Welcome to Episode 35 of the podcast, and the first episode of Year 3...

In the year 1632, two men were convicted of the murder of Ann Walker at the Durham Assizes. One of the men was her uncle, a wealthy Yeoman named John Walker who also stood accused of making her pregnant, and the other was a friend of his, Mark Sharp, a miner originally from Lancashire. So why, in a time of murder, superstition and witchcraft, does the execution of Walker and Sharp stand out? Basically, its because both men were convicted on the testimony given by a local miller, who had been given all of the incriminating evidence, from the location of Anne’s body, to the location of the murder weapon and blood soaked clothing belonging to the murderer allegedly by the ghost of the murder victim. So two men were executed on the testimony of an apparition...

This episode is a deep dive into the case of Anne Walker, including looking at the work of John Webster, a 17th century debunker of witchcraft who studied and wrote about the case, sparking a response from Dr Henry More...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Launching into the podcast, I first of all deal with some project housekeeping, then delve into the County Durham tale of the Sockburn Worm/Sockburn Falchion - perhaps the oldest of the 'dragon' tales from North East England. After that, I tell Brockie's 1886 tale of the ghosts of Nicky Nack Field, then turn to a 'real ghost story' told in the Saturday 27th September 1902 edition of the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette - I apologise in advance to the residents of Shotton Colliery for this one - before finishing with an introduction to the new Within the Boggart Wood Bare Bones Project.

For more information on the Within the Boggart Wood Project, please see the following links:

Website: https://withintheboggartwood.org.uk

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@withintheboggartwood

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/withintheboggartwood

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theboggartwood.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withintheboggartwood/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Episode 33 of the podcast - the first episode of 2025!

In this episode we explore the ghostlore and folklore of Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland, and the ghost sightings at the Lying-in Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne. The episode also details two ghostly tales from the 20th May 1893 edition of the Newcastle Courant.

Chapter markers

00:00:00 Outro

00:02:40 The folklore and ghostlore of Bamburgh Castle

00:22:35 From the archives: "Saved by a Ghost", 1893

00:24:18 Ghosts of the Lying-in Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne

00:28:01 From the archives: "A tale of the Bamburgh Coast", 1893

00:43:25 Outro

• https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001723/19340415/015/0015
• https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000086/18930520/035/0006
• https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001723/19360419/008/0003
• https://bamburghresearchproject.co.uk/
• https://www.bamburghcastle.com/
• https://www.hauntedrooms.co.uk/haunted-places/northumberland
• https://www.higgypop.com/hauntings/bamburgh-castle/
• https://archive.org/details/aviewnorthumber00randgoog
• https://archive.org/details/ACollectionOfTheBalladsMelodiesAndSmall-pipeTunesOfNorthumbria
• https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/An_Exact_and_Circumstantial_History_of_t/-LkhAAAAMAAJ?hl=en
• https://northumberlandarchives.com/2020/06/01/the-laidley-worm-of-spindlestone-heugh/
• Balfour, M.C. (1903) The Folk-Lore Society: Relics of Popular Antiquities
• Denham, M.A. (1846-59) The Denham Tracts, Volumes I and II
• Henderson, W. (1879) Notes on the folk-lore of the Northern Counties
• Histon, V. (2001) Ghosts of Grainger Town: Further tales from Newcastle’s Darker Side. Tyne Bridge Publishing
• Northumberland County History; Vol. I. History of the King’s Works: Brown, Colvin & Taylor: H.M.S.O. 1963
• Tomlinson, Monthly Chronicle, 1891
• Whitlock, R. (1983) Here Be Dragons. George Allen & Unwin 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring - not even a mouse...

Welcome to Episode 32, the 2024 'Festive' edition of the Within the Boggart Wood podcast, with the Boggart's own rendition of "Twas a Night Before Christmas", before having a look at the 19th century author Jerome K Jerome and his issue with Christmas Eve ghosts. The podcast then delves into some 19th and early 20th century ghost stories that appeared in the press around Christmas time, before finishing with a swift look at the tradition of Christmas Cake...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all, and thanks for the support during 2024!

