Paranormal Sightings in Surrey

Ghosts of girls, donkey and bus - paranormal sightings in Surrey!

To celebrate everything ghostly and ghoulish we take a look at some of the reported paranormal activities in Surrey over the years.

The ghost of a vengeful donkey, a girl who haunts a car park and the slaying of a dragon are among the paranormal sightings reportedly seen in and around Guildford.

The events which happened as recently as 2012 feature on a paranormal database, with 10,509 sightings recorded across Britain and Ireland.

Ghosts are seen most, complemented by appearances of vampires, werewolves and even a legend about the slaying of a dragon in West Clandon.

Guildford town centre appears repeatedly on the database including a report from the 1960s of a tall girl with grey eyes and grey clothes haunting an unnamed carpark in the town centre, plus a Victorian woman seen walking around Guildford Castle.

Owner of Guildford Ghost Tour, Philip Hutchinson, believes ghost stories are important for preserving traditions and a town’s history – even if some of it may be based on legend.

Mr Hutchinson said: “The most famous stories are the sightings at the Angel Hotel in Guildford which is meant to have lots of ghosts.

“Nuns have been seen walking down staircases, voices have been heard calling names and guests have even claimed their bedroom walls have closed in on them.

“One prominent story from the 1970s is the sighting of a 19th century Eastern European soldier who stared at a couple out of their room’s mirror for 20 minutes.

“He remained within the mirror staring at them for so long the husband actually sketched a picture of the ghost.”

The tour guide claims that the most haunted building in Guildford is not the Angel Hotel but the Kings Head pub on Quarry Street.

“Dogs have been known to bark at one particular spot which used to be an old doorway which is now blocked up," he told Get Surrey. “An old woman has been seen standing watching people in the pub and a young girl in white skips through the pub on occasion too.”

The sightings are not confined to old town centre buildings.

A woman dressed all in white was spotted at the roadside on the A31 Hog’s Back road to Guildford plus the repeated appearance of a horse-drawn box carriage and a motorcycle.

In 1995, a man driving along the A324 towards Pirbright said he drove past a 1920s red double-decker bus, which made no sound or wind turbulence generated as their paths crossed.

The driver later identified it as a 1920’s Dennis J Type of the Aldershot and District bus company.

The ghostly forms of animals have been known to wander around Surrey too, with a cryptozoology sighting of a donkey repeatedly seen in the area around the Donkey pub in Tilford.

Ghost enthusiast Philip Hutchinson said his favourite story was only told to him recently by a customer on one of his ghost tours.

“This lady told me about when she camped on St Catherine’s Hill with friends in the 1970s.

“A steam train went past them and people leant out of the window shouting at them to get off the line but steam trains did not run on that line in the 1970s and I also immediately thought of any accident which occurred in the 1890s.

“A steam train hit a cow on the line and many people on board were killed.

“The lady was unaware of this story so my guess is that it was related to the crash at Peasmarsh as the line went past the hill.”

Mr Hutchinson says he will always remain cynical and will only tell stories he not only believes in but the person who tells him about it seems sincere.

The Guildford Ghost Tour will have a special Halloween event on Friday (October 31). Tickets cost £5 for adults and £4 for concessions with all those wishing to attend needing to meet outside the Holy Trinity Church just before 8pm.

Paranormal sightings:

A31 Hogs Back, Guildford bound (02/01/07)

A driver watched a horse-drawn box carriage cross the road around 100m in front of him. The witness reported that he could not make out too many details as it was raining hard, though he was able to see a dim lantern towards the front of the carriage. As the driver reached the spot where he had seen the vehicle pass, he realised there was no side road where the coach and horses could have crossed.

A31 Hogs Back, Guildford bound (1960s)

A driver spotted a female figure with long hair, wearing a white dress, standing by the roadside. The witness stopped to see if she was lost or needed a lift, but she had vanished.

