What It Was Like – "I Bought a Haunted Witches' Prison (Classic)"

Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Julian Morgans (Superreal)
Guest: Vanessa Mitchell

Overview

In this classic episode, host Julian Morgans interviews Vanessa Mitchell, a woman who bought and lived in "The Cage"—a medieval building in the English village of St. Osyth that once served as a prison for alleged witches. The episode dives into Vanessa's deeply personal and intense three-year experience living in the haunted house, exploring her skepticism, supernatural encounters, psychological toll, and the mysterious history of the property.

Main Themes

• The reality of living with an intense haunting and supernatural phenomena
• Historical context: Europe’s witch hunts and the legacy in Essex, England
• The psychological impact and isolation experienced by those in extraordinary situations
• Skepticism vs. belief—navigating the tension between subjective experience and outside doubt

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: The History of The Cage

[03:00–07:00]

• Julian sets the historical context: St. Osyth, Essex, was fervently involved in witch trials during the 16th century.
• The Cage: a small, attractive old house that became infamous for housing women accused of witchcraft, including Ursula Kemp.
• Julian notes the modern legacy of the witch hunts and connects Salem’s history to the Essex settlers.

Vanessa’s Impulse to Buy

[07:11–10:43]

• Vanessa, a successful caravan saleswoman, felt a sudden, inexplicable obsession to buy The Cage, despite knowing only vaguely of its haunted reputation.
• "Just completely tunnel visioned. It came out of absolutely nowhere, this literally obsession with buying this house." – Vanessa ([08:43])

Nostalgia vs. Reputation

[09:30–10:43]

• Although aware of the building’s notorious history and a recent suicide, none of it deterred her.
• “The cage might be haunted but so is every other house, you know.” – Vanessa ([09:30])

Moving In: First Impressions and Skepticism

[12:52–15:18]

• Vanessa moved in with her childhood friend Nicole; both excited, both proud.
• On day one, Vanessa saw a "huge black mass" glide past in the kitchen, setting an immediate tone of unease.
• Vanessa initially skeptical of the “Amityville horror” brand of haunting but admits: "In my case, it turned out probably worse than some of the stuff I've seen on movies." ([15:35])

Daily Life in The Cage

[20:31–23:34]

• Initially, minor disturbances: swinging fireplace tools, doors/cupboards/taps opening, missing items, odd sounds.
• “It was also a feeling in the house... Even if it's a sunny day... you feel that energy. It's strong.” – Vanessa ([21:33])
• Vanessa and Nicole began to sense a shift in energy and increased strangeness; Nicole (less sensitive) was easily scared.

History Revealed: The House That No One Keeps

[23:47–26:22]

• After moving out, Vanessa learned that for 300 years, no one had kept The Cage for more than three years.
• Vanessa became the second-longest owner since its construction.
• "As a historian, she's never seen an example like it where that house was continuously up for sale." – Vanessa’s sister ([25:30])

Escalation: Full Apparitions and the Haunting of Jack

[26:48–34:00]

• Vanessa saw a clear, detailed apparition—a man (she called Jack) appearing from the waist up, felt peaceful, not harmful.
• Nicole witnessed phenomena too, notably "millions of sparkling lights" filling the living room: "Are you seeing exactly the same as I'm seeing?... then yeah, I'm seeing it too." ([34:00–35:30])
• Julian comments on how some incidents were strangely beautiful despite the terror.

Calling for Help: The Local Vicar

[32:27–42:44, recapped later at 39:43]

• Vanessa reached out to the parish vicar, who admitted he’d never done so many house blessings and exorcisms before joining St. Osyth.
• Vicar confirmed to Vanessa: "You're not mad... I've never had to do this before I came here." ([42:01])
• Exorcism gave temporary relief, but activity continued.

Cohabitation, Fear, and Compromises

[43:13–44:20]

• Vanessa, Nicole, and Nicole’s boyfriend John made a pact: never be alone in the house.
• Nicole often slept in Vanessa’s bed for comfort.

The Blood Incident

[44:23–48:55]

• Close friends Kirsty (a blood nurse) and Neil (a tough Sergeant Major) witnessed fresh, unexplained droplets of blood appearing on the floor despite no visible cause.
• "He [Neil] was angry because he couldn't work it out... and I suppose that put the fear in him." – Vanessa ([47:33])

Increasing Isolation: Living as a Prisoner

[49:04–56:50]

• When Nicole left, Vanessa became increasingly isolated, confining herself (and later her newborn son Jesse) to one room upstairs for safety.
• She describes the psychological burden and the measures she took, such as never leaving Jesse alone, and the terror that simple tasks like ironing would provoke after unsettling incidents (such as toys activating by themselves and another ghostly apparition blocking the stairs).

