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Daily Mirror
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Haunted village locals fear 'Hanging Schoolmaster' and 'Screaming Man' ghosts
Pluckley has been known as the most haunted village in England for more than 70 years, with locals fearing ghostly figures including the Screaming Man of the Clay Pit A university academic has uncovered the origins behind the mysterious reputation of what is often called the "most haunted" village in England. Pluckley, Kent, is said to be home to over a dozen ghosts, and for more than 70 years, it has held the title of England's spookiest village. Dr. Simon Moreton, an associate professor of creative economies at UWE Bristol, was determined to uncover how Pluckley gained such notoriety. Ghostly figures like the Hanging Schoolmaster and the Screaming Man of the Clay Pit are said to haunt the village. Through extensive archival research, including a deep dive into newspapers, birth and death records, marriage certificates, and parish documents, Dr. Moreton has traced the origins of the village's ghostly folklore. "I've been captivated by Pluckley's ghost stories since my childhood," Dr. Moreton explained. "My late father's ancestors came from the village, so this research has been both personal and professional for me. Along the way, I even discovered that one of the ghosts is a distant relative—Sarah Sharp, the Watercress Lady." Pluckley, located on the northern edge of the Weald between Maidstone and Ashford, was an Anglo-Saxon settlement and is home to several historic buildings, including a 14th-century church. The village gained wider fame in the 1990s when it served as the setting for the TV adaptation of HE Bates's novel The Darling Buds of May, starring David Jason and Pam Ferris. While the village is rumoured to be home to anywhere from 10 to 17 ghosts, its claim to being the most haunted was first made in 1950 and later bolstered by a mention in the 1989 Guinness Book of World Records. "Storytelling is a fundamental human activity, and whether or not you believe in ghosts, Pluckley's reputation shows just how fascinated we are by tales with a spooky twist," Dr. Moreton said. "What's exciting about this research is how one individual, passionate about ghost stories, managed to shape the identity of an entire village through his storytelling." Dr. Moreton's findings show that 10 of Pluckley's ghost stories were initially recorded by local man Frederick Sanders. Sanders, an avid ghost hunter, documented these tales in self-published books, letters to the local press, and ghost hunts. At least four of these ghost stories can be traced to real historical events. Sarah Sharp, who tragically died in a fire in August 1911, became known as the Watercress Woman. Mary Ann Bennett, who took her own life in 1862, became the Lady of Rose Court. Richard Bridgland, who died in an accident at the Pluckley Brick and Tile Works quarry in 1899, is remembered as the Screaming Man of the Clay Pit. Finally, Henry Edgar Martin, a papermaker who took his own life in August 1919, became known as the Hanging Schoolmaster. "The way these stories are told and retold reveals a lot about how we use the past to understand our present," Dr. Moreton said. "Local rumors take on a life of their own, personal tragedies turn into sensational gossip, and sometimes, social prejudices cloud the real lives of the people behind these stories. Ultimately, it's a reminder that real people and real places are behind these tales, and they deserve our respect." Dr. Moreton's paper, Frederick Sanders and the Origins of the Most Haunted Village in England, is published in the journal Folklore.
