LIBRARY
The library was the most fascinating place. It was floor to ceiling high in books. As soon as we stepped into the library, most of us sensed an atmosphere. We were eager to get started. We sat around a huge table and Tracy began to 'call out' asking any spirits present to join us and make contact with us if possible. Eventually, there was a knock on the table. We asked many questions, asking if the books ever moved and was it possible that a spirit could move something within the room while we were in there. After a very long time, there was a knock on the table and I heard a strange noise in the corner behind me.
Rachel said that she was feeling odd and one of our guest investigators, (a lady called Julie) told us that she felt like her hands were being moved. Jacky and I both 'called out' to the spirits and we heard a couple of small, sharp knocks. Julie said that she had a cold feeling enveloping her and at the same time, a light was seen between Julie and Jacky.
We heard the sound of a chair being scraped elsewhere within the room. The table started knocking and gently moving. There was a small pause and then a rapid succession of knocks which sounded like a machine gun. Somebody said something that made us laugh and the table moved. As we chatted together, we all said that we felt that the spirits were indifferent to us being there. It felt that they were neither pleased or displeased by our presence.
Andrew placed the Geophone onto the table and the lights reacted to the gentle knocking that we could hear and feel. We started to discuss a news story about an Egyptian statue that was rotating in the Manchester museum (which was later proved to be caused by the vibrations from a busy road) and we all heard a loud knock. Jacky said something that was really funny, making us laugh and the table shuddered.
We decided to split and some of the team went to a different part of the museum. Jacky, Dave, Matt, Andrew, Ben and I stayed in the library. The boys were talking about the technical equipment which we were using and there were definitive taps as if to make us re-focus on the spirits. Matt apologised and asked if we could have some more spirit contact with them. There were quiet knocks in front of us and the table started shaking. Jacky kept talking to the spirits and they appeared to respond by continuous tapping. It seemed as if the table was pulsating.
Dave was monitoring the temperature which he said was fluctuating erratically. Ben said that he was getting a hit with the K2 meter. We all heard a very strange noise in the room. This happened twice in quick succession. The EMF meter which was situated elsewhere in the room started to react.
RURAL DORSET EXHIBITION
We next walked over to the Rural Dorset exhibition where there is a splendid collection of agricultural machinery. We lingered here for a while but we did not feel any spiritual presence in this area.
BARN
We walked on to a small room which was a replica of a living space. There was a bed, a table which was set for a meal and many other artifacts including an old black pram which no-one liked. We had been told that this was the oldest part of the building and was originally an inn/stables.
We 'called out' asking for spiritual activity. We really hoped to hear some footsteps or a voice. I could see movement with my eyes (not on night-vision camcorder) above the bed. It was like a 3D light anomaly and it was gone before we could try to capture it.
We sat chatting for a while and then we heard someone moving upstairs. There was nobody up there and it was out of bounds to the team so we couldn't go up and investigate. We sat quietly and the noise stopped. Nothing happened for ages and then I saw a light go from above Jacky's head, travel straight up and then shoot away to the left. The temperature was dropping rapidly, we could all feel it and it was verified by our thermometer. Matt was sitting at the bottom of the stairs and he suddenly moved as he felt uncomfortable.
Ben was sweeping the area with an EMF meter and there was no reading until he came to the old Victorian pram. He retested this several times and it was the only thing that triggered an EMF reading. I went to stand by the pram but I was very uncomfortable. Matt went to stand at the bottom of the stairs again but he was too unnerved to stay there for long.
Ben and Dave left the room to get some additional equipment, leaving Jacky, Matt, Andrew and I. We all sat around the pushchair and we were all afraid. Suddenly, something blew into my ear quite hard. It was a horrible feeling.
VICTORIAN GALLERY
As we entered this enormous room, Daniel said, “There's something in here.” I could feel a strong presence as well. We stood around in a circle and I 'called out.' Quite quickly we captured a strange audible on EVP which sounded like a woman moaning. A short while later, a similar EVP was captured again. I knocked on a table three times and the door nearby knocked three times as if in answer. A considerable time passed when nothing happened and then we all heard a female voice. Matt and Rachel both said that they could see shadows moving around up on the gallery. We knew that there was nobody up there.
