HAUNTEDKENT
HAUNTED KENT
FORGET TRICK OR TREAT , JESS MARSHALL HAS UNCOVERED KENT ’ S MOST SPOOKTACULAR TALES , PLACES AND LEGENDS ALL IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN …
HEVER CASTLE
DOVER CASTLE DOVER CASTLE ’ S SECRET UNDERGROUND TUNNELS
It turns out that being the Garden of England isn ’ t Kent ’ s only claim to fame as our county also happens to be one of the most haunted places in England - lucky us ! Canterbury , after all , is arguably best known for the murder of Thomas Beckett - the Archbishop of Canterbury who was brutally murdered at the iconic Cathedral - and , believe it or not , the tales in this feature might prove to be even more gruesome . Most of us Kentish folk are largely unaware of the bloody history Kent is steeped in , and yet our green fields , blue rivers and stone cobbled streets have nevertheless been built on a long , dark and twisted history of pain , murder , and bloodshed . As a result we ’ ve got castles , villages and entire islands that are thought to be inhabited by ghostly figures and spectres of the night . If you are after a scare that will send shivers down your spine and make your skin crawl , and are looking for a roundup of some of the spookiest places to visit this Halloween , you ’ ve come to the right place !
Castles
With Kent having such a wealth of royal history , it is no surprise that most Kentish castles are suspected of having several spectres inhabiting their halls , bedrooms and battlements . These lost souls can be quiet wonders , silently floating in and out of rooms , or ghosts that produce haunting screams , alone in this half reality they now inhabit . One of the most famous ghosts in all of Kent ’ s many castles is that of Anne Boleyn , the ill-fated second wife of the infamous Henry VIII , who has been spotted roaming the halls of her childhood home , Hever Castle . According to reports , her figure drifts solemnly down the halls and grounds , and she is meant to be particularly active on Christmas Eve , perhaps reflecting on her own joyous Christmases with family before her ill-fated life took a tragic turn .
Dover Castle is one inhabited by many ghosts , none as well known as our dear Boleyn girl , though many much more vocal ; while Anne glides quietly as if in silent contemplation , many of the inhabitants of Dover Castle are not quite as courteous to their visitors . Disembodied screams , groans and whispering are often heard by guests ; sometimes these terrifying sounds are even accompanied by slamming doors and dramatic drops in temperature . Several figures have been seen roaming the castle ’ s main halls , as well as its many secret tunnels and passageways . These include a lost little drummer boy , decapitated by his murderer , who can often be heard banging his drum to the rhythm of his long stopped heartbeat ; a ghostly woman clad in a flowing red dress ; and the horrifying reports of WW2 soldiers carrying out their duties on an infinite loop , unaware of the changed world around them , nor able to move onto more peaceful planes of existence .
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