Odd Staffordshire

Staffordshire is full of ghosts and ghouls as well as people tracking them down, and a search across the web reveals lots of little groups doing their best to keep the county in a state of spine-tingling terror!

The county has its very own paranormal investigation group. The group has over sixty members who are a mix of believers, sceptics and those yet to decide about paranormal activity.

High House...

The Ancient High House in Stafford is said to be haunted by William Mason who owned shops in the building in 1890, and a party of American tourists claimed to have seen his ghost in the 1960s. Keeping him company are the ghosts of a young Victorian girl and an old lady in a rocking chair.

The Mermaid Inn near Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands marks a point in the moors where, at an acidic pool, the repeated sightings of a ghost in the pool has sparked the Mermaid Legend. The legend suggests that on the night of Easter's Eve, a young man on seeing the mermaid will be granted riches for one year. But he will be so infatuated with her beauty, he will be drawn to throw himself into the pool to be with her forever...

In a cemetery at Burslem there lies the tomb of a witch, Molly Leigh - sometimes known as Margaret or Molly Lee.
After her burial, the priest returned to her house only to find her sitting in the corner of the room. She was returned to the tomb which was found to be turned around by 90 degrees. The priest had the tomb realigned and buried her again, this time with a blackbird to lay the spirit to rest.
The next day the tomb had returned to being 90 degrees mis-aligned, but the body remained in the tomb and so it remains today.
Of course, this is not the only version of the story...

And a downed American WW2 pilot is said to haunt the Shropshire canal near Church Eaton in Staffordshire; and Burton-on-Trent certainly has its fair share of ghostly characters, some of whom you can meet on ‘the Burton-on-Trent ghost walks’.

In fact many of our towns now have the obligatory ghost walks. Check with our local Tourist Info office.

Vampires too

Vampires seem a more modern phenomenon - dating back to the publication of Dracula in the 19th century perhaps.
But Staffordshire University boasts a vampire society and online vampire role-play games give enthusiasts plenty to sink their teeth into while taking a break from the horror films.
One site vampire site even features the mysterious "Prince of Staffordshire" whom no one wants to cross (geddit?) on a dark night.

(If you really love bats incidentally, as in small furry creatures, not Creatures of the Night, then, er, the Staffordshire Bat group could be for you).

Terrifying Tamworth

T is for Transylvania, the home of Count Dracula. It’s also stands for Tamworth where you can take a ghost tour around the castle or yourself with supper in the great hall before holding a vigil for the two female ghosts said to haunt the ancient fortress.

So grab your crucifix, keep some holy water handy and, as you go surfing, keep an eye out for the things that go bump in the night.

Now, it's over you. What local weird websites do you know of? What local supernatural societies? And what local eerie events?
Just let us know of the comments board below....