With Halloween fast approaching, now is the perfect time to explore some of the spookiest spots in the county.
From castles and hotels to racecourses, Suffolk has its fair share of reported hauntings. Here are some more of them.
The Mill Hotel, Sudbury
This former watermill is now a hotel in the heart of Sudbury and has a variety of rooms, a restaurant, lounge bar and possible haunted locations. “Many inns and taverns claim to be haunted by the spirits of long-dead animals that manifest as alive. And at The Mill Hotel, the ghost is a mummified cat that was found many years before the building was converted into a hotel and then sold to a nearby shop," general manager Nicholas Wildman told the East Anglian Daily Times in 2020
Centuries ago, cats were buried alive in new buildings as superstition believed this would protect the building from damage.
And it seems that this cat's move from the hotel to the shop next door in 1971 led to a series of strange events at the latter, with the shop meeting a violent end when it burned down just a few years later. The cat was soon returned to its rightful place in the hotel.
“Somehow the mummified cat survived. After that they blamed the cat for the mess and went back to The Mill Hotel where everything went back to normal,” explains Nick.
Now located in the hotel's main reception area, visitors can catch a glimpse of the cat, now encased in glass and brick.
Elsewhere in the hotel, former maids have claimed to have seen the ghost of a woman, believed by many to be the ghost of a woman believed to have drowned under the old mill's Ferris wheel.
Ipswich town center
Have you ever had the feeling that you were being watched, but no one was actually there? Reader Jonathan (who didn't want to give his last name) felt exactly that, as he says: "In the early 1990s I sometimes had to start work at 5am. I had to walk from Bolton Lane to Wolsey Street before it was all rebuilt. I was turning onto Soane Street and passing St. Margaret's when suddenly I saw a dark, shadowy figure walk past me from the buildings on the left and disappear through the closed gates into Christchurch Park. There was no sign or sound of anyone. I checked and there was no way they could have gone.
The Four Horseshoes, Thornham Magna
The second spooky hotel on this list, The Four Horseshoes near the Eye, is home to several haunted specters, according to staff and visitors. And considering the pub's origins date back to the 12th century, it's no surprise that things get a little spooky in the final hours (the pub houses a mummified cat in the attic and even an old working fountain). .
Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times in 2020, the pub's owner, Tom Pankhurst, said: "We've always had trouble finding out much about the pub's history and many records seem to have been lost when the pub was still owned by the Henniker was family of Thornham Estate Thornham Hall was devastated by fire and records are likely lost.
What is certain, however, are some of the strange phenomena happening inside, including the presence of a ghostly woman and ghostly knight.
The ghost lady has been seen in both the main restaurant and one of the rooms, and is said to wander the hallways in search of her children, while the male ghost is elegantly dressed and only seen in one room. "We had staff follow him to the door to see if he needed any help but he completely disappeared. We don't know much about him but he seems like a friendly guy and doesn't get waited on behind the counter.
Pasillo de Seckford, Woodbridge
This historic manor house is one of the finest Tudor houses in Suffolk and is reputed to be the home of the spirit of the former owner, Sir Thomas Seckford. A civil servant in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, Seckford was also a public benefactor to the town of Woodbridge and a very generous man.
He died in 1587, and the story goes that he is quite angry in the afterlife because the money he left for the poor after his death was stolen by the greedy rich. He is believed to still be roaming around his old home, and witnesses report seeing a male figure walking down the hallway in a white suit and pointy hat at night.
Castillo Bungai
With some 11th-century castles, it's no surprise that many of them are the scene of some pretty hair-raising events. Bungay Castle has a long and fascinating history, originally built as a Norman castle in the 12th Century by Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk.
Over the years the family expanded the castle, including the two remaining towers, and today Roger is said to wander the remains of the castle ruins at night. Others have also seen the legendary "Black Shuck", a spooky black dog commonly seen in Suffolk and Norfolk.
Newmarket Heath Racecourse
Newmarket is known worldwide and is one of the world capitals of horse racing. The sport dates back to the 17th century thanks to James I. A huge fan of the sport, the former king spent several days visiting Newmarket and the town hasn't lost its racing heritage since.
By the late 18th century, Newmarket was home to Fred "The Tin Man" Archer, a 13-time ice hockey champion and record holder. However, tragedy struck and after the deaths of his wife and first child, as well as illness, he took his own life in 1886.
In the years after his suicide, people in Newmarket Heath would have seen Fred's ghost riding his horse Scotch Pearl across the moor, as well as in James Fanshawe's Pegasus Stables (which he had built).
El Woolpack, Ipswich
Not only suitors love this popular bar, it is also home to some ghosts.
A resident ghost is Admiral Vernon, also known as Grog. According to local legend, the admiral was quite unpopular with his fellow sailors as he diluted rum on their ships. But visitors are warned not to dismiss his presence as a joke, as he tore a plaque off the wall, leaving diners shocked (and less skeptical).
Other spooky spirits said to haunt for drinking include the gray form of a monk scaling the walls; George, a sailor said to have helped said monk escape persecution; and the ghost of a drowned sailor who frequented the bar before dying.
The Red Barn, Polstead
The Red Barn murder is one of Suffolk's most notorious cases and although it took place almost 200 years ago it is still a frequent topic of discussion. In 1827, William Corder killed Maria Marten, his son's mother, and was hanged for his crime on August 11, 1828.
Her body was discovered when her stepmother claimed she was having recurring dreams that revealed Maria's whereabouts, and after some digging, her skeleton was recovered.
Although the barn itself is no longer standing, many have seen ghostly re-enactments at the site where the bear killing took place, and Corder's ghost can reportedly be seen at West Suffolk Hospital (where his body was dissected and his skeleton displayed). after his damned death).
Have you experienced any spooky moments in any of the above locations or have I missed other haunted places in Suffolk? contact us underdanielle.lett@archant.co.ukto share their stories.