Most haunted – Himley!
WITH the double whammy of Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night approaching, it’s enough to terrify us out of our wits! So let’s explore some hauntings based around Himley – an area forever linked to the infamous Gunpowder Plotters.
Over the years I’ve made several visits to Holbeche House, between Himley and Kingswinford. Today, it’s a peaceful residential home for the elderly. But, in the aftermath of the failed plot to blow up Parliament – (nothing to do with Brexit, I hasten to add) – the fugitive plotters made their desperate last stand there, in 1605.
Bolt hole
Surrounded by forest, Holbeche offered the fugitives a bolt hole to escape the King’s men who were pursuing them. Facing an agonising death if caught alive, two of the plotters, Robert Wintour, and owner of Holbeche, Thomas Littleton, managed to escape the soldiers – hoping to rally support in Shropshire. Their attempt failing, the pair made their way back to Holbeche, knowing the game was up.
The end, when it came, played like the last scene in ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ – but with Robert Catesby, one of the main conspirators, and Thomas Wintour, in the leading roles. Opening the massive oak door to a hail of bullets, Catesby’s last words were: “Stand by me, Mr. Tom ... and we will die together.” He was killed in the shoot out, but Tom Wintour was taken alive, and subsequently hung, drawn and quartered. Back in 2013, when I last visited Holbeche, as I stood in the doorway, I could almost hear Catesby’s words. You can still see the holes in the walls made by the 17th century musket bullets. And, in the old dining room, there’s an opening to an underground tunnel, said to be used by Wintour and Littleton as they fled to the woods.
With such a turbulent history, over the centuries countless stories of hauntings in the area emerged – many, but not all, linked to the plotters. Some of the most consistent are legends of galloping ghosts and phantom horsemen, around Himley, Wombourne and Kingswinford.
So much so, that back in 2009, the terrifying tales were investigated in a documentary film by local Steve Ford, and Dan Evans of the Wordesley based Expressive Arts Productions (www.eapfilm.com).
Horsemen
Entitled Gunpowder Ghost, the film investigates phantom horsemen tales that have terrified locals for years. Many believe the spooky sounds and sightings of eerie equestrians are linked to the plotters. The phantom horseman, in particular, being said to possess supernatural powers that turn the sky blood red, stopping traffic near Wombourne.
So who is this horrifying horseman? Some claim he’s the ghost of Thomas Wintour, who met such a grisly end. But, many other locals believe he’s Gideon Grove, Holbeche owner Thomas Littleton’s young stable hand. Gideon is said to have fled during the Holbeche shoot out – only to be shot in the woods by the Sheriff’s men.
Others favour a tale assigning Gideon an even grimmer fate. While Gideon is said to have played no part in the Gunpowder plot, the Sheriff’s men deemed him guilty by association, as he worked for Littleton.
Apparently the terrified Gideon was trying to make his way home to the nearby village of Trysull, when the Sheriff’s men pursued him to a spot close to where the Dudley Arms stands, today. There the soldiers trapped him in a marshy pool, using pikes and spears to hold his head under the water and drowning him.
However Gideon met his death, the story is one of many locals tell of hearing or seeing phantom horsemen in the vicinity of the crossroads, at Himley. Such purported phenomena may echo really ancient beliefs that crossroads were places where the world of humans met that of the spirits – giving rise to countless superstitions and tales of the supernatural.
Perhaps something to take note of if you’re near the crossroads at Himley, this
Hallowe’en or Bonfire Night!
The area does seem to have a more than generous share of hauntings. There are stories of motorists driving along Himley Road seeing ghostly apparitions dashing in front of them - then vanishing through the fence, alongside the grounds of Himley Hall and park. One is described as a cavalier, the other a girl wearing a long dress, possibly a servant. Apparently, a ghostly servant girl has been seen, haunting the upstairs corridors at Himley Hall. The cavalier is said to be a deserter from King Charles I’s army, who was tried and hanged in the grounds, in 1645. There used to be a gate at the spot where the ghostly figures pass through.
Our final apparition seen at Himley is something of a celebrity – none other than the devilish figure of Springheeled Jack. During the midto-late 19th century, the country, including our region, was plagued with sightings of a cloven-hooved, horned figure known by that title. As his name suggests, one of Jack’s specialities was his almost superhuman prowess at jumping. He was usually seen leaping over fences, walls and buildings across the Black Country, leaving hoof prints behind on the roof tops. A terrifying sight, his eyes were said to glow blood red, like those of a devil.
One of the most confirmed sightings of Jack was in 1877, in the area surrounding the Himley House Hotel. So terrified were the locals, the Dudley militia was called in to capture the demon. But, as in many stories about this demonic apparition, Jack evades capture. At Himley, he suddenly loomed out of the darkness, causing his pursuers to run away, so petrified were they by his maniacal laughter.
Superstition
Today, stories like that of Spring-heeled Jack are considered to be urban myths. But, even up to the late 1800s, our forebears were superstitious enough to believe them.
If you’d like to know more about Himley’s hauntings there may still be a copy of Gunpowder Ghost on DVD available for loan at Kingswinford Library – just the sort of spine-tingling tale for a Hallowe’en night in!
There are more spooky Black Country stories in Roy Palmer’s brilliant book, ‘Folklore of the Black Country’ (Logaston Press, 2007). Another good read for Hallowe’en – especially for those who enjoy mulling over spooky tales in the pub – is the very aptly named, ‘Beer and Spirits: A Guide to Haunted Pubs in the Black Country & Surrounding Area’, by David Taylor & Andrew Homer. Here’s hoping you get into the spirit this Hallowe’en!