Ancient sacred site is rich in ghostly phenomena
By Richard Holland
Wiltshire author Edith Olivier was driving from Devizes to Marlborough late one afternoon in the years of the Great War when she decided to break her journey at Avebury. She wanted to take another look at the famous prehistoric stone circle, which she had visited many times before.
It was twilight when she arrived. When she pulled in to park her car, she saw there were lights among the stones. She could also hear music and other sounds of a fair taking place. Not interested in visiting the atmospheric site with such revelries taking place, Miss Olivier changed her mind, turned her car around, and continued her journey to Marlborough. After she arrived, she happened to mention that a fair was taking place at Avebury. In response, she was told this could not be the case, that no fair had been held in Avebury for at least 50 years. This statement proved to be true. Miss Olivier had seen and heard a ghostly fair among the ancient stones.
Kathleen Wiltshire notes this story in her book ‘Ghosts and Legends of the Wiltshire Countryside’. Wiltshire was born in Northumberland but after moving to her namesake county became a keen collector of its folklore, partly inspired by the equally enthusiastic Edith Olivier herself. Wiltshire collected several other ghost stories from Avebury. She informs us, for example, that the Red Lion Inn, situated slap bang in the middle of the stone circle [see picture], is the haunt of a ghostly coach-and-four. The coach is never seen but the sounds of it clattering up to the door were often heard during the 19th century, usually at midnight. No matter how quickly the door was swung open at the sound of it, no one ever caught a glimpse of the coach.
Wiltshire records that the Elizabethan Avebury Manor, now open to the public, also has its ghosts. The lovely old building stands on even older foundations, those of a priory of Benedictine monks, founded in 1110. A ghostly monk has been seen in the house and a figure in the costume of a Cavalier has been spotted sauntering round the garden. The manor’s Crimson Room is possessed of a most unusual, and rather romantic, phenomenon, according to Wiltshire. She says that sometimes the windows of this room, which have been locked at night, are found unlocked in the morning and rose petals scattered all over the floor.
For more on this fascinating village see ‘Mysterious spooks of Avebury Trusloe’ and ‘The Haunted Stone Circle’ (the latter is in the ‘More Uncanny’ section, so don’t forget to log on, or register, if you haven’t already done so).
[SOURCE: 'Ghost and Legends of the Wiltshire Countryside' by Kathleen Wiltshire (1973) pp 23, 89, 104.]
© Richard Holland 2008
