The Folklore of Warwickshire

A 17th century Cavalier on horseback with a skull for a face. One of Gustave Dore's.

Sir George Blount, of Kinlet, #Shropshire, was so angry at his daughter marrying a man he disliked, he vowed to haunt her after his death. And he did so, on one occasion charging into the Hall on his spectral horse and riding across the table when the family were at dinner.
#PhantomsFriday #folklore

Thank you😊

Brome left instructions in his will to be buried in this spot.
📷 – by me. Brome’s grave inside the church of St Michael

Brome's tombstone, a plain square with 'Nicholas Brome 1517' written on it, set in the floor of St Michael's church.

Nicholas Brome, reputed to haunt Baddesley Clinton moated manor, rebuilt parts of the local church to obtain a pardon for slicing a priest in two. As further penance, Brome is buried at the entrance of the church so that people tread on him when entering.
#PhantomsFriday

Not yet. One on my 'to watch' list tho.

Source: Donald McCormick, ‘Murder by Witchcraft’
📷 by me

Distant shot of Meon Hill under brooding skies

The 2nd of this week's mysterious hounds:
One evening, while Inspector Fabian was investigating the alleged “witchcraft” murder of Charles Walton on Meon Hill, Feb 14, 1945, a large lone black dog ran silently past him. Another dog was found hanging in a hedge near the death site.

Wake up call for #PhantomsFriday tomorrow. Feel free to join the feed using that hashtag to post all things #ghost: words, pictures, #folklore, haunted locations etc etc. Looking forward to feeling your unearthly presence then.

Source: F.W. Bennett, Tiddyoody Pie (1930)

📷 by me. Dog on effigy tomb in the church of St Giles, Chesterton

Dog sleeping by its master's side on effigy tomb in the church of St Giles, Chesterton

This week's dog theme begins with a real rather than phantom pooch. Folklorist FW Bennett heard a witch predict that his grandfather would die in 5 days. When asked how she knew, she said that her dog told her by its howls. Bennett’s grandfather died at 9am on the 5th day.

📷 by me

Small fairy sitting under ceramic toadstool on a lawn with daisies

An Elf & Safety Warning for anyone out for a Sunday walk in Warwickshire:
If you’re tempted to run round a fairy ring for good luck, only do it 8 times. Run round 9 times or more and extremely bad luck will follow.
#FolkloreSunday

📷 by me

📷 by me

2nd Hound Dog of the month is from WWII when a large dog ran across the bare earth of a garden in Snitterfield but left no footprints.

Is there a connection to a separate occasion when the home owners saw an oval-shaped "ectoplasm" float in the parlour of what was a former inn?
#PhantomsFriday

🍄🌕🍄It was said that if you ran around a Fairy Ring of toadstools nine times on the night of a full moon, you would hear the Fae talking and singing - but if you ran widdershins (anticlockwise) you would fall under their power.
#FolkloreThursday #FolkyFriday #FolkloreSunday

📷 by me

Small bowl full of satsumas

In Kineton, February 5th was once Orange Day, where oranges were sold cheaply in the market square. The tradition continued until 1940.

Episode 121 Season 8: Episode 121 Season 8 of The Folklore Podcast kicks off with an exploration of the subject of the English folk tale, with guest Neil Philip. Neil, who originally published the Penguin Book...

I was saddened learn today of the passing of British folklorist and writer @neilphilipmyth.bsky.social

My condolences to the family.

In celebration of Neil and his life I am resharing his appearance on the podcast. Please raise a glass to him

www.thefolklorepodcast.com/episode-121....

The Mickleton Hooter A number of accounts of Warwickshire folklore include tales of a strange booming sound heard in the vicinity of the village of Mickleton. The source of this noise was reputed ...

My first phantom pooch of the month features in this post I wrote for the ‘Our Warwickshire’ blog. It is the Mickleton Hooter whose eerie cry can be heard in the area surrounding Meon Hill

www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/arti...

📷 by me

Small china dog in front of picture of a cemetery. Being a cat person, I'm not sure what breed. Possibly a Yorkshire terrier.

Whether it be Padfoot, the hounds of the Wild Hunt or ghost dogs accompanying their phantom owners, Warwickshire is rich in mysterious dog lore. So this month’s theme is:

‘You Ain’t Nuthin’ But a (Spectral) Hound Dog'

Just kind of grey nothingness here which I'm hoping counts as winter.

Kind of grey and cloudy here so hoping that counts as wintery enough 🤞

📷 by me

Three tea lights in clear glass holders - 2 in cut glass, 1 in one of those IKEA jobbies

Warwickshire weather lore for this day:
If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight.
If Candlemas Day be wind and rain,
Winter is gone and won’t come again.
#CandlemasDay

Candlemas is a festival of light, halfway between winter and the spring equinox. On Candlemas Eve, Shropshire folk brought Snowdrops, or 'Christ's flower' indoors, to purify the home. Associated with Jesus, they removed negative energies protecting the domestic space.

#folklore #Shropshire

two St Brigid's crosses on a table with pipe cleaners, twine and scissors

Having another go at make St Brigid’s Crosses. Reeds/straw not an option so this year have gone for pipe cleaners.

No significance in the choice of colours only that it’s been such a dark winter here so I went for bright.😎

#FolkloreSunday #StBrigid

The "Porthcawl phantom steam train" refers to ghost stories associated with the disused branch line in South Wales. The sound of a steam train can still be heard along the old rail route, with sightings frequently reported near the railway bridge on Moor Lane

#phantomsfriday

'The Night Side of Nature' is one on my ghostly 'to read' list 💀📖