Understanding This Spirit Type
A 'noisy ghost' known for physical disturbances like moving objects or unexplained sounds.
The term 'poltergeist' comes from German, meaning 'noisy ghost' or 'rumble ghost.' This type of haunting is characterised by physical manifestations rather than necessarily visual ones. Common poltergeist activities include unexplained noises (knocks, bangs, footsteps), objects being moved, thrown, or hidden, doors and windows opening or closing on their own, and lights or electronic devices malfunctioning. While sometimes associated with a specific spirit, poltergeist phenomena are occasionally theorised to be linked to the subconscious psychokinetic energy of a living person, often an adolescent, under stress (Recurrent Spontaneous Psychokinesis - RSPK). However, many cases are attributed to mischievous or troubled spirits.
Easthampstead Park
Lady Downshire is reported as a harmless poltergeist at Easthampstead Park, manifesting as a flitting female form that moves along the landing and down the staircase. This ethereal presence may be connected to the aristocratic Downshire family who owned the mansion during its golden era.
Lamb Hotel
An unseen entity of unknown identity that haunts this historic coaching inn, making its presence known through phantom footsteps and moving objects.
Molesworth Arms
An unseen entity that manipulates electrical equipment, causes kettles to boil spontaneously, and creates sounds from switched-off televisions throughout the hotel.
The City Gate Hotel
A coordinated supernatural event occurring precisely at 3am, featuring unearthly music, systematic light flickering, and phantom sounds that echo throughout the entire hotel.
Hamlet Hotels Maidstone
Charlotte is the primary apparition at Larkfield Priory, a young maidservant whose tragic love affair with a groundsman led to her untimely death in the 18th or 19th century. Pregnant and unmarried - an unforgivable sin in that era - she died either from suicide after losing her baby or from complications following a botched abortion. Her sorrowful sobbing and poltergeist-like activity reflect her ongoing grief and unresolved trauma.
The Chequers Inn (Smarden)
A restless French prisoner of war from the Napoleonic era who moves small items around the premises and unsettles animals. His activity peaks during late spring and appears to be his way of making his presence known to the living.
The Shurland Hotel
Meet 'Fred,' the infamous prankster poltergeist of The Shurland Hotel. From flipping light switches in Room 1 to unlocking doors in Room 2, this unseen entity's playful yet persistent antics have been documented for years, making him the hotel's most notorious spectral resident.
Scole Inn Hotel
Emma, brutally murdered by her jealous husband in the 1750s after false accusations of adultery, appears as the White Lady of Scole, still seeking to prove her innocence and find peace.
The Angel Hotel Lavenham
A peculiar haunting at The Angel in Lavenham involves a rocking chair by the fireplace that reportedly moves on its own, attributed to a gentle, unseen spirit.