There was a scratching sound underneath the table in the middle of us. Rachel said that she had just heard a female voice again. This prompted some of the others to say that they had heard it as well although it sounded like a scream to them. Just after this, we captured an EVP of a choking sound. I then heard a sigh right beside me. I rapped out a pattern of knocks onto the table and the knocks were copied. I did it again and again but it only happened once.
We heard the female voice moaning again, followed by a scratching noise underneath the table. We all swung around as we heard footsteps in the corner of the room where nobody was standing. There was more scratching underneath the table. We then all heard a very weird noise that is really difficult to describe. The table started tapping. After a considerable time, we heard a really loud noise within the room which sounded like scraping metal on the floor. There was nobody in that part of the room. Jokingly, I asked that if 'they' did not like us being there, then they should tell us to, 'Get out.' Although we didn't hear this at the time, we captured an EVP with a male voice whispering 'Get out.'
We 'called out' and a door opened and closed at the top of the stairs. Matt ran up the stairs to check that nobody was up there (even though we knew that there wasn't). Matt had a good look around and said that there wasn't anybody there. We started to feel that the spirit really did not want us in this room.
SCHOOL ROOM
This was a lovely wood paneled room with a beautiful fireplace. There were small desks, each filled with individual things relating to a different child. I sat in here with Matt and Andrew. We sat together, chatting quietly and Andrew exclaimed, “What was that?” We all heard a low, groaning sound close by. It was quite an unpleasant noise. There was the sound of movement in the room. All was quiet for a long time and then we were joined by Daniel and Rachel. I asked for a spirit to join us and Rachel said that she heard a noise which she thought sounded like a female screaming. After a while, I heard a noise which sounded like someone huffing impatiently. All was quiet after this so we decided to explore other parts of the museum.
THOMAS HARDY EXHIBITION
As an avid reader of Thomas Hardy novels, I was really hoping for something to happen here but nothing at all occurred here.
We wandered through the artifacts and we came across an amazing Punch puppet which was enclosed inside a glass case on the wall. I asked him if he could move much to everyone's horror. He didn't, much to their relief.
VIKING DISPLAY
We stopped by the skeletons and spent some quiet time reflecting upon the violent deaths that these individuals had experienced. Nothing of a paranormal nature happened in this area.
ANCIENT DORSET EXHIBITION
I 'called out' and after a while we all heard a strange groaning noise. After this, all was quiet.
DINOSAUR EXHIBITION
We did not experience anything in this room.
BACK TO THE LIBRARY
The library did not seem to feel as atmospheric as it had done previously. We were joined by Jacky and Dave who told us that they had experienced a drop in temperature in the library earlier. They had also seen a female figure and a few shadowy figures. They had seen light anomalies and for some reason, Dave had felt angry and aggressive. We didn't experience anything paranormal this time in the library.
BACK TO THE BARN
As we re-entered this room, the atmosphere felt dark and foreboding. Ben had spent quite a long time in here with varying electronic equipment and had obtained good results. We sat around and Lesley asked the spirits if they would decrease the temperature while she monitored the readings. Her request appeared to be granted. We started to get positive EMF results by the pram. Ben had some amazing results with Kinetic Infrared Skeletal Mapping. A small figure appeared either in front of, or inside the pram. Ben had checked with the museum staff about electrical cables and it is believed that there are no cables in that area. Ben wondered if the pram area was a vortex as there seemed to be a lot of energy there. The energy was palpable. You didn't really need electronic equipment to know that it was there.
We 'called out' and a breeze was felt by most of us. I thought that it was a female energy. Everything was quiet after this so we decided for everyone to gather together in the Victorian Gallery for a final séance.
VICTORIAN GALLERY
As we assembled inside this room, the EVP recorded a horrible noise like an awful screech. A few people heard it but it is clearer and more scary on EVP. I 'called out ' for our final vigil. As I asked for a noise, there was a tap in the room. Ben asked, “Can you do that again please?” Our EVP captured the sound of a female laugh. Nobody heard it at the time. I knocked the table and asked for 'someone' to copy me. A knock copied my knock but this happened only once. After this, all spiritual activity seemed to drain and as it was very late, we decided to end our investigation.
On behalf of the Twilight Shadows Paranormal Team, I would like to thank the staff of the Dorset County Museum for allowing us to investigate this beautiful building and to team member Tracy for organising the evening.
Written by: Maria Williams.
