by
Published by Richard Webb
Publication date October 2006
Hardback 249x169mm
Illustrated (b&w)
128 pages
Dartmouth has retained many of its ancient buildings and heritage, and still enjoys much of the atmosphere of a small Devonshire community, which may explain why it appears to be one of Britain's most haunted towns.
Scores of hauntings and other paranormal phenomena are featured in this book, which includes stories from the market town's hinterland - approximately bounded by Kingswear, Cornworthy, Halwell, East Allington and Torcross, and incorporates the parishes of Blackawton, Dittisham, Stoke Flemming, and Strete.
Ghost stories are usually passed-on by word of mouth, and are rarely remembered in detail, allowing many tales to grow in the telling! By talking to eye-witnesses and recording their experiences, I aim to help preserve this important part of Dartmouth's multi-layered history and folklore, publishing as many experiences, contemporary and traditional, as possible.
Although many unusual experiences can be explained in perfectly natural ways, other incidents strongly suggest the existence of mysteries that science has yet to fathom.
Some hauntings have taken place in homes whose privacy deserves to be protected, but many have occurred in buildings with public access, and there are even tales of some particularly strange phenomena in open countryside.
13 years after Dartmouth Ghosts & Mysteries was published, Christine Donnelly has written a new collection of stories in The Ghosts of Dartmouth (edited by Ken Taylor).
Dartmouth hauntings include...
Agincourt House
The Butterwalk
The Cherub
Longcross Cemetery
Mount Boone
The Royal Castle Hotel
The Spinning Wheel Tea Rooms
St Clement's Church
St Saviours Church
Phenomena include...
Ghosts
Poltergeists
UFOs
Ley Lines
Witches
Sea Serpents
Spirit of the Dart
Spring Heeled Jack
King Arthur
"Ken Taylor's detailed study... is written with integrity, open-mindedness, deep respect for the people whose stories it contains, and a scholarly approach to previously published sources. This is an excellent book."
Bob Mann (founder and proprietor of Longmarsh Press)
"This fascinating book is a brilliantly researched look into the paranormal in Dartmouth and is full of eye witness accounts of ordinary people with extraordinary tales of ghostly encounters. Whether you are just interested in the paranormal in general or you are a seasoned investigatror, Dartmouth Ghosts & Mysteries is definitely a book you will want to read." Rating **** (out of four stars)
Wend Isaacs (Bristol Society for Paranormal Research and Investigation)
"Taylor firmly reinforces his right to be recognised as an influential researcher and commentator in the field of the paranormal. [He] embraces his subject matter with passion, curiosity and dedication, as illustrated in every tale he has to tell."
Nicky Sewell, Paranormal Site Investigators
Text © Ken Taylor 2004 - 2019
Book illustrations courtesy of Richard Webb
