HAUNTED: Pluckley Village

Summary

So Supernatural – HAUNTED: Pluckley Village

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

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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.

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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])

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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])

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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

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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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For more stories, follow So Supernatural on Instagram (@sosupernaturalpod) or visit sosupernaturalpodcast.com.

Transcript

[Racha Pecorero]

When we say the words ghost town, what comes to mind? Old saloon doors swinging in the wind. A tumbleweed blowing across a dirt road. A torn up wanted poster hanging from a lamp post. Yeah, same. 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.

[Yvette Gentile]

Since the 1950s, Pluckley village has been considered the most haunted town in England, maybe even in the whole world. In 1989, it literally found its place in the Guinness Book of World Records for being so damn haunted. And what's interesting about Pluckley is a lot of its ghost stories are tied to real, confirmed events. Like a woman named Sarah Sharp, who died in 1911 and has since been named the Watercress Woman. And a man named Richard Bridgeland, who died in 1899 in a terrible quarry accident, who's now called the Screaming man of the Clay Pit. So basically, what we're trying to say is there are a bunch of stories about deceased residents that seem to stick around Pluckley well into the afterlife.

[Racha Pecorero]

Which of course got us thinking, what is it about Pluckley that's so darn special? Or dare we even say cursed? And could this little village hold the key to understanding the paranormal on a more accessible level? I'm Racha Pecorero.

[Yvette Gentile]

And I'm Yvette Gentile. And this is so supernatur.

[Racha Pecorero]

Since we joined Ashley on so Supernatural, we've covered haunted houses and haunted families. But this might be our first episode on an entire haunted town. I am so excited and a little creeped out to dive in. I'm Racha Pecorero.

[Yvette Gentile]

And I'm Yvette Gentile. And today we're covering Pluckley Village in Kent, England. Pluckley Village is fascinating to me for so many reasons, because there are a lot of places like this all over the world. I mean, in homes, neighborhoods, and. And natural formations like rivers and caves that are said to attract ghosts. And nobody knows for sure what makes these locations so special. But of course, there are a lot of theories, like maybe there are portals to the underworld or to other dimensions there. Maybe spirits are just attracted to the energy. Another idea is that when horrible things happen to people, the trauma can actually trap their souls, which is one reason why so many mental hospitals and prisons seem to be hotbeds for supernatural activities.

[Racha Pecorero]

That makes total sense. But on the other hand, some people believe ghosts make decisions the same way living people do. They stay very Close to the people they loved or because they have fond memories of their experience where they once were.

[Yvette Gentile]

But whatever their reasons, some places are hotbeds for hauntings. Take Pluckley Village. It just feels like something completely out of a ghost story.

[Racha Pecorero]

It's a tiny town with a population of about 1,000 people today. You can find it in the county of Kent, which is about an hour and a half southeast of London. And it's fairly well known for a few reasons. In 1958, a British author named H.E. bates wrote a novella called the Darling Buds of May. It later got adapted into a TV show which was filmed in Pluckley and hit the airwaves in 1991. And fans of the show flocked to the town for a few years afterward. Kind of like how Twilight fans still visit Forks, Washington today.

[Yvette Gentile]

So, Russia. I gotta ask you a question. Have you ever been to Forks, Washington? Like, you're so close?

[Racha Pecorero]

I am very close, but no, I have not been to Forks, Washington. However, one of my best friends in the world, Lauren, has been there many, many times. So I've seen pictures, I know what it looks like, and it does kind of remind me a little bit of Pluckley.

[Yvette Gentile]

We need to go. I'm just saying we need to go next time.

[Racha Pecorero]

Absolutely. Team Jacob for life. But I digress. Well, Pluckley is also known for having one of the oldest currently operating train stations in all of the uk. So if you can picture a quaint but well known English village full of historic buildings surrounded by rolling fields, you get a sense of what Pluckley Village is like. But for me, if you look up Pluckley Village or you Google it, it totally reminds me of Harry Potter's hometown of Hogsmeade. And that's where he was born. And he visits the graveyard where his parents are buried. It's actually a little creepy, in my humble opinion.

