29th October 2004

This month LPS members investigated some of Hertfordshire’s haunted locations. It was a busy night for members with three locations to visit and there were some very interesting occurrences throughout the night.

Location 1: Clibbon’s Post on an alleged haunted road between Bramfield and Datchworth. The first stop was at Clibbon’s Post. This is supposed to mark the grave of Walter Clibbon, a man who terrorised Hertfordshire in the 1700s. It is said that a wooden stake was placed through his heart to stop his ghost from walking the area. Bill told the group about the history of the post and members took photos of the post.

We then walked sporadically up the road. As I was walking up the road I was told over the radio that some members were having some strange readings down the road behind us. When we joined the rest of the members Bill was taking temperature readings at a specific area near a tree. He was recording big fluctuations in temperature ranging from +5°C to - 7°C. The area also felt unnaturally cold. Leana was standing in the area that the temperatures were being taken and remarked how cold it was. I went over and ran my hand over the area and sure enough there were lingering cold spots. The night was cold but it was not freezing. The cold spot covered an area of about 1.5 meters and lasted for around 15 minutes. Then Paul joined Bill in taking temperature readings. Several members experienced cold spots around this area. Bill also had strange occurrences with his camera which was taking photo’s of it’s own accord. He was not aware of the flash going off but the picture’s came out as if one had been used. I think anyone will tell you from his or her experience that if you do not use a flash in a very dark location then all you will get is a dark picture. The camera persisted doing this as we all walked up the road. Several members witnessed the camera taking pictures on its own. Bill recreated the situation of how he was holding the camera to see if he was taking pictures accidentally but he would have had to use some force and considerable dexterity to have done so.

We arrived at a junction in the road. Andy E guided his team along a dark path going into a wooded area while the rest of us made our way back down the road. Unfortunately, Andy E and his team experienced nothing paranormal.

Gail, Lisa, Dawn, Paul, Sandi and myself had walked on further than the rest of the members and had stopped by a tree. We were all standing silently when we heard a very strange noise. It was described as a table being dragged along a wooden floor. We looked around but could find nothing to explain it. Interestingly, Paul was the only person present who did not hear the noise.

Location 2: Sally Rainbow’s Dell. A deep chalk pit where a witch, Sally Rainbow, lived in a cave. Avoided by everyone, Dick Turpin used this as a hideout.

We approached up a long dark path to the Dell only to find it fenced off with barbed wire. Luckily there are areas of the wire, which are damaged so we could access the Dell and its surrounding areas. Members looked over the very steep edges of the dell where Sally Rainbow is said to have lived. Some of the members were brave enough to work their way down to the bottom of the pit with only their torches to light the way. Orbs were captured on camera in the Dell and members walked around the edges looking at what once was a temporary home to the legendary Dick Turpin.

Location 3: St Peters Church in Tewin. The ghost of Lady Ann Grimston is said to walk the graveyard. On her deathbed, Lady Ann said if there was life after death, seven trees would come through her grave.

We all walked round the graveyard trying to locate the grave of Lady Anne. It was located on one side of the graveyard and has an iron fence round it. Strangely enough a tree has in fact grown through her tomb. Some very interesting pictures were taken in the graveyard. Ectoplasm and orbs were caught on camera. Andy F’s camera refused to take a picture of Lady Anne’s tomb on several occasions. He tested the camera away from it and it worked normally. However on return to the tomb it still refused to work. Again he tested it away from the tomb and again it worked. On the third visit back to the tomb, he finally got the camera to take a picture, which produced a bright orb above the tomb. Other light anomalies were caught over her tomb.

There was an excellent turn out for this investigation, which had more than it’s fair share of strange occurrences.