Peter Underwood Ghost Hunter at Large

The World's leading Ghost hunter, Peter Underwood, Life President of The Ghost Club Society, has seen his fair share of spooks, phantoms and haunted places. Here he talks about his favourite Wiltshire haunts, spookiest cases, phantom dogs and ectoplasm...

Which Wiltshire haunting are you most interested in and what's the story behind it?

Probably Littlecote where 'Wild' Will Darrell is said to have murdered a new-born child by throwing it into the fire and holding it down with the heel of his boot.

Littlecote Manor

The charge was made in a statement by a midwife who on her deathbed revealed to a magistrate that she had been summoned one dark night to attend in secret a lady about to have a child and she was promised a large sum of money if she would do so.

She allowed herself to be blindfolded and taken to a house, she did not recognize, where she delivered the child which was then snatched from her by a man and thrown into the fire.

Too terrified to say much at the time she had the presence of mind to take a small piece of material from the bed-curtains and to count the number of stairs as she was led out, again blindfolded.

After her confession suspicion centered on 'Wild' Will Darrell as the villain and Littlecote as the house. Darrell was arrested and the connection established by the number of steps on the stairs and a corresponded hole in the bed-curtains.

Darrell seems to have succeeded in being acquitted but the ghost of the murdered baby seemingly appeared before him when he was riding on horseback and so startled the horse that he was thrown and died.

There were also the appearance of mysterious bloodstains in the appropriate chamber where the terrible crime was apparently sometimes reenacted.

The place where the stile stood where the horse reared is still known as 'Darrell's Stile'.

Where are the spookiest places in Wiltshire?

Apart from Littlecote I would probably pick Westwood Manor, near Bradford-on-avon, which was a fascinating place and had at least two ghosts. Then perhaps Lydiard Tregoze with its long history of haunting and many witnesses and then there is always Longleat with its Green Lady and other phantoms of the past.

What about animal ghosts?

There are certainly reports of animal ghosts in Wiltshire including the countrywide Black Dog seen at Brook House, Stourton and there are also phantom dogs reported at Cholderton House, Cholderton (that sometimes accompanies people crossing the driveway after dark).

Peter Underwood

And the ghostly lady in white seen on a path near the Common at Broughton Gifford is always followed by a ghostly little dog, according to reports; and then there are repeated reports of a ghost horse (some say headless!) in Bull Lane at Kilmington.

What is ectoplasm?

Ectoplasm is the name given to 'something' that reportedly exudes from a medium's body and seemingly builds up into a recognized human form at physical seances.

I have seen what is claimed to be ectoplasm but have not been allowed to touch it or obtain a piece for examination. Mediums say that if interfered with the ectoplasm will suddenly retreat into the medium's body with damaging results.

Is there such a thing as ectoplasm? I will accept there is when I have obtained a sample myself, under test conditions, and had it examined scientifically.

Are there any basic things you can do to investigate if a place is haunted?

There are no basic things that anyone can do to establish whether a place is haunted. It is a case of careful, truthful, serious and objective observation over as long as it takes.