Parsonage woods

On Saturday 7th June 2008, I went with my daughter Loretta to meet Phoenix Paranormal and Wessex Paranormal to investigate Parsonage Woods. James from Twilight Shadows Paranormal had initially identified these woods as having paranormal stories attached to them (unfortunately he could not join us as he was in London). We had previously travelled to this area earlier in the year, (meeting Jacky from Phoenix Paranormal) in an attempt to initially investigate the woods but it was raining so hard we had to abandon our task.

We met up in the beautiful village of Castle Combe and began our walk to Parsonage Woods.

We made our way through the village to the woods. It was still daylight and the woods felt serene. I have read that this is so but when darkness falls, the woods then become sinister and a woman's screams are heard, along with disembodied voices of adults and children. We could not wait for the night to descend. As we walked along the pathway, Jacky felt an atmospheric change. We carried on walking right to the end of the woods. Sharonspotted a horse in a nearby field and the girls went over to see. While we were looking at the horses, the boys had gone back into the woods. It was getting darker and while they were exploring, they started to hear voices which seemed to be coming from nearby. As soon as they stopped to listen the voices stopped and then would start again, when the boys started to talk again. I have personally experienced this phenomenon before, stopping to listen to voices which then also immediately stop talking and commencing their conversion when you commence yours.

We (the girls) eventually walked back into the woods to meet up with the boys. As we walked along the path, the two Dave’s said that they had just walked into a cold spot. As I walked into it I had to agree, it was like opening the door to a freezer. We walked on and after a short while the temperature returned to normal.

I noticed Chris sitting on the stump of a tree using his pendulum. Not wanting to disturb him, I walked on by. Later when talking to Chris, he told me that he was communicating with a female spirit. He got the initial M and eventually discovered that this spirit was called Margaret. She told Chris that she lived between the 1600 - 1700 time-frame and she met a violent death in these woods. The crime was sexually motivated. I wondered if it is Margaret's screams that people hear in these woods.

Shortly after Chris had gained this information, Dave W spoke to him and told him that he had picked up on a female spirit also. After much thought (and without Chris telling Dave anything), Dave said that her name was Margaret.

We walked on a little further and Chris received a message from Pete Tomlinson (a medium friend) to say that he and his wife Nettie had driven down and would like to join us. We all walked back into Castle Combe to meet Pete.

We took Pete and Nettie into the woods. Chris and Dave did not tell Pete any information that they had obtained from Margaret. In no time at all, Pete had picked up on the spirit of Margaret (naming her) and confirmed that she had been murdered in the woods. He confirmed the same time period as Chris. Pete said that Margaret's throat had been cut. Pete also told us Margaret's surname which I will keep anonymous in case there are descendants with that name in the village.

Later as we were walking Pete told me that the murderer also frequented the woods in spirit. That gave me goose-bumps. It is bad enough to know that Margaret lingers there in her torment without knowing that the man who killed her will not leave her, even in death.

We walked on through the woods and eventually through the village and back to the car park. We all sat in a circle in the car park chatting about the investigation and looking at the stars and satellites. I would like to thank Phoenix Paranormal, Wessex Paranormal, Pete and Nettie and of course my daughter Loretta for a perfect evening at Parsonage Woods. I did not personally receive any information or experiences from the spirit world but it was interesting to watch the others work.

Written by: Maria Williams