[Yvette Gentile]

Well, more importantly, this town is old. So old nobody knows exactly when it was founded. The earliest written records of it are from 1086 CE. But archaeologists have found structures in the village dating all the way back to 270 CE. Meaning Pluckley may have been around during the Roman Empire or even before that. So just imagine living in a place that's been inhabited for at least 2000 years, and possibly much longer than that. Of course, anywhere with that much history is going to feel otherworldly. That's especially true when you check out the unforgettable architecture.

[Racha Pecorero]

Many of the buildings around town have these really unique windows. Instead of being a traditional square Shape. The top is a curved arch. That's because way back in 1598, Pluckley Village was run by the family of a young lord named Sir Edward Deering. After Edward had grown up, a bunch of other nobles joined in a rebellion against the King of England. But Edward chose to be loyal to the Crown. Eventually, the rebels captured Edward and held him prisoner. But he escaped captivity by jumping out of a window, specifically one with a rounded circular top. Years later, one of his descendants, another lord in the area, announced that every building on his property had to feature this style of window to honor his escape. This style came to be known as the Deering Window. Since Pluckley is in Deering territory, a ton of the buildings have Deering windows, which makes the whole town look like something out of a fairy tale.

[Yvette Gentile]

But to be clear, the Deering Window isn't the main thing the town is known for. Pluckley Village is mostly famous for its ghost stories. It feels like everywhere you go, you hear rumors and gossip about Pluckley's dark history and the spirits who still roam the town's streets seeking peace or justice. Like the supposed Red Lady. Legend has it that she was a member of the Deering family who lived centuries ago. But nobody's entirely sure when or even what her first name was. But apparently she was incredibly beautiful and had a husband who completely adored her. Sadly, Lady Darien died young. Her husband was so incredibly grief stricken that he ordered an elaborate lead coffin to be made for her. He placed a red rose on her body before he closed the casket. Then she was laid to rest in a church in pluckley village called St. Nicholas. But then, right after the funeral, locals around town spotted a beautiful woman dressed all in red wandering through the graveyard outside the church, holding a single rose. And she bore an eerie resemblance to Lady Deering. Over the years, she appeared pretty frequently and always at the stroke of midnight. It's said that to this day, she still shows herself to some lucky visitors who come to the church at night.

[Racha Pecorero]

The problem is, since no one knows who the Red lady was or how she died, it's hard to tell if this story is true or if it's just a local legend. Even the people of Pluckley aren't sure. For centuries, everyone in town just told one another the story of the Red Lady. It got repeated, but no one ever thought to double check where it actually came from. And it's not the only story in town with uncertain origins. Apparently, there's a bush in Pluckley Village that has some kind of connection to hell and to the afterlife. So the stories are vague, and it's hard to say exactly how the bush is tied to the underworld, but people claim you can literally summon the devil by performing a certain ritual at the bush. You have to wait for an evening with a full moon, Then strip down completely naked. At the stroke of midnight, you're supposed to perform a set of dance moves backward, and you have to repeat them exactly 13 times. If you get the ritual just right, Supposedly satan will appear. And again, the legend's pretty vague on what happens after that. Maybe he drags you off to hell. Maybe he does your bidding. Or maybe he has free reign to wreak havoc on earth.

[Yvette Gentile]

A lot of the local legends are like that, Kind of vague and lacking detail, but they're fascinating nonetheless. For example, there's an old mansion that burned down in town, Pluckley. Locals say that before the fire, the spirit of a woman in white used to wander through it, but nobody knows who she was or how she died or how she even was connected to the home. There are also accounts of a ghost that haunts a hollow tree just outside of town. Supposedly, the spirit used to be a thief who would hide in the tree, Then jump out and rob people when they passed on a nearby road. The story says that he died inside the tree, but it's unclear how, why, or when. And for most people in pluckley, that's just how it goes. They accept the local ghost stories as vague, Assume there's no way of ever finding out more, and just leave it at that. Here and there, people will claim that they saw a ghost or that they know someone who saw a ghost, but nobody's tracking how often that happens or how many spirits there are. But that all changes in 1939. That's when a pluckley local named Frederick Sanders Decides to investigate these hauntings for himself.

