Ghosts and Legends of Norfolk

With its ancient buildings and beautiful landscapes, Norfolk has always been associated with a number of supernatural stories and events, many of which are still experienced today.

The Black Shuck

There is an old Norfolk saying that goes:
"And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring, And its wild bark thrill'd around, His eyes had the glow of the fires below, Twas the form of the Spectre Hound"

There are many different forms of this Norfolk legend, the Black Shuck. In fact, the legend is famous for being one of the oldest phantoms of Great Britain. Its name derives from the Anglo-Saxon word for demon, though others believe the Shuck to have been named after the Norse dog of war 'Shukir'.

No matter where the name originates, the story tells of a huge dog, with fiery red eyes, prowling the coast between Sheringham and Overstrand. Many passersby have heard the sound of the hound's paws, and the form of a large dog.

The story goes that the hound closely follows its victim's steps, and anyone meeting its gaze will die within a year.

There are many recorded sightings of the hound, including a young boy chased into the sea in 1890, fishermen hearing the howls between 1920-30, and a woman in 1980 seeing a hound will yellow eyes.

The Lone Coastguard Man

A lone coastguard is said to haunt the coastal path situated between Mundesley and Bacton. He is said to start his patrol at midnight on stormy, dark evenings, screaming against the strong winds. Locals warn never to answer his cries.

The Mistletoe Bride of Brockdish

The story of the Mistletoe Bride is shared by a number of halls throughout the country, including Norfolk's Brockdish. The story is told through a Victorian ballad, written in 1884 by Thomas Haynes, telling of a 17th century incident in which the daughter of the hall was due to wed Lord Lovell. The couple were celebrating their wedding, and decided to play hide and seek. As the bride hid, she planned for her new husband to find her in a chest hidden in the great hall. Unfortunately for the new bride, the chest had a spring which meant it could only be opened from the outside. She was not discovered until 50 years later, when the chest was opened and a corpse wearing a bridal gown was found clasping a twig of mistletoe.

The Yow Yows of Sheringham

Sheringham is well known for its history of smugglers, fisherman and drowning, which gave rise to a number of different ghost stories. The locals say that a captain of an old ship drowned beyond the cliffs. The local fishermen of Lower Sheringham made no effort to save him, leading the captain to place a curse upon them. Today, on calm days the fishermen still hear voices calling for help. But when they go to investigate, the voices stop and start again from a different location.