Kirjahaku

Although only 30 or so square miles in size, the Isle of Sheppey, situated off the coast of Kent, is one of the most atmospheric locations in Britain. Its windswept marshes and rugged coastlines provide the ideal habitat for a diversity of wildlife and the island boasts some very old buildings. But these fog-enshrouded marshes and ancient structures also harbour several unnerving ghost stories. All manner of apparitions have been sighted or rumoured here – from spectral smugglers and ghostly animals to phantom monks, as well as a wealth of other spine-tingling phenomena. Folklorist Neil Arnold takes to the eerie fields and darkest corners of the Isle of Sheppey to unravel just who and what haunts this mystical island.

Kent has long been known as the ‘Garden of England’, however this idyllic corner of Britain also has its darker side and has a long history of paranormal occurrences. This richly illustrated book covers a fascinating range of strange events. From sightings of big cats, UFOs, monsters and fairies to terrifying tales of dragon encounters and phantom hitchhikers, this incredible volume will invite the reader to view the area in a whole new light. Paranormal Kent will delight all those interested in the mysteries of the paranormal.

With almost 2,000 years of continuous habitation, it is no surprise that the city of London can boast a fascinating array of strange events and paranormal occurrences. From sightings of big cats such as the Southwark Puma and the Cricklewood Lynx to the terrifying tales of the Highgate Vampire and Spring-Heeled Jack, along with stories of mermaids, dragons, fairies and alien encounters, this enthralling volume draws together a bizarre and intriguing collection of first-hand accounts and long-forgotten archive reports from the capital’s history. Richly illustrated with over sixty photographs, Paranormal London will invite the reader to view the city in a whole new light and will delight all those interested in the mysteries of the paranormal.

For the first time, the historic town of Maidstone gives up its darkest and eeriest secrets. Including previously unpublished accounts of ghostly activity and re-examining classic cases, this is a treasure trove of original material and atmospheric photography. From tales of haunted buildings to ghosts witnessed on winding roads, this volume of the strange sheds light on some of the town’s scariest mysteries as we peer into its darkest corners. With a foreword by Sean Tudor, the Blue Bell Hill ghost expert, it unravels stories which will send a shiver down the spine of any resident, historian or ghost-hunter.

From screaming woods and hellhounds to phantom planes, poltergeists and apparitions, this collection of hauntings – which includes stories from Pluckley, reputedly Britain’s most ghost-infested village – unearths the ghostly secrets of Ashford, the heart of the ‘Garden of England’. Featuring an array of haunted priories, public houses, castles and churchyards, including many spiritual encounters that have never appeared in print before, Haunted Ashford will delight everyone with an interest in the darker side of the area’s history. Neil Arnold, who has researched the area for many years, is a full-time writer and paranormal researcher.

Chatham is a town steeped in history and strange folklore, but much of its ghostly past, and present, remains unwritten. For the first time ever the spectral secrets of this place are uncovered as we delve into ghost stories obscure and well known. The book features an array of haunted houses and shops, and sheds new light on classic local legends at locations like Chatham Dockyard and Fort Amherst. Many stories appear for the first time in print, with information gained first-hand from witnesses who’ve experienced the phenomena. Richly illustrated, Haunted Chatham is your guide to one of Kent’s most supernatural places.

Although the saying, ‘Pigs might fly…’ may bring a smile to one’s lips, even stranger things have been reported as appearing in Britain’s skies over the centuries. Eye-witnesses have testified that various terrifying and bizarre forms have appeared in the skies, from ghostly planes, phantom airships and UFOs, to reports of sky serpents, celestial dragons, flying jellyfish, rains of fish (or blood, or metal, or frogs…) – even reports of a griffin seen over London! It also considers reports of haunted aircraft hangars and airfields. Shadows in the Sky compiles hundreds of accounts from the spine-chilling to the downright bizarre, that’ll keep your eyes fixed looking upwards!

Tunbridge Wells is a town steeped in history — and history, of course, means ghost stories. Join Neil Arnold for a unique and spine-tingling excursion into the darkest corners and eeriest locations of this old town. Be chilled by all manner of sinister tales and things that do more than just bump in the night. Meet the phantoms of the Pantiles — said to number at least twenty, and stroll through a plethora of haunted shops, houses and ancient woodlands. After this creepy jaunt you’ll never see this delightful town in quite the same light, so grab your candle and hold your nerve and prepare to meet a gaggle of ghouls and ghosts and other twilight terrors of Tunbridge Wells.

Do motorists pick up a phantom hitchhiker on Blue Bell Hill during stormy nights? Does Satan appear if you dance round the Devil's Bush in the village of Pluckley? Do big cats roam the local woods? And what happens if you manage to count the 'Countless Stones' near Aylesford? For centuries strange urban legends have materialised in the Garden of England. Now, for the first time, folklorist and monster-hunter Neil Arnold looks at these intriguing tales, strips back the layers, and reveals if there is more to these Chinese whispers than meets the eye. Folklore embeds itself into a local community, often to the extent that some people believe all manner of mysteries and take them as fact. Whether they’re stories passed around the school playground, through the internet, or round a flickering campfire, urban legends are everywhere. Kent Urban Legends is a quirky and downright spooky ride into the heart of Kent folklore.

Sink into the depths… The great oceans of the world have long been considered alien environments said to harbor strange creatures and unfathomable mysteries. This new book from full-time monster hunter Neil Arnold examines the maritime-rich heritage surrounding the coastline of Britain and the mysterious activity said to take place there. Shadows on the Sea explores eerie stories of phantom ships upon frothing waves, sailor’s stories, fishermen’s tales and impossible monsters said to hide within the inky depths, not forgetting weird tales of USOs – unidentified submarine-type objects – and other mysterious lights witnessed out at sea. Compiling hundreds of stories and many eyewitness accounts, from the spine-chilling to the utterly bizarre, this volume is an exploration of the unknown that takes the reader on a voyage through strange tales and roaring seas.

When thinking about Britain's most haunted locations invariably houses, dungeons, dark, spooky alleyways spring to mind. However, here Neil Arnold uncovers the supernatural goings on that harness themselves to nothing more than the open ground: to the moors, marshes and forests - even the open space in an urban area - at everyone's back door. Here the energies of those that have died have soaked into the soil and trees, but, as this book suggests, such energy refuses to remain dormant and every now and then a weary moorland rambler may trigger these shadows on the horizon. Arnold explores the legends of banshees, ghoulish wanderers, phantoms and more. So next time you think of Britain's green and pleasant land - perhaps you should think again!

Situated on the border of Kent and London, the borough of Bromley has long been considered extremely haunted and now, for the first time ever, a majority of its ghost stories can be revealed. Folklorist Neil Arnold peeks into the darkest corners of the district in search of phantom highwaymen, troublesome poltergeists, creepy creatures and haunted houses, as well as investigating Bromley's most ghost-infested areas such as Biggin Hill, with its wartime spirits, and the eerie tunnels of Chislehurst Caves. So if you're interested in things that go bump in Bromley, then take a deep breath, grab a torch, and prepare for Haunted Bromley.

They are returning. While Man wages its Great War, the fabled creatures of story and legend creep back to the world they once lost. 'Tales Of The Fae And A Beating Wooden Heart' is an introduction to the history of the fair folk and their re-emergence during humanity's greatest war. A collection of poetry and short stories written by Neil Arnold.