Pluckley
The small village of Pluckley in Kent was first mentioned in the Domesday Book. The village has been at the centre of no significant events in its history and its most notable claim to fame in recent years has been as the setting for British TV series “The Darling Buds of May.” However, this picturesque village has a sinister reputation as Britain’s most haunted village, with no less than twelve and possibly fourteen ghosts haunting its wooded lanes and historic buildings.
Some of Pluckley’s ghosts are relatively standard for a rural village. There are the ‘Screaming Woods‘ where the spirits of Pluckley’s anonymous deceased make their presence known to the living-loudly. Then there is the phantom coach and horses, which roams Pluckley’s lanes and the White Lady, who was buried in 7 coffins and an oak sarcophagus inside St Nicholas Church. Outside, a ghostly Red Lady and a small dog haunt the churchyard. Then there is the inevitable ghost of the lovelorn, in Pluckley’s case, ‘The Lady of Rose Court’ who poisoned herself after becoming involved in a love triangle.
Other ghosts have more particular tales, such as the highwayman who was killed during an altercation by being pinned by to the oak tree, at the appropriately known “Fright Corner,” by a sword. The highwayman lurks here still, as a sinister, shadowy figure. Then there is the sad ghost of the Watercress Woman, a gipsy who sat on a bridge crossing the village brook selling her wares. The Watercress Woman had a liking for gin and once, when inebriated, managed to soak herself in it and set herself alight when trying to light her pipe.
Her ghost, when visible, can be seen sitting on the bridge, smoking her pipe and drinking the gin that caused her death. Finally, there is the tragic case of a man who was smothered in a wall of clay at the local brickworks.
Not all of Pluckley’s past residents were happy in the village, as at least two hung themselves- only to find themselves stranded in Pluckley for eternity. One was the nineteenth-century schoolmaster who hung himself and was discovered by the children he taught. His ghost, dressed in striped trousers and his favorite jacket still haunts the fields in the school grounds. Likewise, in Park Woods, there is the ghost of a former colonel who also hung himself.
Take a Quick Look Around Pluckley: England’s Most Haunted Village.