BBC News
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Pluckley hauntings researcher is 'distant cousin' of Kent ghost
An academic discovered he was the distant cousin of a rumoured ghost when researching the folklore of a "haunted" Moreton, a researcher at University of the West of England in Bristol, has published research on the origins of more than a dozen ghost mysteries in including the Hanging Schoolmaster and the Screaming Man of the Clay Pit first earned the Kent village its reputation as England's "most haunted" in the 1950s."My late father's ancestors came from the village, so the research has been a personal as well as a professional journey," Dr Moreton said. He added: "Over the course of the research I even discovered that one of the alleged ghosts is a distant cousin - Sarah Sharp, the Watercress Lady."Ms Sharp burned to death in August Moreton scoured newspapers, birth, marriage and death records and parish papers to piece together the origins of Pluckley's folklore. The associate professor of creative economies found 10 of the ghost stories were first recorded by local man Frederick Sanders in self-published books on ghost hunting, letters to the local press, and newspaper least four stories can be traced to real events including the Lady of Rose Court, Mary Ann Bennett, who killed herself in 1862 and the Screaming Man of the Clay Pit, Richard Bridgland, who died in a quarry accident in 1899."Storytelling is a fundamental human behaviour and, whether or not you believe in ghosts, Pluckley's reputation demonstrates how fascinated we are with tales with a spooky edge to them," Dr Moreton said."What's exciting about this research is that it's been possible to demonstrate how one person with a passion for these kinds of story was able to shape, for better or worse, the identity of a whole village through his storytelling."He added: "It reminds us there are real people and real places behind these stories, both of which deserve our respect."A mention in the 1989 Guinness Book of World Records, although not an actual award, bolstered the village's spooky also featured in the 1990s TV adaptation of HE Bates's novel The Darling Buds of May and its sequels, starring David Jason and Pam Ferris.
The Independent
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Secrets of England's ‘most haunted village' revealed in new research
An academic claims to have solved the mysteries surrounding England's "most haunted" village, Pluckley. For over 70 years, the Kent village has held the chilling title of England's scariest village, with claims of over a dozen resident ghosts. Dr. Simon Moreton, an associate professor of creative economies at the University of the West of England, delved into the village's history to uncover the source of its spooky reputation. Among the reported spirits are the Hanging Schoolmaster and the Screaming Man of the Clay Pit. Dr Moreton's extensive research, including archival materials, newspapers, vital records, and parish documents, has revealed the origins of Pluckley's ghostly folklore. 'I've been fascinated by the ghost stories of Pluckley since I was a child,' he said. 'My late father's ancestors came from the village, so the research has been a personal as well as a professional journey. 'Over the course of the research I even discovered that one of the alleged ghosts is a distant cousin – Sarah Sharp, the Watercress Lady.' Pluckley, on the northern edge of the Weald between Maidstone and Ashford, was an Anglo-Saxon settlement and boasts several historic buildings including a 14th century church. It found fame in the 1990s as the setting for the hit TV adaptation of HE Bates's novel The Darling Buds of May and its sequels, starring David Jason and Pam Ferris. The village is rumoured to be home to anything between 10 and 17 ghosts. The most haunted title was first given to the village in 1950 and bolstered by a mention – although not an actual award – in the 1989 Guinness Book of World Records. 'Storytelling is a fundamental human behaviour and whether or not you believe in ghosts, Pluckley's reputation demonstrates how fascinated we are with tales with a spooky edge to them,' Dr Moreton said. 'What's exciting about this research is that it's been possible to demonstrate how one person with a passion for these kinds of story was able to shape – for better or worse – the identity of a whole village through his storytelling.' Dr Moreton's research has discovered that 10 of Pluckley's ghost stories were first recorded by local man Frederick Sanders in self-published books on ghost hunting, letters to the local press, newspaper articles and ghost hunts. At least four ghost stories can be traced to real events. Sarah Sharp, who burned to death in August 1911, is remembered as the Watercress Woman, while Mary Ann Bennett killed herself in 1862 and is remembered as the Lady of Rose Court. Richard Bridgland died in an accident at the Pluckley Brick and Tile Works quarry in January 1899, and is remembered as the Screaming Man of the Clay Pit, while the Hanging Schoolmaster was a papermaker named Henry Edgar Martin who killed himself in August 1919. 'The way these stories get told and retold can tell us a great deal about how we use the past to understand ourselves and the places we live,' said Dr Moreton. 'Local rumours take on a life of their own. Personal tragedies become salacious gossip, and sometimes social prejudices obscure the real lived experiences of the people the stories relate to. 'Finally, it reminds us there are real people and real places behind these stories, both of which deserve our respect.'
