5 spooky and mysterious places to go in Dorset

Dorset might be known for its sandy beaches, stunning coastline and picturesque villages but there are some chilling and unexpected mysteries hidden beneath this innocent exterior. If you are looking for something a bit different to do on your holiday, look no further than this list of spooky and mysterious places to go in Dorset.

1. Maiden Castle

Maiden Castle is one of the largest Iron Age hill forts in Europe built to protect the hundreds of residents who lived in the area at the time. The site is around 4000 years old and contains evidence of a cemetery where many people died of horrific battle injuries.

The site is also famous for its mysterious happenings. There have been numerous UFO sightings here. There have also been sightings of ghostly figures that seem to be wearing period clothing - perhaps residents who never left?

Mysterious crop circles have frequently appeared around the hill and in 1995 as many as 9 circles appeared at one time. What was especially strange about these circles is that the seeds and heads of the crops were totally deformed yet they grew back perfectly the following year, without any water or light.  Therefore these circles cannot be explained away by the use stomping board trickery - spooky!

To explain the concentration of spooky events taking place, it has been suggested that that the hill fort is located on a spot with many ley lines running through it. In any case, you will be mesmerised by the complex ramparts of Maiden Hill as you walk up the steep and sloping entrance. There is a good information board that gives more detail on the fort’s history. 

2. Athelhampton House

Athelhampton House in Dorchester is a fine example of Tudor architecture and visitors can wander such elegantly decorated rooms as the Great Hall, library, the King’s Room and the Great Chamber. As you do so, keep an eye out for uninvited companions... This house is said to be one of the most haunted in England!

Many guests of the house have claimed to have had spooky encounters with ghosts, including a woman who once witnessed a sword fight between two men in the Great Chamber.

Other reports include tapping sounds made by a ghost known as ‘Cooper’, a Grey Lady, and a monk believed to have been the Catholic priest of the family who once lived there. Perhaps the most famous of the house’s ghosts is that of a pet ape thought to have been accidently entombed in a hidden passageway near to the Great Chamber - people say they can hear the eerie scratching from behind the wooden panels as he tries to escape!

The house is open all year round and admission is £12.50 for adults and £2.50 for children.

3. Knowlton Church

Knowlton Church, located 6 miles north of the town of Wimborne, is a ruin that was built in the middle of a Pagan site during the 12th Century (a time when Christianity was spreading). The church is all that remains of what was thought to be a bustling village that suffered many casualties during the Bubonic Plague or ‘Black Death’. It is now consider one of Dorset’s most haunted places.

Recent sightings have included a dark figure walking around the site - in broad daylight! There have also been reports of strange sounds of people fighting, faces appearing in the church windows, men on horseback and eerie hooded figures. What will you witness on your visit?

4. The Crown Hotel

If you stop for a drink or meal at the Crown Hotel in Poole, who knows who you might end up sharing your table with… The hotel is believed to be haunted and has perhaps the most disturbing ghost stories of all on this list. Most of the paranormal activity is said come from the old stable block of the hotel where witnesses have heard children screaming. It is said that a former landlord of the hotel locked away his two deformed children in the stable block and later killed them - gruesome stuff!

People have reported hearing the sound of piano playing coming from the stables and the stable doors often swing open all by themselves. Guests of the hotel have heard what sounds like a dead body being dragged along the corridor of the floor above them and unexplained, strange mists have appeared now and then too. The food served here has received many good reviews - but dare you make a visit?

5.Corfe Castle

Corfe Castle is a fantastic building to visit with over 1000 years of history to uncover. It is one of very few of its kind that survived the English Civil War, despite bring partially demolished in 1646. The castle has some very creepy ghost stories to tell, including that of a headless woman who has been seen near the ruined gatehouse.

Other spooky activity includes the sound of a child crying and a man in a long hooded cloak roaming about in the field nearby. There is many a gory tale associated with the history of this place, from gruesome stabbings to starvation. Adult admission is £8.50 and children are £4.25.

If you are seeking to get off the beaten track on your holiday, the spooky and mysterious stories associated with these attractions should make your day out in Dorset an experience to remember. And it doesn’t end here, there are many other mysterious sites in the county, for example there is a museum in Poole that is said to be haunted by a clerk who hanged himself in the building. To this day he is sometimes heard walking around on the upper floors…