------------

Info

Jerome, J.K. (1891) Told After Supper. The Leadenhall Press.

https://archive.org/details/toldaftersupper00jerorich/page/n9/mode/2up

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Halloween 2024 podcast episode, which also happens to be episode 31... and due to release on the 31st October... see what I did there? Ahem, I digress - so this episode is a little different to the usual format, as it was recorded live (on the 21st October) in front of some of the podcast's Patreon 'Court of Boggarts' tier supporters, as well as with special guests Martin and Eleanor from the fantastic Three Ravens Podcast!

The episode is also a tad longer than normal, so this description should also contain chapter markers, so that you can skip to any section your heart desires...

Guest links

The Three Ravens Podcast: https://www.threeravenspodcast.com/

Walking with the Ghosts of Durham: https://www.facebook.com/andyrossghostwhisperer/?locale=en_GB

Chapter Markers

0.00.22   Introduction to the episode

0.01:21   Everyone says hello

0.06:19   Dilston Castle, Northumberland: a deep dive into the castle's history

0.31:18   Dilston Castle ghostlore

0.36:31   Paranormal investigations at Dilston

0.53:11   Guest story time

1.29:51   Outro

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 30 first takes us to the village of Brancepeth in County Durham with its tales of ghosts and porkine problems... the episode's from the archives tells of some shenanigans in Redcar at the turn of the 20th century, then we have a wander up the coast from Redcar to Middlesbrough for a look at the Grey Lady of Acklam Hall.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 29 first takes us into the Scottish Borders and Northumberland for a look at the bloodthirsty goblins known as Redcap. From there, there's a book review/recommendation of "Dirt Upon my Skin" by Steve Toase. The second tale then looks at the 17th century tale of Margaret Hooper and demonic possession in Edmundbyers before we head to Canada with this episode's from the archives tale of devillish goings-on in 1879...

"Dirt Upon My Skin" by Steve Toase, 2024, Black Shuck Books

Black Shuck Books: https://blackshuckbooks.co.uk/shadows-37/

Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/9I0mK2j

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, the podcast takes a deep-dive into the history, archaeology and ghostlore of Queen Street Masonic Hall, Sunderland, the oldest custom-built Masonic Hall still in use by Freemasons in Britain. 

Info

Lightfoot, R. (2021) Phoenix Hall, Sunderland, Archaeological Watching Brief. Archaeological Research Services report #2021/68.

Walker, I. (1999) Queen Street East Freemasons’ Hall, Sunderland Archaeological Evaluation. Tyne and Wear Museums.

Wilson, T. & Jessop, L. (2018) Lightfoot, R. (2021) Phoenix Hall, Queen Street East, Sunderland: Historic building investigation and assessment of significance. Historic England, research report series #54/2018.

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1279903

Historic Ordnance Survey maps

Historic Ordnance Survey town plans

Goad Fire Insurance plans

Rains Map of Sunderland, 1790s

Queen Street Masonic Hall website

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The episode begins at Nafferton Castle in Northumberland, and the many fates of the murderer Long Lonkin, then moves a mile to the west to the site of Nafferton New Hall, and its pesky poltergeist. 

The episode’s archives story is “A Ghost at Whitby” from the 8th December 1891’s Northern Echo. 

The closing tale is Brockie’s 1886 tale of the Dun Cow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 26 starts with a visit to the community archaeology project at Carlisle Cricket Club, the Uncovering Roman Carlisle project, with an interview with archaeologists Frank and Anna Giecco. Staying in Carlisle, the podcast then looks to the 1864 sighting of a 'ghost' in Milbourne Street, and reports from the same time at the Glasgow Necropolis. Moving from the northwest to the northeast, I think have a look at some of the ghosts and folklore in Staindrop and Raby Castle, County Durham, before finishing with an account from the Yorkshire Evening Post in 1928, discussing some of the ghostly beliefs in Teesdale and surrounding areas.

Uncovering Roman Carlisle links

Website: https://www.uncoveringromancarlisle.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thediggerscarlisle/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncovering_roman_carlisle/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.