[Racha Pecorero]

Now, Frederick was born in Pluckley village. His family has already been here for at least two generations. And like all of the other locals, he started hearing stories about ghosts over the years, and, of course, how haunted the town was. On top of that, Frederick was really fascinated by history. He didn't have much of a formal education because he dropped out of high school when he was just 15. But whenever Frederick got a chance, he loved to read about Pluckley's past, the people who used to live there, and the way the town had changed over the centuries. In 1935, Frederick actually wrote a book on the people of Pluckley village. He was 27 years old at the time. Completely self taught and relying on information he was able to find through local records and graveyards. Though, something interesting happened while Frederick was investigating.

[Yvette Gentile]

That's right. As he was digging through old documents and paperwork, he noticed something interesting. A bunch of real documented stories of people's lives and deaths. And many of them lined up with the ghost stories he'd been hearing since his childhood. Suddenly, he realizes these stories might not just be be stories. They could be authentic accounts of real people who used to live in Pluckley Village, then passed away only for their spirits to remain behind. This is a huge deal because like I said before, the local legends are pretty vague. Until Frederick started doing this research, he never realized the ghost of Pluckley was could actually be real people with documented deaths. Plus, Frederick is a big believer in spirits. He even thinks it's possible to study them and understand them using scientific measures. So once Frederick realizes that he might be able to learn these spirits identities, he decides to look up every bit of information he can to find out about them.

[Racha Pecorero]

At one point, Frederick actually contacts a newspaper and tells them that he plans to spend a night in the local St Nicholas Church. His hope is that they'll be able to spot the Red lady when she appears at midnight and document the sighting. A reporter takes him up on the offer and they set a date for their study. It's in July of 1939. And that month Frederick experiences something that just can't be explained.

[Yvette Gentile]

For decades, Frederick Sanders has heard that his hometown of Pluckley Village, England is haunted. Frederick has never seen a ghost himself before. But he does have one spooky story from his childhood. I don't know exactly how old he was when this actually happened, but one day he and a friend were exploring an old mill that was said to be haunted. It was dark and dirty and at one point his friend reached into a black void just to feel a skeletal hand grab his palm. Of course the friend freakin panicked. He and Frederick screamed and ran outside. Afterwards, they realized it wasn't a ghost holding his friend's hand. Instead, he'd stuck it into a bird trap which had snapped shut. Once the friend got the trap off, his hand was fine, which is great. And I've got to imagine that after this incident, Frederick and his friend shared a good laugh about how they freaked out over nothing. Still, this doesn't cast any doubt in Frederick's mind that ghosts are make believe. Instead, it makes him want to encounter one even more.

[Racha Pecorero]

And In July of 1939, he finally launches his own Paranormal investigation. He invites a journalist from the Daily Herald along with him to document his work. Frederick and the reporter spend the entire night at the local St Nicholas Church. Their hope is to see the spirit of the Red Lady. And I'm not sure why they're focusing on her legend in particular, but maybe they think they have a better than average chance of spotting her because her ghost is seen so often roaming those grounds. Unfortunately, neither of them sees the Red lady that night. But a few days later, he goes back with his friend Douglas Bennett. And that's when Frederick encounters something equally as strange. First, he notices a glimmering light in the belfry, which is the big tall tower with bells in it. Frederick can't tell exactly what the light is. It doesn't look like a lit candle. In fact, it seems to be an electric light, but it flashes on and off really quickly, like someone's flicking a switch up and down. This is weird, because as far as Frederick knows, he and Douglas are the only people in the church, and neither of them touch the light switch. Frederick doesn't know how to explain it, but he doesn't have long to investigate because legend says the Red lady tends to appear outside in the churchyard at midnight, and it's getting close to that time. So he goes out the front door, and that's when Douglas hears a woman speaking. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what she's saying. And apparently Frederick doesn't hear it for himself. But when Douglass looks around, he doesn't see anybody. Still, in Frederick's mind, there's only one possible explanation. Douglas must be hearing the voice of the Red Lady. So he writes everything down and publishes an article about his experiences in the church.

