7 extremely spooky places to visit in Shropshire

If the thought of encountering a ghost gives you a tingle of slightly nervous excitement then you’re in for a treat (or perhaps a trick!) with these 7 extremely spooky places to visit in Shropshire.

RAF Cosford Museum

The RAF Cosford Museum boasts a wonderful collection of aircraft but one in particular will appeal to people who are seeking some spooky thrills. The Avro Lincoln RF398 B2 Bomber has been connected to several reports of strange happenings. One of the museum staff claimed to have seen a figure moving in the aircraft but on examining it, found the plane to be empty until a “cloudy thing” appeared just before he was going to switch off the lights.

A mechanic who was working on the plane also reported a spanner being thrust into his hand as he was feeling around for it in the dark. An electrician also took a fall while working 15 feet above ground but instead of the fall being fatal (due to a spine injury he already had), the electrician claimed he floated to a stop instead of hitting the ground hard, as if some unseen force was assisting him. A theory is that the ghost could be that of Master Pilot Hiller who flew the plane during its last flight and vowed to "haunt his baby".

Ludlow Castle

The ghost that reputedly haunts Ludlow Castle is linked to an unfortunate tale of love and betrayal. Marion La Bruyere fell in love with an enemy of the castle’s lord and arranged for the knight to meet her by lowering a rope from a high tower so he could climb up. However, the knight left the rope dangling so that his fellow soldiers could climb up it too to invade the castle and it was soon captured by 100 enemy soldiers.

When Marion learned of the betrayal she grabbed the knight’s sword and slit his throat before throwing herself from the tower due to guilt and sorrow. People claim to have seen her ghost around dusk and also to have heard her screaming on the anniversary of her death.

Stiperstones

The Stiperstones Ridge is a hill in Shropshire associated with devil himself, courtesy of a rocky outcrop known as the Devil’s Chair.

Legend has it that the Devil was carrying a collection of rocks in an apron when he sat down to rest on the highest section of the Stiperstones, and when he stood up again the apron strings snapped and the rocks tumbled out, forming the Devil’s Chair. Legend also claims that on the longest night each year the Devil sits on the Devil’s Chair and summons his evil followers so that a king can be chosen from amongst them.

Whittington Castle

Whittington Castle has plenty of ghostly goings-on to send a shiver down the spine. Several strange figures have been seen here such as a hooded figure beneath the castle gateway, a ghostly blacksmith wearing a leather apron, as well as the spirits of children who have been seen looking out of an upstairs window.

The castle’s guard room is also reputed to have an extremely oppressive atmosphere and some of the castle staff refuse to go inside the room. The castle accommodates overnight paranormal investigations for those who are feeling particularly brave.

Prince Rupert Hotel

Visitors to the Prince Rupert Hotel in Shrewsbury may get more than just a knock on the door from room service if the spooky tales associated with the hotel are anything to go by.

The Prince Philip Suite is supposedly haunted by a bride who was left by her husband on her wedding night and subsequently hung herself. People claim to have seen the hanging woman’s ghost and also claim she is responsible for moving objects around in the room. The spirit of one of the hotel’s maids has been seen on the stairs next to the Prince Rupert Suite and a director of the film “A Christmas Carol” reported seeing a male ghost passing through a wall while he was staying at the hotel during filming.

The Feathers Hotel

The Feathers Hotel in Ludlow is an attractive 17th century building but ghost hunters will find more than just the architecture to attract them here. A woman staying in room 211 woke up when she felt herself being pulled out of the bed by her hair and after falling asleep again she woke up once more to find herself soaked by water – though the bed was dry. The man sleeping next to her, however, did not experience anything negative but instead felt his face was being gently stroked.

Other incidents include the sighting of a male ghost and his ghost dog in room 232 and room 233, as well as a female ghost who only appears to men in the car park, either naked apart from shoes or wearing very few clothes.

The Dun Cow

The Dun Cow is one of Britain’s oldest public houses. Located in Abbey Foregate within Shrewsbury, it is reputed to be haunted by a ghost who looks like a monk.

The Dun Cow used to be run by Mr and Mrs Hayes and the figure was encountered by Mrs Hayes one night when she woke up to find a hooded being in the room who was wearing a habit and looking into her daughter’s cot. The ghost disappeared when the woman woke up but reappeared after two years when their daughter woke up screaming and claimed to have seen a frightening man in her room. Mr Hayes has also seen the ghost and patrons have claimed to see it disappearing through walls.

Chilling and thrilling encounters that are out of this world

Will a spirit make an appearance during your visit to these spooky places? There’s no way to know for sure, so keep your eyes peeled, your ears open and your nerves steady, as you never know what sort of merry mischief-maker, friendly figure or fierce fiend may be waiting round the corner… or just behind you…