Ghosts About Town

There are surprisingly few haunting figures in colleges, given the age of the buildings. But perhaps the average age of the inhabitants has something to do with this. We do know of one ghost backstage at the New Theatre, to add to Mary Potter's collection below.

BLACKFRIARS: A sense of evil, and of a malignant presence, pervaded a former house here. When this forced the occupants to leave, the landlord inexplicably refused to accept any rent for the place.

WORCESTER ST: 3 maiden sisters who set up a charity for single women often appeared on Quarter Days (when alms were distributed). The ghosts were laid in the 19th century when new channels were cut under Castle Mill Bridge. They lie quiet while water flows there.

FREWEN HALL: A lady in grey tapped on the window one night early in the 20th century, and asked for the housekeeper, a woman long since dead.

JESUS COLLEGE: A Principal once saw 2 men digging in the quad late one night, but next morning there were no traces. He learnt that a grave was dug during the Civil War, possible for a murder victim.

2, MAGPIE LANE: Prudence Bostock, a young Puritan girl who died of unrequited love, is still seen today awaiting the return of her Cavalier.

CHRIST CHURCH: Prince Rupert had a supposed Roundhead spy shot in 'Dead Man's Walk' - was the accusation false?

Ghosts About The County

Head further afield and there's a preponderance of spooky clerics.

Witches And Other Spooks

Ghosts of all eras haunt Oxfordshire in appropriate methods of tranpsort, while Witches dance around the Rollright Stones. And the roving ghost of Mary Blandy could be anywhere in Henley by now.

If you know of any more phantoms or spectres we've missed, let us know...