[Yvette Gentile]

Frederick can tell that he's on to something. So three months later, in October, he goes back once again. He spends the night in St. Nicholas hoping for an encounter with the Red Lady. And this time around, Frederick still doesn't see her, but he does hear her voice. By this point, Frederick's all in on this paranormal quest for the truth. So he goes on to schedule one investigation after the next. Around town, he also researches an old local mill, the woods outside of the village, and lots of other supposedly haunted places in Pluckley. This pretty much becomes his entire life. All throughout the 1950s and 60s, Frederick spends every free second he has searching for ghosts. He is obsessed. He also digs deep into the town's archives to try and figure out who these spirits used to be, back when they were still alive.

[Racha Pecorero]

For example, rumors say an old woman's Spirit always appears on a particular road that leads out of town. The ghost is on fire with flames flickering around her body, and she's always screaming. The locals call her the Watercress woman because she supposedly sold the leafy green to the people in town. But while Frederick is researching, he finds reports about a woman who died on August 19, 1911. Her name was Sarah Sharp. She was poor and elderly. To make ends meet, she picked wild watercress and sold it at the side of the road. But one day, her body was found at the edge of the street just outside of town. It was the same street that the Watercress woman is said to appear on. And Sarah's remains were completely burned up. The police investigated and concluded that she had been smoking a pipe. And an ember must have fallen from the pipe onto her clothes, caught them on fire and burned her to death. It's a horrific way to go. But that's not the only reason this story stands out to Frederick. Until he began his research, Frederick never knew the story of Sarah Sharp. Apparently, all the people of Pluckley simply forgot about her in the decades after her death too. But here, the evidence is suggesting that the so called Watercress Woman is real. She has a name, and she died in a way that fits the ghost's appearance.

[Yvette Gentile]

The same thing happens when he looks into another local legend. The story of the so called Screaming man of the Old Clay Pit. Everyone in Pluckley has heard of this phantom, and they know a bit more about his supposed backstory too. The legend says that there used to be a company in town called the Brick and Tile Works. The people who worked there would dig naturally occurring clay out of a pit. Then other workers would make stuff out of the clay and sell it. But one day, a man is working deep in the pit when one of the walls collapses right on top of him. Nobody is close enough or quick enough to pull him out of the way or stop the sediment from falling. So all of this loose dirt, clay and mud comes crashing down on the man's head. It doesn't hit him hard enough to kill him right away, nor is it heavy enough to crush him to death. Instead, the man ends up trapped alive under all of the clay. He screams and shouts as loudly as he can, hoping that the other workers will dig him out before he actually runs out of oxygen. And even though everyone's scrambling to save him, they can't move fast enough. By the time they pull him out of the clay, it's too late. He's suffocated. To death. And supposedly his screams can still be heard in the pit anytime visitors drop by, even today. Well, as Frederick is researching, he comes across newspaper clippings about a horrific accident that happened on New Year's Day in 1899. A 35 year old man named Richard Bridgeland was working in the clay pit. Just like the legend says. He was happily married, a father of five, and Richard probably thought his job was safe because there hadn't been any accidents in the pit for a full 23 years. Except while he was deep in it, a wall of clay came loose, collapsed on top of him and buried him. Two co workers saw this happen and ran to save him, but he was already dead by the time they pulled him from the clay. Now, according to the newspaper articles, Richard died of a broken neck, not suffocation. But other than one detail, everything else is the same. Frederick realizes that Richard has to be the screaming man of the old clay pit. Once again, the evidence suggests that the ghost story is rooted in truth. The problem is that Frederick doesn't always get his facts right. For example, he also finds historical research that seems to verify a ghost story.

