Halloween is the perfect time for telling ghost stories and Neil Arnold, author of Haunted Bromley, has is the man to tell them.

Here Neil shares some tales of the borough’s more obscure ghosts...

The Old Sea Captain of the United Services Club

Whilst Biggin Hill, Chislehurst Caves and more are often talked about in ghostly circles, did you know that the United Services Club situated on the London Road was once believed to be the haunt of an old sea captain?

As far as I’m aware this building used to be the site of a hospital so maybe a merchant seaman had died there.

The ghost story was certainly popular in the 1980s among staff, although no-one recently seems to have encountered the spectre.

A soldier in O’Neills in East Street

Indeed, many ghostly legends seem confined to the foggy past – for instance, the Old Drill Hall in East Street– now an O’Neill’s pub - was said to be haunted by a spectral soldier once observed by an ex-cleaner of the building.

Midnight limping soldier at The Crown and Pepper

Mind you, pubs are seemingly regular haunts for more than just bottled spirits - the Crown & Pepper (formerly Tiger’s Head) was also the alleged former haunt of a soldier; although it was said to be a limping spectre and one which in life may have had its legs blown off in the war.

Although the figure was rarely seen, its footfall was often said to plague a former landlord who after midnight on several nights was awoken by the limping ghost.

Interestingly the sound of a ghostly horse has also been heard in the vicinity.

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Scared in Shortlands

Haunted houses feature heavily in Bromley lore.

One such building was mentioned in News Shopper of July 1999 where two sisters claimed that their house; Mays Hill lodge at Shortlands was haunted by a spectre responsible for strange knocking noises and ghostly whispers.

St Paul’s Cray Poltergeist

Then there was the terrified family at a St Paul’s Cray house who were besieged by poltergeist activity resulting in the apparent possession of one family member following several sightings of a young boy ghost.

With temperatures dropping to freezing point, items moving of their own accord and a strong odour of burning, the family contacted the council and spoke of their distress of living in a haunted house.

Spectre on the stairs

Another odd story emerges from Elmstead where a woman claimed that one afternoon as she was packing bags in her bedroom her attention was drawn to a presence at the top of the stairs.

Suddenly she noticed the ghost of an elderly gentleman who telepathically stated, “This is how I died” and then staggered before tumbling down the stairs.

When the woman reached the staircase there was no sign of the spectre.

Strange floating by the pond

However, when it comes to creepy stories for Halloween, one cannot ignore the strange encounter involving a couple of schoolgirls at Keston Ponds where a few years ago as they walked home from school they were confronted by a bizarre floating entity adorned in a dark cape and a glowing belt.

The Phantom of Beckenham Park

And then just a few years previous, there was the strange phantasmal figure which disturbed a chap who was hoping to film paranormal activity in a Beckenham Park.

The last thing he expected to see was a weird creature that resembled a lemur but was far too big and strange enough to attract the attention of an American paranormal-related television show that in spite of examining the footage could not solve the riddle.

Coal black eyes in St Mary Cray

It would also seem that at the moment the press is interested in stories of black-eyed humans and one such figure was reported from St Mary Cray many years ago with a mention of a phantom woman with ‘coal black eyes’ said to stalk numerous avenues and properties in the area, with ghostly activity also reported in what was once known as The Mary Rose, which is now a restaurant.

Haunted House in Sundridge

One of Bromley’s oldest ghost stories concerns Sundridge and the local manor house where historian Edward Hasted reports ‘This time-stricken mansion offers a favourable opportunity for any daring ghost to play his vagaries; and it does not seem to be neglected: for I was solemnly assured that noises had been often heard in and about the house, sometimes as if the furniture fell down and broke to pieces, and that once a lady appeared dressed in white, with a lighted torch in her hand, accompanied by a gentleman in dark clothes, with a high-crowned broad-brimmed hat which flapped over the sides of his face.’

Petts Wood Ghost

But of all the ghostly tales I’ve investigated and found over the years in relation to Bromley my favourite has to be that known as the ‘Petts Wood ghost’, even though it may not have been a ghost at all.

A chap named Tom was walking home from work one snowy night when at a certain spot he was alerted to a dull thudding sound that grew louder and louder.

Suddenly there was an icy grip upon his already cold neck, Tom spun around, lashing out aggressively only to find nothing except a rustle in some nearby foliage.

Tom, his senses heightened could feel his body consumed by a suffocating terror and then, seconds later the apparition appeared.

It was the figure of a man – darkly clad – upon a great and equally dark horse.

Its hooves thudded on the white ground, causing snow to fall from a branch and onto Tom’s head and shoulders. In terror he flapped at the snow, and stood, with torch beam cast across the ground where he could make out a set of impressions as if made by a galloping horse.

There was no sign of the horse and rider and so rather bravely Tom decided to follow the phantom prints.

Tom trudged on, now aware of a heavy snowfall, when suddenly he was aware of a choking smoke and flashing lights around him. Tom sped from the scene and in sheer terror scrambled to his doorstep into the arms of his wife.

It is claimed however that on his journey home, the witness may well have stopped off at an inn or two and imagined the whole thing!

Happy Halloween everyone and remember to purchase your copy of HAUNTED BROMLEY in all good bookshops and online.

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MORE CREEPY GOINGS-ON:

Haunted Bromley: Ghosts in Biggin Hill

Haunted Bromley: Only Ghouls on Horses

Haunted Bromley: Ghosts at Chislehurst Caves

Haunted Bromley: The borough's pub ghosts

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