The Ghosts of Brockley Combe
With several ghost sightings in the area, Brockley Combe is believed to be one of the most haunted places in England. Located to the southwest of Bristol, the combe is a picturesque and beautiful place during the day; however, at night there is a distinctly otherworldly atmosphere…
The apparition of a terrified old woman has been seen in the woods of Brockley Combe. The ghost is believed to be that of Dinah Swan, a 90-year-old woman who supposedly died of fright in 1833 after ruffians broke into her home. The body of the elderly woman was found at her home and several of her belongings were missing. Her ghost was last seen in 1940 by a woman from Weston-super-Mare. Dinah’s spirit apparently appears around midnight and is said to bring misfortune to those who witness it.
A ghost trainer has been seen on at least three separate occasions. The first to see this spectacular manifestation were a group of gypsies who were residing in the forest at the time. The carriage was a hearse-shaped vehicle drawn by four horses, and according to them, its driver also appeared to be headless! The second sighting was by a skeptical fellow who, having heard that Brockley Combe was haunted, decided to investigate for himself. After running away from a soccer party he had a previous encounter with after meeting in the woods, the man encountered the supernatural coach and subsequently reassessed his former skepticism. Another person who witnessed the ghost coach was a cyclist who was very nervous when the spectral vehicle materialized out of nowhere and apparently ran right through him!
The doomed spirit of an evil parson has been observed prowling a path through the combe. Supposedly, the specter is that of a man named John Hibbetson who in 1776 witnessed a serious fall of Chelvey’s squire, James Stevens, and subsequently nursed him back to health. However, as soon as Hibbetson gained favor with James, and the squire amended his will so that the parson would inherit a substantial amount of his fortune, Hibbetson promptly murdered him. John Hibbetson was also rumored to practice devil worship and it is said that, upon his death, a terrifying beast was seen entering the parson’s dwelling to claim his soul.
Other ghosts are said to haunt Brockley Combe. These include a ghost known as the Bounding Ghost, who is apparently a slender figure that leaps silently along a path through the woods. An apparition known as Phantom Girl is believed to be that of a young woman who, according to legend, committed suicide by jumping from one of the combe’s crags after a love affair ended in tragedy. A specter known simply as the Ghost Man has occasionally been seen in the woods by various witnesses. The mysterious figure is cloaked in black and stands at the foot of one of the trees.
St Nicholas’ Church in the village of Brockley is said to be haunted by an apparition known as the Little Lady in Brown. The spirit is believed to be that of a former cleaner who died around 1900. Several visitors to St. Nicholas have witnessed the ghost in the aisle and sacristy of the church. Renowned ghost hunter Elliott O’Donnell held an all-night vigil at the church in the 1940s, but was unable to witness the Little Brown Lady, though he did report strange whispering and footsteps whose source could not be identified. .
The combe is also home to Brockley Court, a former manor house where a royal ghost was apparently photographed. Elliott O’Donnell visited Brockley Court on several occasions and concluded that he was indeed highly haunted. Accompanied by a variety of acquaintances, O’Donnell oversaw a series of nightly vigils at the house where he witnessed a variety of supernatural phenomena. However, perhaps the scariest was the ghost of a monk. One of O’Donnell’s companions was startled when a monastic figure with a hideous skull face suddenly leapt down the stairs towards him. This apparition had a second appearance in a chamber dubbed the “haunted room” and was subsequently photographed by another of O’Donnell’s acquaintances. When the film was revealed, he was showing the face of an evil looking monk…