A fairly gentle walk around five of Colchester's many haunted locations. You will visit scenes of murder most foul, bloody killing, horrific torture and unbelievable cruelty.
You may encounter the spirits of murdered chambermaids, lost children and executed witches.
To find the grisly prize, you will have to gather some information from each of these haunted locations.
The Red Lion
The year was 1638 and a young chambermaid named Anne Katherine Millar had a liaison with a local dignitary. When she became pregnant, he rejected her, laughing at her predicament. Yet she was in love and wanted this man to be a father to her child, so she kept pleading with him.
One day, his patience ran out and he beat her to death in what is now the reception of the Red Lion Hotel. In fear of the implications of this heinous act, he then threw the poor girl's body out of the window, down into the courtyard, in an attempt to make her injuries look like suicide.
Since this terrible day, Anne Katherine Millar has often been seen wandering the Red Lion Hotel. On one occasion, not too long ago, an occupant of one of the rooms woke up to a figure appearing on a rocking chair. It was Anne and, noticing that the man was shaking, she asked if he was alright. On getting a positive response, she disappeared.
Very close to where Anne's body landed in the courtyard is a metallic date. 17B6.
Vineyard Street
This is the location of the red light district of Mediaeval Colchester as well as the site of one of the town's open sewers.
Close by is the Fulin Chinese restaurant. This is occupied by a cheeky ghost that has been named 'His Nibs' by those that work there.
This ghost seems to take pleasure in scaring people while they are occupying the smallest room! Once, when a family member of a previous owner was sitting on the toilet, two hands began to stroke her face. This obviously moved matters on somewhat!
Find the opening in the ancient town wall which was once the exit for the sewer. FG.
Purple Dog
There is no access to the attic space of the Purple Dog pub (formally the Clarence), but a builder who was repairing the roof once said that there were five distinct compartments that he could see. Yet no way into them…
A previous owner of the pub, one stormy night, thought she could hear a baby crying. Then she was sure that a baby was in distress somewhere in the building. She wandered around the building, searching for the source of the sound, and decided that it was coming from the attic. With no access to this space, the woman wandered around in growing panic, helplessly wondering what she could do.
Then, for no apparent reason, she said "don't worry dear, mummy's here" and the crying diminished, then stopped, and has never been heard again…
Since what date has this building been a 'place of refreshment? C6DE
The Bull
In 1741, Parson Palgrave decided to seek out the witches of Colchester. On finding two in the cellar of the Bull, which was beneath the bay window at the front of the pub and is now filled in, he proceeded to horrifically torture them, before throwing their bodies into the pub's fire. The resulting ashes were removed and scattered beyond the town walls.
Recently, a member of staff walked into the courtyard at the rear of the pub and looked up. To his horror, he saw a blackened and burned face staring back at him from one of the upstairs windows of the east wing. Could this have been the spectre of one of the poor girls that had been tortured and killed for being witches?
None of the rooms upstairs in the east wing are now used. The staff are scared to work in them and even the pub's dogs refuse to enter one of them.
How many 'unreal' people look down on the pub from across the road? J.
Fox and Fiddler
Matthew Hopkins, the infamous Witchfinder General, is said to have frequented this pub and on one of these occasions, he found a chambermaid named Sarah hiding, frightened at the visit of this notorious man.
He dragged her from her hiding place, kicking and screaming, down to the cellar, where he chained her to the wall and bricked her up alive. Needless to say, she has haunted the pub from that day to this.
She is upset by anything changing in the attic, as this used to be where she lived, but seems to get on well with the present owners. However, when they went on holiday, leaving a friend in charge, she took a dislike to him and caused him quite a few problems. Once, when he and a few friends were tidying up after closing the pub, they heard a tapping at he other end of the pub. Thinking someone was trying to get in, they went to investigate and, while they were all distracted, they heard the glasses on the bar smashing on the floor, one by one!
When was this building erected? 1AH0
The cache is to be found at:
N51° 53.AB(C+D) E000° 53.E(F+G+H)J
Some of the co-ords may be a little out due to the buildings, but they should get you to the general area…
Many thanks to Derek Wray for his help, and incredible knowledge of the haunted spots of Colchester, in setting up this cache.