If you’ve been a reader of my blog here for any length of time you’ll know I enjoy going out looking for ghosts. And you’ll also know I’m yet to capture anything substantial on film. Well, dear reader, our visit to St. John the Baptist Church near Lymington yesterday didn’t give me the concrete proof of life after death either. In fact, I hardly took any photos because I’d left my SD card at home and my camera has hardly any internal memory.
It’s a beautiful church which dates from 1087. However, there are 3 Saracen stones (like Stonehenge) used in the foundations of the building which indicate it was used as a place of worship since about 2000 BCE. This ties in quite nicely with my article over at Pagan Pages. The location is also not typical of churches because it’s on a hill and miles away from the village.
What brought us to the church were sightings, none all too recent though, of ghostly figures around and in the church. There have been several accounts of soldiers marching into the church and a parisioner, Mr. Alexander, witnessed 2 archers in medieval tunics kneeling by the altar one evening at dusk.
Did any of these appear for us? Nope. The altar was particularly free of ghosts:
There were little patches of strange energy throughout the church. One spot in particular got my attention but the lady doing the flowers kept popping in and Tabitha decided she’d like to practice her stomping. Never mind.
With the church being in the middle of the New Forest it was a pleasure to take a stroll around the churchyard. There is a history of smuggling attached to the church too with it being used for bootleg storage in the 1600s. One of the tombs was also used to store loot!
Tabitha was fascinated with this one armed angel amongst the bluebells:
And this is the headstone of a little girl who died in the 1930s aged 8 1/2. Someone still loves her enough to give her silk flowers to hold. So sad.
Great site for ghost hunting – - just sorry you didn't get one of the archers at the altar!
.-= Nancy´s last blog ..Space Themed Tarot Images =-.
OK- just my humble opinion- I've seen ghosts, but never in a graveyard! I think they attach to people or places. My son visited me and my mother both (as an orb for me, playing a music box for my mom). Two houses I lived in had ghostly occurences, both of them where the guys died (old age, and the other suicide). My ex-father in law sang to my son the day he died- he came back that night and sang to my three year old "rock abye baby"- I know because my son told me. I've dreamt dreams that I know my son was in.
I watch ghost hunters, because I feel they are the most reputable paranormal people out there. They went into the Winchester mansion and saw nothing. I saw a wavy air wall- but was it a ghost? who knows.
I think, though graveyards are gorgeous and eerie- you should start exploring houses. Didn't you go to an inn near avebury? The red lion inn? It is supposed to be haunted. Just sort of remembering a tour book I read when I dreamed that someday I'd have money to go to England.
But, I also think that you'll find ghosts when you least expect it. I have tons of orbs in photos of my best friend's son's baptism (both grandpas died a bit before). We went to a wedding and looked up and saw only our fan in the church was spinning on it's own. We went to John Edward and what he said was reallllly on point. I find little messages to me in the form of stars when I think of my son (a star bead in freshly fallen snow).
Though- I dont want you to stop going to graveyards because I love your pictures!
I agree with you actually. Most of the graveyards we visit are so peaceful and have a very serene vibe to them – I think the ghosts there, if there are any, are probably having a doze
For the amount of churches and cemeteries here not too many have ghost stories attached to them.. It's quite a gem to find ones with ghosts (having said that Florence Nightingale is reportedly seen in another church in the New Forest). As you can tell by our approach, which doesn't even border amateur paranormal investigator i.e. we pack a camera, a set of dowsing rods and a toddler, our chances of finding anything is slim. But it's fun and you never know 
I got a heap of books out on haunted Hampshire (our county) and I want to work through each place. We've already gone to quite a few including our local castle, Portchester, which is haunted. Castles are a great place to go hunting – haven't found one yet that didn't have at least one ghost tale attached! Old pubs too, and you're right, we did go to the Red Lion.
My own ghostly experiences, like you, have been more personal. I grew up in a house that had a ghost – never saw it but at night I could hear heavy breathing in my ear but no one was there. My brother had the same experience and my Dad would often hear footsteps along the hall. Then I moved into a house that never really felt right – I saw orbs, black shadows and my now ex swore he saw someone go up the stairs.
Then I moved into a Victorian house and the doors would open by themselves. Usually just the living room door which would swing open with force. Scared the life out of me more than once! This house has plenty of weird things happen too but I don't think we have a resident ghost – just lots of visitors.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, especially about your son. Those dreams are so precious.
Great site for ghost hunting – - just sorry you didn't get one of the archers at the altar!
.-= Nancy´s last blog ..Space Themed Tarot Images =-.
arkansas for chaffey we was going through a old building that was a hosptial for the war many many years ago as i walked through it i seen ghose and i here voices , i had to hold to the walls of this building that was about to fall in . the floors was not safe to walk in a even seen a snake as big aound as my leg , it was kinda creepy but i wanted to share that
happy throughts