Terrifying Trails of Norfolk – Part 2

2 weeks ago Wed 16th Oct 2024

Have you ever wondered if the spine-chilling stories shared around campfires, the eerie tales whispered in darkened rooms, or the mysterious legends murmured in the woods might actually be true? Do you dare hunt for the ghosts, beasts, and creatures that lurk in the shadows, waiting to go bump in the night? Hop aboard a Konectbus as we journey to some of Norfolk’s most haunted and spine-tingling locations. Just don’t blame us if you find exactly what you’re looking for… or worse, if it finds you first!


The Beast of the A1075 – Route 81

Since 1979, drivers on the A1075 have reported seeing a terrifying creature, lurking on all fours by the side of the road. Descriptions of the beast send shivers down the spine: somewhere between a monstrous dog and a decaying bear, with a matted, rotting coat. Its large, reflective eyes seem to swallow the headlights of passing cars, and sharp, jagged teeth protrude from its fearsome jaws.

Scary Beast

In 1986, a driver saw this creature standing still by the roadside one evening, gazing eerily between the road and the surrounding woods. The sight was so strange and so haunting that the driver circled back not once, but twice to get a better look. On the third pass, they slowed down, heart pounding, for a closer view. That’s when the beast turned, locked eyes with the driver, and stood up - on two legs. It was at least 7 feet tall. The driver, frozen in fear, watched as the creature retreated into the dense forest. Shaking, they pulled over, locking their car doors in terror.

Unable to sleep that night, the driver returned at dawn, determined to investigate the area before the road got busy. As they explored, every rustle of the leaves set their nerves on edge. Then, they saw it: drag marks, leading from the road deep into the woods. Without hesitation, they fled back to their car and sped away.

Could this monstrous figure be the infamous Black Shuck of Norfolk folklore, or some other cryptid that calls Thetford Forest home?


The Turning Grave in Swaffham – Route 11

In the shadowy graveyard of Swaffham Church lies the final resting place of Ella Morse, who tragically passed in 1852. At first glance, her grave appears ordinary, marked by a modest 3-foot stone cross. Yet, over a span of seven years, something truly bizarre happened - the cross slowly rotated, turning 90 degrees in place. The churchwarden, puzzled by the strange movement, kept a careful eye on all of the headstones, but only Ella Morse’s seemed to move.

Graves

Miss Morse, who died unmarried in her late thirties, was memorialised with this stone cross and an elaborate stained-glass window, far more extravagant than her siblings’ simple markers. Some say it was guilt that drove her father to such lengths. Rumour has it that he had arranged a marriage for his daughter with one of his business partners, but in her grief and despair, she took her own life rather than be forced into a loveless union. Her father, wracked with shame and afraid the church would refuse her a Christian burial, staged her death as a tragic accident. To atone for what he had done, he immortalised her with the lavish stained-glass memorial.

In the 1980s and 90s, numerous reports surfaced of a shadowy figure roaming the graveyard at night, dressed in a formal three-piece suit, searching desperately among the headstones. Could this spectral figure be Ella Morse’s father, still searching for her headstone, haunted by the consequences of his actions?


UFO Sighting and Extraterrestrial Encounter in Norwich – Route 6B

On a chilly October evening in 1953, a local man named Mr Potter was walking home along Park Avenue when something extraordinary happened. He felt an overwhelming sensation, as though a fleet of cars was speeding towards him from the other side of Eaton Park. But when he turned, he was confronted by something far more otherworldly - a metallic craft, hovering just on the edge of the park. Blinding lights flashed, and a strange hissing sound filled the air as a door slid open.

UFO's

Though his mind screamed to run, Mr Potter was rooted to the spot, paralysed with fear and awe. Out of a mist of vapour and light stepped a tall, pale figure - elegant, poised, and almost otherworldly in its beauty. As the figure moved closer, the air around them seemed to hum with an energy unlike anything Mr Potter had ever felt before. Then, in a blink, the craft and its mysterious passenger vanished, leaving no trace behind.

Though the encounter lasted mere minutes, Mr Potter's cheeks remained flushed and warm long after the lights had faded. In the months and years that followed, others came forward with similar stories of strange lights and unidentified visitors. Mr Potter’s experience was even recorded in the CIA’s archives, and he was allegedly interviewed by NASA about the chilling encounter.


If you’re brave enough to seek out your own ghosts, beasts, or UFOs this Halloween, we want to know! Tag us in your spooky adventures with #TerrifyingTrails - but beware, you might just get more than you bargained for!