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Haunted Churches and Abbeys of Britain

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"Haunted Churches & Abbeys of Britain" is a nifty guide for those of us who would actually like to catch sight of a headless monk or two. The author gives directions to the various churches, ruined abbeys, priories, graveyards, and pubs (yes, pubs) in Great Britain that are reputed to be haunted by religious bodies. There are also a few white ladies, haunted clocks, a cockatrice, and several ghostly bears (not just the famous one in the Tower of London) thrown in for good measure. Here are two of the sites that the author describes:

--The haunted clock of Veryan Church in Cornwell is reputed to, "foretell death in the village should it strike on a Sunday morning during the pre-sermon hymn or before the collect against devils at evensong." The unlucky villager thus forewarned will die before the next Sunday. (You may want to visit Veryan on a day other than Sunday).

--King Harold Godwinson (who was buried in Waltham Abbey, Essex) reputedly haunts Battle Abbey (in Sussex). If you are one of those who believe that he was the last true King of England, "go to Battle in Sussex, which stands on the A2100 north of Hastings" and see if you can spot a bloodied figure gazing over the battlefield of Senlac ("Sonlac! Sanguelac, The lake of Blood."). If you visit this 1066 battleground after a rainstorm, you may also see the earth "sweating blood".

The author himself tried to visit as many of the haunted sites as possible, and he writes very readable vignettes on the ghostly throngs that glide over Britain's hallowed ground. If you enjoy reading this book, Marc Anderson has also published "Haunted Inns", "Haunted Castles", and "Phantom Britain".