A324 towards Pirbright (1995)

A driver said he drove past a 1920s red double-decker bus however, no sound came from the bus, and there was no smell of exhaust or wind turbulence generated as their paths crossed. He later identified it as a 1920’s Dennis J Type of the Aldershot and District bus company.

Ash (1938)

The rector at the Ash Rectory wrote that he had been awoken by the sounds of galloping, and opened his eyes just in time to see a phantom coach and a team of horses pass through his bedroom. It was said that the phantom occurrence had also been experienced by previous rectors, and that the rectory was built on top of an old road.

Ash Green (1930s)

An old man in green appeared at Ash Manor in one of the bedrooms and is said to have looked real, though when a witness tried to grab him, he passed through the figure. Described as short, and looking like a tramp, the ghost had what appeared to be a slashed throat. The nearby fields are haunted by the sounds of galloping horses.

Box Hill (Repeated sightings)

Major Peter Labelliere died in 1800 and, following his own request, was buried upside near the summit of the hill. Even though his dying wish was carried out, this has not prevented Labelliere from roaming the area near his grave. A ghostly horse and rider have also been reported.

Bramley (Unknown)

In a former antique shop on the High Street a phantom girl is said to stand in a former doorway out the front which is now sealed up.

Bramley (Unknown)

A crossroads near to the Chinhurst Woods is supposedly haunted by an old female gypsy and her aging mare.

A3 Burpham (01/12/02)

Police were called to the scene after several motorists watched a car crash off the road but they discovered not a fresh accident, but one that had occurred five months previous. The car was in a ditch, making it impossible to see from the road, and the skeletal remains of the driver were recovered.

Cranleigh (Unknown)

A headless Thomas More is said to drift near to Baynard’s Park. After being executed in 1535, Sir Thomas had his head hidden at Baynard Hall until the heat died down but, still not happy, he drifts without the object in the nearby park.

Dunsfold Aerodrome, Cranleigh (2006)

Workers on the 007 film Casino Royale reported seeing the ghost of a woman moving along the aisles of a 747 they used as a set. It is believed the phantom is of a female passenger who died from a heart attack at least thirty years previous.

58 - 60 West Street, Dorking (Unknown)

William Mullins took his wife and child across to the Americas on the Mayflower, however they died soon after. It is believed he now haunts his old home. 

Dorking (Unknown)

A decapitated rider on horseback follows a road that no longer exists through a graveyard where the figure crosses the gravestones and vanishes through a hedge.

Pippbrook House, Dorking (Unknown)

The ghost of a woman wearing a long grey dress is reputed to haunt the staircase in Dorking library, while a phantom butler has also been reported.

Polesden Lacey, Dorking (1980s)

The original house no longer stands, but ghosts such as an apparition of a whirlwind have been seen in the grounds as well as a figure dressed in a brown robe and hood.

White Horse Hotel, Dorking (Unknown)

The ghost of the ninth Duke of Norfolk remains in the inn rumoured to be too drunk to depart the land of the living.

King’s Arms Royal Hotel, Godalming (Unknown)

The sound of boots and clothing being removed in a bedroom in the early hours of the morning.

Westbrook Place, Godalming (Unknown)

Figure dressed in a cloak only seen by moon light.

Great Bookham (03/08/10)

A shaggy brown creature was seen in the middle of a track between Polesden Lane and Admiral Walk. The blurry ’Shuck’ was around a metre high, very shaggy looking and had brown fur then vanished.

High Street, Guildford (Unknown)

In one of the buildings echoing footsteps, slowly traversing the first floor, can be heard by people on the ground, though no one can be found when the area is searched.

Angel Hotel, Guildford (01/01/70)

The spirit of a nineteenth century military man was seen gazing back at two witnesses as they looked into a mirror in room one.

Guildford Castle, Guildford (Unknown)

A Victorian woman see walking around the grounds of the castle who is rumoured to not realise she is dead. Other ghostly figures have been seen around the castle.

Losely House, Guildford (Unknown)

Woman in brown seen repeatedly on or near the staircase of the old house, often staring with wide black eyes but many have said they felt unthreatened by her.