[Racha Pecorero]

This particular account is about a forested area right outside of Pluckley Village known as the Screaming Woods. And in their depths, a group of laurel trees are said to be super haunted. Apparently, one of the ghosts in the forest is called the hanging schoolmaster. According to the local lore, at some point in the past, a schoolmaster died by suicide amongst those trees. And if anyone walks through the laurels, there's a good chance they'll see his body still there, hanging from a noose. The ghostly version, that is. Frederick does a lot of research to try and learn the schoolmaster's identity. And he finally discovers one alleged school employee who lived and worked in the next village over until 1919. Anytime this man needed to unwind after work, he'd walk three miles to Pluckley Village because there was a pub there he liked called the Black Horse. And the road he took passed right by the haunted laurel trees in the screaming woods. Except one night, the schoolmaster didn't come home after his night of drinking. All of the locals went looking for him. People from Pluckley and his hometown alike. But there's no sign of him anywhere. It's like he just disappeared. Three weeks went by until finally another local happened to take the same road out of town for an unrelated errand. And that's when he found the schoolmaster's badly decomposed body hanging from a tree. No one knows what drove him to take his own life. He didn't leave a note. But Frederick's research suggests that now that his story is known, his spirit may finally find peace and move on.

[Yvette Gentile]

The problem is that this whole story just isn't true. As far as anyone can tell, Frederick either made the whole thing up or made a mistake in his research. There is a similar account from August of 1919 featuring a man named Henry Martin. The circumstances of his demise were the same as the legend, but he didn't work in a school. He was a paper maker. And interestingly enough, four years later, in 1923, the local schoolmaster did take his own life. And confusingly enough, he had a very similar name. Harry Martin. But he didn't die by hanging, nor did he pass away near the haunted laurel trees. So 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. But it does suggest that maybe we can't take all of his findings at face value.

[Racha Pecorero]

It does seem like Frederick made some research errors. Or even worse, he may have purposely exaggerated or made things up to make his writing feel spookier. But I want to be clear. Some of his findings are indeed verified, like the stories of Richard Bridgeland and Sarah Sharp. He didn't invent them. So it's still possible that the watercress woman and the screaming man of the old clay pit are actual restless spirits. I mean, who knows? Maybe the hanging schoolmaster is authentic, too. It's just that no one has found the evidence to support this story just yet. The point is, we don't know if Frederick's claims are right or wrong. But one fact is undeniable. His work has changed Pluckley Village forever.

[Yvette Gentile]

In the mid-1900s, Frederick Sanders investigates his hometown's haunted history. He publishes articles that depict Pluckley Village as a cool, fun place to visit, Assuming you like ghosts. And sure enough, in the mid 20th century, spooky stories about spirits are very mainstream. Frederick ends up writing and publishing a bunch of travel guides about the hauntings. And this sparks new interest in the Pluckley ghost, even bringing the BBC to town in 1961. But the whole time that Frederick's researching and writing, the ghosts are still active, and they're not all friendly. So, right as Pluckley is starting to become famous as a haunted location, disaster strikes. Or at least reports suggest that it does. To be clear, the following story hasn't been verified, but it is a big part of the Local lore. And I guess, yes, that makes it worth telling.

[Racha Pecorero]

On Halloween night, 1948, a bunch of Pluckley locals reportedly notice lights in the Screaming woods. There are also strange sounds that no one can identify. No one goes to investigate, for obvious reasons. I mean, if you live in a haunted town, you're probably savvy enough not to run toward creepy, unexplained phenomenon. Unless, of course, you're Frederick. But by the next morning, reports say that the noises have stopped and the lights are no longer visible. The forest seems safe and back to normal. So one Pluckley villager takes their dog out for a walk, and the moment they set foot in the forest, they find bodies, 20 of them, all human. The deceased are all from the same small town that's not too far away from Pluckley. No one knows how they ended up in the screaming woods or how they died. There are no visible marks or injuries on their bodies, and the autopsy results are inconclusive. Supposedly, when the police investigate, they don't find any signs of foul play. So the authorities announce the 20 people died of carbon monoxide poisoning and close the case.

