history
Island Life - June/July 2010
16 top sites
for ghosts and
ghoulies
Compiled by Marc Tuckey
IW Ghost Experience and
Author Gay Baldwin
Photo: Marc Tuckey
Wheel of
WHAT: The ghost of Arreton Manor
grounds during the Spanish influenza
pulling a carriage. This occurs late at
WHERE: Arreton
epidemic of 1918.
night between 11pm and mid-night.
The carriage is said to be one of those
ABOUT: The ghosts that are sited here
are Anabell Leigh and the monks who
WHAT: The deadly axe
belonging to Queen Victoria when she
lived at the manor during the 12th to
WHERE: Arreton
was in occupation at Osborne.
15th century.
ABOUT: Along Burnt House Lane there
The little girl in a blue dress was pushed
used to stand a small thatched cottage
WHAT: The grey lady
out of the top window of the manor
where Micah Morey lived with his
WHERE: Farringford House, F'water Bay
by her wicked brother John as she had
grandson James Dore. Micah was poor,
ABOUT: This former home of Alfred
seen him smother her father to gain
old and ugly, his grandson was young,
Lord Tennyson, the poet lauret to
inheritance. The monks appear on the
handsome and had just inherited
Queen Victoria still retains the ghost
front lawn and seem to be walking on
money. Micah was jealous of his
of Lady Emily Tennyson who has been
their knees.
grandson and in a fit of rage he killed
seen in her grey dress which she always
the boy and tried to burn the body and
wears with the distinctive fine lace scarf
WHAT: Ghosts from hospital past
the cottage.
which is tied under her chin. Also seen
WHERE: The Botanic Gardens, Ventnor
Sentenced to hang at Winchester
on the croquet lawn are two ballerinas
ABOUT: The Victorian nurses are
Assizes, Micah Morey stalks the Downs
who are left over from Lord Tennyson's
sited around the carpark and by the
Road.
birthday celebrations.
demolished). Patients from the past
WHAT: A doctors practice
WHAT: The ghost ship
occupy the gardens themselves and
WHERE: The Dower House, Newport
WHERE: Sandown Bay
many orbs are obtained from taking
ABOUT: These premises are occupied
ABOUT: In March 1878 on a beautiful
photographs and DVD recordings.
by the ghost of a small girl aged
spring morning with blue sky and
There has been sited a dark entity in
between 4-5 years old. She wears a
sunshine a three masted frigate named
the gardens over a number of years by
white Victorian dress and floats down
HMS Eurydice sailed through Ventnor
various witnesses.
the corridors. She was also seen by
on its way to Sandown Bay watched by
a painter from East Cowes who was
a four year old Winston Churchill who
WHAT: Schoolboys play in park
decorating one of the surgeries, she
was on holiday. A sudden squall hit the
WHERE: Northwood Park, Northwood
stood in the corner and watched him
bay and with all sails set on three masts
ABOUT: At night in Northwood Park
stir his paint and then simply vanished.
she soon floundered and sank. Of 366
tunnel entrance (which has now been
crew only two survived, but the ghost
you may encounter two old fashioned
ship is still seen to this day!
schoolboys with blazers, caps and short
WHAT: Osbornes phantom carriage
grey trousers swinging and laughing on
WHERE: Osborne House
one of the great trees in the park. Do
ABOUT: It is said that galloping across
WHAT: Previous residents
the golf course at Osborne House
WHERE: Rylstone Manor, Shanklin
is heard the sound of horses hoofs
ABOUT: Owned by Queen Victoria
not be fooled, these boys are ghosts
from a private school that bordered the
76
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