- Clapham Wood Mystery
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Clapham Wood Classification Grouping Mysterious Location Description Country England Region West Sussex Coordinates 50°50′46.7″N 0°26′48.1″W / 50.846306°N 0.446694°W Terrain Woodland Owner Public Land Status Local Lore The Clapham Wood Mystery is the name given to a collection of unusual events which are associated with Clapham Wood, West Sussex, England, resulting in the area developing its own lore in popular culture.[1][2] Events have included reports of people making unusual sightings or experiencing unusual phenomena, and of family pets disappearing or sickening.[2] There have also been several human deaths associated with the location.[2]
Contents
Strange experiences
Since the 1960s the area has experienced a rash of UFO sightings, reports of people experiencing nausea or the sensation of being pushed by unseen forces, or of witnessing patches of strange grey mist developing suddenly on pathways through the woods. Some people have also reported a strong sense of being followed. Studies with a Geiger counter have revealed slightly elevated levels of background radiation in the area, which is surprising since the area is situated on chalk which is normally low in radiation due to a lower level of Potassium 40.[1][2] Early photographs of the area appear to show a large crater or depression within the woods, although the area is now more heavily forested and difficult to search.
Animal disappearances
In 1975, several reports, including some in the national press, were made of pets going missing in the area. Initially, two dogs were said to have disappeared without a trace, a third to have vanished but later reappeared suffering from an unidentified illness for which it had to be euthanised.[2] After news of these three cases became public, other dog owners came forward claiming that their pets had experienced agitation in the woods. A dog from a family of 8 Americans went missing in March 2011 and was later found dead with horrible marks and looked as if it was slaughtered.
Human deaths
Four deaths have occurred either in or close to the woods and have since become part of the lore surrounding it.[2] The first death was in June 1972 when police officer Peter Goldsmith disappeared while hiking in the region. His body was discovered 6 months later.[2] The second death was that of Leon Foster whose body was discovered in August 1975. He had been missing for 3 weeks.[2] The third death was of Reverend Harry Neil Snelling, the former vicar of Clapham. He disappeared in October 1978 and his body was not found until 3 years later.[2] English coroners ruled open verdicts in all three cases. In September 1981, Jillian Matthews and Liam Burgess - a homeless couple schizophrenic - disappeared. Their bodies were discovered 6 weeks later. Burgess had been strangled and sexually assaulted, whilst his wife, Jillian, had been stabbed to death.[2] Police began looking at all five deaths as murders, and eventually Tim Withers was arrested, found guilty in all five cases, and jailed. [2]
Cult activity
In their 1987 book The Demonic Connection Toyne Newton, Charles Walker and Alan Brown claimed that Clapham Wood had been used by a satanic cult called the Friends of Hecate (FoH). Part of the book dealt with an incident in 1978 when Charles Walker is said to have been contacted by an initiate of the group, who claimed that it was responsible for the sacrificial slaughter of dogs and other animals. The man said that the FoH planned to use the wood for at least another decade before finding other locations, and he claimed that people in high places were involved, and would tolerate no interference in the group's activities. Walker claimed that the cult was later forced to leave the area due to a combination of press attention and a storm, known as the Great Storm of 1987, which damaged large tracts of the wood the year that the book was published.[1][2] Journalist Will Storr investigated cult activity in his book Will Storr Vs The Supernatural, but did not find any conclusive evidence beyond testament of odd campfires objects and unfriendly locals.
References
- ^ a b c Robins, Danny "Danny Robins Investigates: Episode 2 - The Mystery Of Clapham Wood", Channel 4 Radio, Channel 4
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Brownlow, Nick (2005) "Fortean Traveller: Clapham Wood", Fortean Times
External links
Categories:- Paranormal
- Culture in West Sussex
- UFO-related locations
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