[Yvette Gentile]

Which makes no sense because the victims died outside in the woods. It was well ventilated. There was no heavy machinery nearby to admit any toxic fumes. This case does not fit the profile of a typical carbon monoxide poisoning, which, as we all might know, usually happens when you're trapped in a small space with a running car or a gas stove or something similar. A lot of people believe police gave this carbon monoxide explanation because they didn't want to admit the truth, that those people were killed by something supernatural. And maybe the Screaming woods are cursed. Now, it's not clear if the curse is real or if this mass tragedy ever even happened, but apparently there are no records of it from this time. The first mentions of this incident appeared online decades after the fact. But even if there's no curse in the Screaming Woods, Frederick's books and articles made Pluckley Village famous and super popular.

[Racha Pecorero]

Today, tourists come pouring into Pluckley. They all want to have a spooky experience of their own. Naturally, a whole bunch of ghost tour companies have opened to try and meet the demand. They feature guided walks through all of the community's most haunted locations. St. Nicholas Church, the Laurel Grove in the woods, and the Clay Pits. And the employees tell their customers stories, some of which are true and some of which are based on the stories that Frederick published. The point is that the people of Pluckley Village are really leaning into their haunted reputation. They even install street signs that read, quote, slow down or you will upset our ghost neighborhood watch area, staffed by the living and the dead, end quote. And other local historians and paranormal researchers build on Frederick's studies. Between the old legends and news sources, most people come to agree that there are at least 17 different ghosts in Pluckley.

[Yvette Gentile]

And some of those emerged in the 1970s when new reports came out. Things that were never part of Frederick's research or the local traditions. For example, there's a pub in Pluckley village called the Black Horse. We actually mentioned it earlier. It's the pub that the local schoolmaster supposedly liked to visit. The Black Horse was built in the 1470s, so it's super old. But as far as I can tell, it wasn't really featured in Frederick's research. Beyond the hanged schoolmaster story. It wasn't famous for having ghosts, and there were no records of tragic deaths happening there. Basically, nobody ever believed this place was haunted, at least not at first. But in the early 70s, there were a couple of reports of ghostly activity there. And then in the 1990s, a woman named Laura Gambling is running the pub. You know, she's doing all the normal stuff like handling staffing, setting the menu, deciding what type of events to allow on the property, that sort of thing. And one day she's working a mid morning shift on a Sunday. It's kind of slow because the breakfast rush has already died down and it's too early for anyone to be in for lunch. Laura's resting in a booth, sipping a cup of tea, when she sees movement out of the corner of her eye. She looks toward it and sees the bar, which has a shelf full of empty glasses and bottles of booze. And while Laura watches, one of those empty glasses slides from one side of the shelf to the other. There's no one around and this glass appears to be moving on its own. It scoots over and comes to a stop right before it can topple over the edge. After that incident, Laura starts noticing other strange things. For example, she allows customers to bring their dogs inside. And sometimes people like to wander around the pub's upstairs area. But there's one particular room on the second floor that the dogs consistently refuse to enter. It doesn't matter what their owner does or says. The pets will not cross the threshold. Like they just have a bad vibe from whatever's in there. The animals tend to act very nervous. Also around the kitchen, anytime a dog gets near, it tenses up and then barks at something that only they can see, though it sounds like sometimes the spirit haunting this bar is also helpful, because at one point, one of the employees is putting the silverware away on a dresser, which is apparently in the wrong place. And then, while Laura's watching, the forks, spoons, and knives lift themselves off the dresser and then lie down in their proper location. Sort of like the ghost is watching her back, making sure that everything's where it's supposed to be. But eventually, Laura decides, you know what? She's ready to move on from this job. So in 2023, a new manager takes over. Her name is Samantha Camburn, and she starts noticing some weird things, too. One day, Samantha and her niece are working in the pub early in the morning, before it's even open to the public, and they both see a chair sliding across the floor on its own. Neither one of them touched it or bumped it, so they figure the ghost must be doing some interior redecorating. And of course, they tell everybody about it afterward, because, hello, there is no good reason to keep a cool story like that to yourself. The problem is, these allege incidents in the Black Horse Publishing are a bit controversial because they're not tied to Frederick's research or local legend. And by that point, the ghost tourism business in Pluckley Village was already thriving. So some believe that maybe Laura, Samantha, and other business owners were faking ghost encounters as a way to try and drum up interest from tourists who wanted to have a haunted experience.

