Spirits of child killer and murdered monk stalk most haunted holiday hotspots

Schools are out for summerand ghosts are abroad to spook holidaymakers!

Millions of Brits are opting for staycations this year, with polling by YouGov showing an increasing trend of short-haul trips and getaways within the UK instead of foreign jaunts. Research has also found that a quarter of those planning to go away have swapped a holiday abroad for a UK break thanks to rising fuel prices.

And within the UK, Cornwall is regularly named as a No1 UK destination. But could you end up having a spooky encounter on a trip to the vacation hotspot? Here we reveal that the idyllic county, famed for its sun, sea and thrills, is also home to some supernatural chills

An inn-spectre calls

Where: Jamaica Inn, Bolventor

Located in a lonely spot on Bodmin Moor, the Jamaica Inn was once a notorious 18 th century smugglers den. Their exploits were fictionalised in Daphne du Mauriers novel of the same name.

One of the main ghosts to be sighted is spectre in a tricorn hat and cloak which walks through doors.

Strange sounds, from whispered conversations in foreign languages to mysterious crying babies, have also been heard on the premises, along with the clatter of hooves outside from phantom steeds.

Another ghost seen by visitors and staff is of a man wearing a World War Two US air force uniform who comes into the bar, before suddenly vanishing.

Freaky fort

Where: Pengersick Castle, Praa Sands

This fortified manor house, dating back to the 16 th century, appears to be teeming with ghouls up to 20 different ones have been reported.

These include a wandering ghostly monk, believed to have been victim of its early, violent owner Henry Pengersick. A woman who appears in a bedroom looking out of a window and then lies down on the bed moaning has also been witnessed. Its thought she is the restless spirit of Henrys wife.

Other phantoms include a ghostly cat, nicknamed Alexander, which still chases rats around the grounds. Strange orbs have been filmed floating there too.

Petrifying pints

Where: The Bucket of Blood, Phillack

Britains most terrifyingly-named pub gets its moniker from a gruesome story.

Legend has it that back in the 18 th century the landlord went to draw up a bucket of water from the well, but pulled up one full of blood instead.

On further investigation the body of a mutilated excise man, thought to have been killed by smugglers, was found at the bottom.

Its said his spirit still lingers at the boozer. Punters report phantom hands pushing them, while staff find furniture mysteriously rearranged.

Frighten-tin time

Where: Poldark Mine, Helston

The old tin mine was re-named after the classic TV series Poldark, rebooted with Aidan Turner, when it became a tourist attraction in the 1970s.

Back in its time as a working mine many of the men and boys employed there lost their lives in accidents.

Disembodied cries and voices have been reported coming from the old tunnels, while one group of paranormal researchers claimed to have recorded a barrage of swearing from the ghost a dead miner.

Jinxed jail

Where : Bodmin Jail

The apparition of a child killer is believed to haunt the gloomy ruined prison, which dates to 1779.

Visitors have spotted the vision of a sobbing lady in a long dress who tries to reach out to kids.

Many believe its the spirit of Selina Wadge, a single mother who was executed there in 1878 for murdering her own son.

She claimed to have been encouraged to commit the crime by her lover James Westwood whod said he would marry her if the boy was out of the way. He denied it.

House of horror

Where: Prideaux Place, Padstow

Home to the Prideux family for 400 years, the 16 th century stately pile was once home to Honor Fortescue.

Shes said to have thrown herself from an upstairs window after the death of her husband Humphrey.

Today her phantom, dubbed The Green Lady, has been known to suddenly appear, scaring visitors from their rooms. One electrician working at the house fled in terror on encountering the wraith.

Weird woods

Where: Kennal Vale, Falmouth

This picturesque, wooded valley hides a dark secret. It was once the site of a huge gunpowder works and the ruins of some of the buildings can still be seen today.

Among them a ghostly figure lurks. This is reckoned to be the wandering spirit of William Dunstan who was killed in an explosion that rocked the works in 1838. Tragically, he left behind a widow and ten children.

Oddly, in the nearby village of Mawnan, in 1976, two girls encountered a bizarre Owlman creature.

Creepy cove

Where: Gunwalloe Church Cove

In 2018, while looking back at some photos of a trip to the seaside spot in 2005, Warren Smith noticed an unexplained ghostly figure in the background of one of his snaps. The apparition in the churchyard appears to be wearing a bowler hat.

Chillingly, in 2020, couple Craig Thomas and Holly Leech, noticed a ghostly face gazing out behind them from a selfie theyd taken near the same spot.

Excalib-aagh!

Where: Tintagel Castle

The dramatic ruins set on a rocky seaside cliff are, so the story goes, where King Arthur was born.

But its not the ghost of the fabled folk hero, who wielded the mythical sword Excalibur, that is associated with the place, but another character from Arthurian legend, Merlin.

Its said the wizard can sometimes still be glimpsed living in a cave underneath the castle, still babbling spells in a strange lingo.

Beast of Bodmin

Where: Bodmin Moor

Perhaps most infamous of all is the panther-like creature with glowing eyes prowling the eerie expanses of the moor.

Sightings of a big cat in the area date back to the 1970s and there have been more than 60 accounts, some with photos emerging of the shadowy predator, suggesting it measures five foot in length.

These sparked an official government investigation in 1995 which found no evidence for the beast but also admitted that the study could not prove it didnt exist!

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