghost stories, tying many to real historical figures and events ([12:58]).
• He conducts late-night investigations at St Nicholas Church, searching for the Red Lady ([15:14]-[19:23]).
  • Spooky Encounter: Frederick and his friend observe unexplained lights and voices in the church ([17:12]).
  • He uncovers records aligning the Watercress Woman and Screaming Man legends to actual deaths ([20:31]; [22:14]).
  • However, not all his findings are verifiable—some stories seem conflated or speculative ([27:21]; [28:33]).

Fact vs. Fiction: The Risks of Local Mythmaking

• Sanders sometimes seems to blend fact and legend. For example, the true story of Henry Martin (a papermaker) and Harry Martin (a schoolmaster) becomes the tale of the “hanging schoolmaster”—though dates and details don’t match ([27:21]).
  • Quote: “Maybe Frederick found the story out about Henry Martin the papermaker and Harry Martin the schoolmaster and combined them into one, which, okay, could have been an honest mystery mistake.” (Yvette Gentile, [27:21])
• Some believe Sanders exaggerated for effect, but several of his stories—like those of Sarah Sharp and Richard Bridgeland—are historically accurate ([28:33]).

Pluckley’s Growing Reputation and the Surge in Ghost Tourism

• Frederick’s research and publications put Pluckley on the map as a haunted destination, drawing media like the BBC and hordes of ghost tourists ([29:39]).
• Modern Pluckley thrives on its spooky status, with ghost tours and even cheeky “ghost neighborhood watch” signage ([33:38]).
  • Quote: “They even install street signs that read, slow down or you will upset our ghost neighborhood watch area, staffed by the living and the dead.” (Racha Pecorero, [33:38])

New Hauntings and Tourism Skepticism

• The Black Horse Pub, not part of the old legends, becomes a focal point for modern ghost stories in the 1970s and beyond ([34:50]).
  • Owners report poltergeist phenomena such as moving glasses and animals behaving strangely ([34:50]-[39:34]).
  • Some question the credibility of these new stories, suspecting tourist-motivated embellishment ([39:34]).

The Thought Form Hypothesis

• The hosts discuss the idea that collective belief and expectation can “manifest” ghostly phenomena—psychic energy creating real apparitions ([39:44]-[44:27]).
• Reference the “Philip Experiment”: Parapsychologists in the 1970s “created” a ghost through group belief during séances, and had real-seeming interactions with ‘Philip,’ a fictional character ([42:37]).
  • Quote: “If you think about something and believe in it hard enough, you can manifest it… This is a very real visual experience, something everybody can see, not just you.” (Racha Pecorero, [39:44])
  • Quote: “The so-called Philip experiment is considered some of the best evidence that thought forms are real phenomenon. And this could explain a lot of ghost accounts.” (Yvette Gentile, [44:40])
• Pose the ultimate question: Is Pluckley haunted by ghosts, or by beliefs so strong they conjure their own reality? ([45:40])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Defining the Ghost Town:

  • “When we say the words ghost town, what comes to mind?... But what if we told you that the term ghost town is taken a little more literally over in Kent, England? Because there, in a tiny village of about a thousand people, 17 of them are said to be ghosts.” (Racha Pecorero, [00:02])

• On Pluckley’s Enduring Mystique:

  • “Some places are hotbeds for hauntings. Take Pluckley Village. It just feels like something completely out of a ghost story.” (Yvette Gentile, [04:12])

• On Skepticism and Marketing:

  • “I would never fake a ghost or spirit experience because then the real ones will come after you.” (Racha Pecorero, [39:34])

• On Reality vs. Belief:

  • “Maybe it's a savvy marketing move. Maybe it's all real. And maybe the truth is literally in the eye of the beholder.” (Racha Pecorero, [45:40])

Important Timestamps

• 00:02 – 01:33: Introduction to Pluckley’s haunted reputation and notable ghosts
• 07:08 – 08:19: Unique architecture – The Deering Window and its legend
• 08:19 – 09:58: The Red Lady and other legendary spirits
• 12:58 – 19:23: Frederick Sanders begins investigating Pluckley’s hauntings
• 20:31 – 27:21: Sanders uncovers historical roots to Pluckley’s most famous ghost stories
• 32:19 – 33:38: The (possibly fabricated) “Halloween Massacre” in the Screaming Woods
• 34:50 – 39:34: Modern hauntings at The Black Horse Pub
• 39:44 – 45:40: “Thought forms” and the psychology of hauntings; possible explanations for Pluckley’s supernatural activity

Episode Takeaways

• Pluckley’s eerie tales may have roots in local tragedy, creative embellishment, and the powerful human drive to explain the unexplainable.
• The town’s haunted status is as much a product of its history as of the stories (and storytellers) who pass it on.
• Whether the ghosts of Pluckley are supernatural, psychological, or entrepreneurial, they’re real enough to shape a village’s identity—and the way thousands experience it.

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