[Racha Pecorero]

I can see that, But I would never fake a ghost or spirit experience because then the real ones will come after you. I'm just saying.

[Yvette Gentile]

True story.

[Racha Pecorero]

But I do wonder if there's another explanation for all of this, because in the paranormal research community, a lot of people believe in a concept called thought forms. The idea is that every human being has psychic abilities, and sometimes people can reshape reality around them using just the power of their minds. Most of the time, we don't even realize we're doing this. It's a complicated idea, but the basic gist is that if you think about something and believe in it hard enough, you can manifest it. Let's just say you're in a creepy old village that's been around for thousands of years. Someone tells you that the town is haunted, and now you're primed to expect to see or feel ghosts there. But more than that, it's possible that if you're scared enough, you might physically create a shadowy figure or a ball of light or even an apparition that looks like a person. Not on purpose. Of course. But you're sending out this energy that eventually creates a specter. And to be clear, this isn't a hallucination or an illusion. This is a very real visual experience, something everybody can see, not just you.

[Yvette Gentile]

The idea gets wilder than that because some people believe that once you create a thought form, the entity becomes a real person with its own soul. So let's just talk about how that might apply to Pluckley Village. It is possible that at first, the local ghost stories were just stories. People knew about Sarah Sharp, Richard Bridgeland, and Harry and Henry Martin and the way they died. And they speculated that some of them might have become spirits. Eventually, so many people knew the stories and believed in them that they created thought forms of the Watercress Woman, the Screaming man, of the Clay Pit, and the Hanged Schoolmaster. If this is true, then none of the specters are literal ghosts. None of them were ever alive. But they could still be completely real and authentic. And when you think about it, if you can create ghosts just by expecting them to show up, then of course, a town that's famous for being the most haunted in all of the UK would. Will be full of thought forms.

[Racha Pecorero]

And you may be thinking, okay, this idea is a little out there. But. In 1972, a team of paranormal researchers designed an experiment. The goal was to see if it was possible to actually create these thought forms. They arranged for a seance and invited eight test subjects to participate. None of these people believed they were psychics or mediums or that they had any supernatural abilities. But the researchers told the eight people they were going to try to summon the spirit of a man named Philip. They said he was a lord who lived in the 1600s and he cheated on his wife with a poor girl. When his wife discovered the affair, she had his mistress executed. And Philip was so heartbroken that he took his own life afterward. The problem is, Philip never existed. The researchers just made him up, along with the details about his tragic love triangle and his death. However, when the eight participants held a seance, they apparently made contact with some kind of spirit. Something kept knocking on their table. And the researchers checked. None of the study subjects were making the noise themselves. The participants told the spirit to tap once for yes and twice for no. Then they would ask questions like, is your name Philip? Did you cheat on your wife? And did she have your lover killed? And the spirit confirmed he was Philip from the story, a story that never happened.

[Yvette Gentile]

So let's just talk about this. When you do seances and you start calling in spirits, that you don't know that is something that you do not want to play with. I'm just saying.

[Racha Pecorero]

Right, Agreed. Agreed.

[Yvette Gentile]

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. I mean, maybe all of them. Anytime you step into a haunted house or a creepy old graveyard, you may end up seeing something inexplicable solely because you expect to and you are physically manifesting it. I've got to say, if it's possible for a group of researchers to to create the ghost of Philip, it's probably also possible for Frederick Sanders or the people of Pluckley to generate a hanging schoolmaster or even the Red Lady. Meaning the ghost of Pluckley Village might be entirely real, but not quite what we expect them to be.

[Racha Pecorero]

Wherever the truth lies, one thing is undeniable. Today, Pluckley Village is synonymous with ghosts at this point. They're not only local lore, they are a cornerstone of the town's economy. Maybe it's a savvy marketing move. Maybe it's all real. And maybe the truth is literally in the eye of the beholder.

[Yvette Gentile]

Foreign. This is so Supernatural. An Audio Chuck original produced by Crime House. You can connect with us on Instagram at so Supernatural Pod and visit our [e-mail] join Rasha and me next Friday for an all new episode. I think Chuck would approve.