Ghostly non-happenings - yet.

[wandering snail]

Moored this evening by bridge 66 on the Shroppie we look forward to experiencing the 'shrieking spectre'. Only a squeak so far but, so close to Hallowe'en, who knows. The Shroppie apparently has a few ghosts including the Chester Roman soldier, the 'bleeding steps' near Rugely and the Monkey Man at bridge 39 to name a few.  Hoping for a quiet night.........

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Do you mean Rudgley?

On the T&M. 
 

Make sure you sleep with the lights on ?

[matty40s]

Not a chance on Wales.......

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-54660888

[Wanderer Vagabond]

6 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Do you mean Rudgley?

On the T&M. 
 

Make sure you sleep with the lights on ?

Or would that be the bloody steps at Rugeley on the T&M? (Christina Collins tale)

[Sea Dog]

I wonder if he made it through the night? 

[wandering snail]

49 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

I wonder if he made it through the night? 

He did but we'll never know what woke the dog up 

[Tonka]

10 hours ago, matty40s said:

Not a chance on Wales.......

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-54660888

But surely the address is normally where the entrance is  so that I would assume is in england.

[tree monkey]

9 minutes ago, Tonka said:

But surely the address is normally where the entrance is  so that I would assume is in england.

I love the "we are classed as elite sport" I think the chap saying that was as surprised as me, I mean come on, Chester City have never been exactly one of the high flyers 

[Heartland]

I believe the link with blood and steps does refer to the Trent & Mersey Canal. But such are the dramatised facts regarding the death of Mrs Collins in 1839, and her murder by Pickford boatmen, has created the image of blood soaked steps at a bridge north of Rugeley. That bridge certainly looks old, and it is a turnover bridge, but in 1839 was the canal alignment the same then as it is now and there is also the issue of whether the steps were made then.

 

The making of the Trent Valley Railway did affect the canal in this area.  

[bagginz]

32 minutes ago, Heartland said:

but in 1839 was the canal alignment the same then as it is now and there is also the issue of whether the steps were made then.

 Agreed.   It's been scientifically proven that imaginary blood can only materialise on the original stonework.  

Edited October 24, 2020 by bagginz

[StephenA]

20 hours ago, wandering snail said:

Moored this evening by bridge 66 on the Shroppie we look forward to experiencing the 'shrieking spectre'. Only a squeak so far but, so close to Hallowe'en, who knows. The Shroppie apparently has a few ghosts including the Chester Roman soldier, the 'bleeding steps' near Rugely and the Monkey Man at bridge 39 to name a few.  Hoping for a quiet night.........

As @Nick (CanalPlanAC) replied in uk.rec.waterways many a moon ago:

 

Quote

My theory - which is mine - is that it happened the other way round.
I've been unable to find any suggestion that the woods were haunted
before Narrow Boat was published.

Here's a longish quote from Narrow Boat:

'...moved on through the stormy half-light over Betton Moss.

'The name of Betton seemed vaguely familiar, but it was not until we
reached Betton Wood, where the trees, pressing close, made a darkness
about us and the water was unruffled by the wind which tossed their
branches that I recalled the association in the line: "Than that which
walks in Betton Wood knows why it walks or why it cries". Connoisseurs
of the ghost story will doubtless have read "A Neighbour's Landmark" by
the immortal M.R.James, and so remember Betton Wood, where walked the
shriking ghost having "no language but a cry", It mattered little to me
that the wood in the story was grubbed up owing to its evil reputation,
whereas this one was very much alive, for any winter wood on a windy
dusk is a haunted place.'

So he isn't saying it is haunted, only that:
a) it was a creepy place when he went through
b) somewhere called Betton Wood is haunted in an MR James ghost story

I think that the comments in various guides about 'shrieking ghosts'
come from a hasty reading of this passage.

Reading the ghost story mentioned makes it quite clear that this is a
coincidence. The wood in the story 'just on the crest of a hill',
nowhere near a canal and was (as Rolt says) 'stubbed up ... when it paid
more to grow corn than scrub oaks' - I'd guess around 1880. The quotes
are claimed to date from 1711.

But if anyone can refute this - particularly with evidence that predates
Narrow Boat - I'd be very interested to hear it.

 

 

[wandering snail]

21 minutes ago, StephenA said:

As @Nick (CanalPlanAC) replied in uk.rec.waterways many a moon ago:

 

 

 

Yes, this is all we could find about the story too although we did hear an inexplicable 'squeak' rather than 'shriek' when we walked the dog last evening.. There are a few inhabited tents in the woods so hope that they have had some sleep regardless, feel for them as it's getting a bit nippy as well as damp here now. We're here for another night so will report any sightings/hearings.

Edited October 24, 2020 by wandering snail

[StephenA]

21 minutes ago, wandering snail said:

Yes, this is all we could find about the story too although we did hear an inexplicable 'squeak' rather than 'shriek' when we walked the dog last evening.. There are a few inhabited tents in the woods so hope that they have had some sleep regardless, feel for them as it's getting a bit nippy as well as damp here now. We're here for another night so will report any sightings/hearings.

We've moored overnight there several times (even though our mooring is just down the canal at Market Drayton)  and never heard a thing