Guildford (1700s)

Christopher Slaughterford was hanged in 1709 for murdering his girlfriend though he said he was not guilty. This was the last public hanging in Guildford and his ghost was reportedly seen years later with a roper dangling from his neck, burning torch in hand and screaming ‘vengeance!’

Sutton Place, Guildford (1900s)

The sounds of furniture being smashed can be heard here, though investigations can never find anything broken. Glimpses of a woman in white have been reported by staff, though she quickly vanishes.

Guildford (1969)

A car park was built on the site of a house where a Quaker’s daughter died. The workmen briefly saw her before she faded away.

Guildford (Unknown)

Shadows of three women supposedly killed for the crime of witchcraft.

Car park, Guildford (1960s)

A tall girl with grey eyes and long grey clothing is said to haunt a car park in the town.

Hindhead Close, Devil’s Punchbowl (24/09/71)

A man spotted a figure in tattered clothing staggered across the beam of the car’s headlights and disappeared into the punchbowl. The witness later returned to the area and found a memorial stone to the unknown sailor, who was murdered in the area in September 1786.

Devil’s Punchbowl (Unknown)

One legend says that the punchbowl was created after the Devil leapt into Surrey to avoid sunrise. Another story says Old Nick accidentally created the punchbowl while throwing clods of earth at Thor, while a third tale states that the Isle of Wight was created after a giant scooped out the punchbowl and threw the earth at a rival (who he missed).

Leatherhead (1950s)

A spectral figure of a monk wearing what appears to be long brown sackcloth has been seen by staff at the St Mary and St Nicholas church.

Leatherhead (1930/1)

A tall phantom woman was seen by several drivers as she stood in the middle of the road. She would vanish a few seconds later. One speeding truck driver was convinced he had hit and killed a real woman, until he stopped and searched the area for a body - there was none. A few months later, this woman was replaced by a ghostly nurse who lay sprawled out in the road. As with the previous phantom, she would disappear a few seconds after being seen.

Leith Hill (Unknown) 

The site of a battle where the Saxons engaged the Danes is said to be haunted by matching soldiers from both camps.

A3, Milford (06/11/10)

An off duty police officer driving home was forced to brake and swerve to avoid an oncoming motorcycle on the wrong side of the road. Seconds after stopping the driver looked into his mirrors but there was nothing to be seen. The driver also remembered looking to the right as he swerved, seeing the headlight from the side but the rest of the bike was not visible.

Hound House, Peaslake (1900s)

A friendly little ghost was often seen sitting around the kitchen and former servants' quarters.

White Hart, Pirbright (1963)

This figure, seen briefly in a bedroom before it vanished, was described as dark and hairy, with a black hat.

Boughton Hall, Send (Unknown)

A phantom old man walks the upper parts of the building while smoking a pipe. It is more likely that the smell of smoke be perceived than the apparition.

Silent Pool, Shere (Unknown) 

A woman is said to have drowned after swimming out too far to see Prince John. Her naked ghost has been seen there.

Tilford (Unknown)

The area around the Donkey pub and inn is haunted by a donkey that was beaten to death by its owner.

Waverley Abbey (Unknown)

A Cardinal has been seen on a number of occasions in the old dining hall. It is believed that he could stand guard over a hoard of hidden treasure.

West Clandon (Unknown)

Woman dressed in satin seen at Clandon House walking the grounds and sometimes through the house. A male ghost also haunts the area, recognised by his overgrown facial hair.

West Clandon (Unknown)

A dragon which was giving the locals a hard time was killed by an ex-soldier and his dog, the dog leapt onto the creature’s face, while the man decapitated it.

West Clandon (1896)

The ghost of Elizabeth Knight, the demented wife of a former owner of the park, was seen by twenty people running across the grass waving a knife in the air. When they shot at her, the figure vanished through a nearby brick wall. The presence has also been observed in the house, though much calmer in nature.

CREDITS - Get Surrey