Hypnogoria: THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS ADVENT CALENDAR - Door 22

In Stretton, in Rutlandshire, one can find Stocken Hall Farm, which was, and perhaps still is, haunted by several ghosts. The first is a spectre of a woman, dressed in black and white, who walks with a lowered head, her face never visible. According to some witnesses, when she senses that she has been spotted, she will suddenly flee down a corridor.

Another ethereal resident is the shade of a girl who it is believed was strangled in one of the farm’s attics. In the early years of the 20th century, many folks reported seeing her. Like many ghosts, visitors to the house have mistaken her for one of the staff. For example, one visitor spotted the girl and assumed she was one of the servants. However when she accosted the girl and spoke to her, the girl simply disappeared.

Another frequently sighted phantom is the ghost of a little white dog. Again this ghost is often mistaken for a real animal, with folks reporting they have opened doors for the little scamp, only to find that the dog had suddenly vanished into thin air. Once, the owner of the house and her daughter were going up a narrow set of stairs, when the little dog passed by them. Both reported feeling it touching them as it squeezed past them but neither actually saw the canine spook. For hours afterwards, they said, they experienced a ‘burning chill’ where it had touched them.

The final apparition is perhaps the most sinister. Many years ago, one December day, three occupants of the house were crossing the park towards Clipsham, at a quarter to three in the afternoon. Suddenly the terrier that was with them pricked up his ears, looking clearly frightened. Looking to see what had spooked him, ahead of them they saw a man hanging from the bough of an old oak tree. He was dressed in a brown smock, with something white over his face, and the rails of the fence behind him could distinctly be seen through the body. When they were within about forty yards of the apparition, the figure suddenly disappeared.

It was later discovered that local lore reckons that a sheep-stealer was hanged hereabouts, plus there had been a murder committed in the park. The spot has been visited on the anniversary of the date - December 22nd - but nothing further has been seen… yet.