Bedfordshire's Ghoulish Guests

It may come as a surprise to some that Bedfordshire's local history is full of strange sightings and odd occurrences. The area's rich and often violent past appears to still live on, judging by the mysterious goings-on that numerous witnesses have reported over the years. Read on if you dare

One of the most frequent ghoulish guests is that of Bedfordshire's own Demonic Dog or Shuck" as legend calls it. The name is steeped in history - a deviation of Shukir, who was the dog of war in Norse mythology, and Scucca, from the Anglo-Saxon meaning demon. Unsurprisingly these Shucks enjoy spending time in graveyards, lanes and gallows sites.

The most fearsome of all Shuck sightings came in the 18th century at Luton's gallows, aptly named Galley Hill. A fierce storm struck the town and a wicked lightning bolt hit the gallows, causing an uncontrollable fire that soon began consuming the whole site. Amid the flames hapless witnesses saw a fearsome black dog, with piercing red eyes, dance in the flames, celebrating the fact that the remains of condemned criminals were being flame grilled.

Perhaps even more terrifying than the Demonic Dogs of Bedfordshire are the dreaded highway men whose chilling presence can still be felt today. And the most infamous of all is Black Tom, feared throughout the county for his devilry and witchcraft. He eventually was killed at the gallows on Union Street in 1607 and buried at the junction of Tavistock Street, Union Street and Clapham Road in Bedford with a stake driven through his heart to finally extinguish his evil spirit.

However, his evil soul was too powerful, and his ghost has been regularly spotted since. The last reported sighting of Black Tom was in 1963 when he was seen stumbling through Regent Street with his head bent awkwardly as if he had just been hung, before vanishing.

Woburn Abbey continues the fine tradition that historical places of worship make prime territory for unexplained happenings. It was originally a Saxon hamlet in 969 before it was converted into an abbey by Cistercian Monks in 1145.

And inevitably sightings of monk apparitions have plagued the area to this day, even though it is no longer an abbey. The spirit of former abbot Robert Hobbes, hanged for disagreeing with Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn, has been seen in the crypt as well as the spirit of a monk dressed in brown robes who hovers between the entrance to the sculpture gallery before disappearing.

Unfortunately, even if a concerted effort is being made to avoid all local graveyards, abbeys and gallows sites, a family trip to watch the afternoon matinee at Bedford's Cineworld may still also throw up an unexpected shock, especially if the latest blockbuster is being shown on screen four. It regularly is home to sudden drops in temperature, strange scratching noises and the sound of jangling chains, while cleaners have had rogue apples and sweets thrown at them, even when hyperactive teenagers are nowhere to be seen.

Sleep well tonight

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