Emotional Breakdown and Psychological Toll

[56:56–66:23]

• Vanessa describes severe sleepwalking, depression, and a mounting sense of hopelessness.
• "It just something really bad in that house is dark and negative and just got me. Just got me." ([59:49])
• She avoided seeking help; in retrospect, she realizes she was changed and numb from constant fear.
• The haunting even led to self-destructive thoughts: "I thought if I don't leave here, this is going to be me or the house." ([65:12])

The Final Straw and Escape

[62:35–63:31]

• The catalyst: a final terrifying encounter with an apparition between her and her son convinced Vanessa to leave immediately.
• With a friend's support, she moved out within days, even though this meant long commutes and financial hardship.

Legacy and Reflection

[67:54–71:25]

• The house remains empty; the woman who bought it after Vanessa never moved in.
• On whether she warned buyers: "I told her everything. I said, you're crazy." ([68:24])
• Vanessa theorizes: the haunting comes from layers of pain, history, and trauma, not just “witches” specifically.
• "That place is haunted with layers and layers of history and energy, and I don’t know who will ever get to the bottom of it." ([69:56])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On buying the house:
  "Just completely tunnel visioned. It came out of absolutely nowhere, this literally obsession with buying this house."
  – Vanessa Mitchell ([08:43])

• On the first haunting:
  "There was a huge black mass shape, figure... I felt it, it was negative."
  – Vanessa Mitchell ([13:50])

• On skepticism:
  "In my case, it turned out probably worse than some of the stuff I’ve seen on movies."
  – Vanessa Mitchell ([15:35])

• On historical turnover:
  "No one’s ever owned that house for longer than three years... She’s never seen an example like it."
  – Vanessa Mitchell, referencing her sister ([25:30])

• On the vicar’s involvement:
  "You’re not mad... I’m having to do this a lot in this village... but I’ve never had to do it before I came here."
  – Local vicar ([42:01])

• On the lingering psychological effects:
  "I knew by then that I felt like my life just went to like a flatline. I couldn't. I had no fight left for anything."
  – Vanessa Mitchell ([59:49])

• On recognizing the danger:
  "If you can imagine living somewhere like it's constantly ‘kill yourself, kill yourself...’"
  – Vanessa Mitchell ([66:19])

• On the strange beauty:
  "If it's like millions of stars, this room, then yeah, I'm seeing it too."
  – Nicole to Vanessa ([35:30])

• On warning the next buyer:
  "I told her everything. I said, you're crazy."
  – Vanessa Mitchell ([68:24])

Important Timestamps

• [03:00–07:00]: Historical intro & connection of St. Osyth to witch trials
• [08:19–10:43]: Vanessa describes impulsively buying The Cage, despite suicides/haunted rumors
• [13:50]: First supernatural encounter (black mass in kitchen)
• [15:35]: Vanessa admits true haunting worse than movies
• [25:30]: House’s bizarre ownership history revealed
• [28:30]: First detailed ghost (Jack) appears
• [34:00–35:30]: Both Vanessa and Nicole witness “a room full of millions of stars”
• [42:01]: Vicar confirms frequent hauntings in the village
• [44:23–48:55]: Blood appears inexplicably—investigated by nurse and army major
• [49:04–52:29]: Vanessa isolates herself upstairs; recounts life as a single, terrified parent
• [59:14–59:46]: Sleepwalking into the hall, depression deepens
• [65:12]: Vanessa admits thoughts of suicide, paralleling previous occupant's fate
• [68:24]: Vanessa tells new buyer about the haunting

Tone & Style

The conversation is intimate, honest, and sometimes darkly humorous. Julian is empathetic and direct; Vanessa is candid, resilient, and matter-of-fact about her traumatic experiences—often peppered with gallows humor and plain-spoken insight about trauma, belief, and the unknown.

Final Reflections

Vanessa’s story is less about what it's like to live in a haunted house and more about the profound, cumulative impact of enduring the unexplainable. It’s a rare first-person account of psychological and supernatural siege, deeply rooted in place and history. The episode leaves listeners questioning the nature of haunting—whether it is a phenomenon of place, history, mental health, or some mixture of all three.

Vanessa Mitchell now shares more about her stories on her podcast "The Haunted Podcast".

For those who've never listened, this episode is a gripping, immersive portrait of one woman’s three years in England’s most notorious haunted house—a chilling reminder that some places keep their history alive.