The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Heligan
Pentewan
St Austell
Cornwall PL26 6EN

History

These gardens have belonged to the Tremayne family for over 400 years and are considered to be one of England’s most mysterious estates.

Decades of neglect and the devastating hurricane of 1990 should have spelled the end for these gardens but the discovery of a hidden room, buried under fallen masonry for years in the corner of one of the walled gardens, led to the resurrection of these once beautiful gardens. A motto etched into the limestone walls in barely legible pencil still reads “Don’t come here to sleep or slumber” with the names of those who worked there signed under the date – August 1914.

Paranormal Activity

Former gardeners have reported feeling uneasy and even downright terrified in certain areas of the garden. The rockery and fruit store are said to be the most active of areas with workers preferring to work in pairs in these areas. Many of the gardeners also refuse to lock up the garden alone at night.

Owner Tim Smit often talks of the seriousness of the ghosts at Heligan with staff deeply disturbed by the enveloping black mood of the place so much so that even an exorcism has been performed at the gardens.

Some believe that the sudden restoration of the place has led to the presence of its garden’s ghosts.

National Maritime Museum

Romney Road
Greenwich
London SE10 9NF

History

The museum is formed by the Queen’s House and two separate wings by colonnades and was first opened in 1937 as an extension to the Naval Asylum School, although the building dates back to as early as 1807. The museum is now home to a vast collection of exhibitions about mankind’s association with the sea.

Paranormal Activity

This museum is famous for possibly one of the most famous ghost photographs, taken by the Rev. and Mrs. Hardy from Canada in 1966, of the Tulip Staircase ghost, a shrouded figure who can be seen ascending the stairs.

The museum is also home to that of a ghost of a lady dressed in an all white period costume near Blackheath Avenue. Metal pans have also been heard moving about in the Tea Rooms.

Greenwich Theatre

Crooms Hill
London
SE10 8ES

History

Greenwich Theatre was originally known as the Rose and Crown Music Hall but in 1871 was refurbished by its new owner Charles Crowder and renamed to Crowders Music Hall. Since then the theatre has often been renamed, becoming known as the Temple of Varieties, the Royal Borough of Varieties before eventually being rebuilt and renamed the Parthenon Theatre of Varieties. The original façade with this name can still be seen today on the side of the theatre. 1902 saw Samuel and Daniel Barnard take over and renaming the theatre to the Greenwich Hippodrome Picture Palace showing a mix of film and live performances.

During the Second World War an incendiary bomb crashed through the roof into the auditorium and sadly the theatre was closed and remained empty until 1962 when it was bought for demolition by Greenwich Council but was saved by local donations to rebuild the theatre. The theatre finally re-opened in 1969 and by 1997 had been home to several West End transfers including Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Intimate Exchanges’, Noel Coward’s ‘Private Lives’, Michael Frayn’s ‘Three Sisters’ and John Webster’s ‘The Duchess of Malfi’.

The theatre did briefly close during the 1990’s but was reopened again in 1999 under new direction.

Paranormal Activity

A white apparition is said to haunt this theatre and is believed to be that of an actress from the early 1900s and has been seen gliding through the restaurant below stage. It is said that her head and upper torso are not visible.