Hidden East Anglia:

Landscape Legends of Eastern England

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Kelvedon Hatch:

The ghost at the pond

Kelvedon Hall (TL558000) is a country house of the 18^th century, but on the site of a much older building, and was once the manor house of the village. In the grounds is a pond, said to be haunted – though not lately – by the spirit of a suicide who died there in the 1930’s.

Source: Jessie K. Payne: ‘a Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Essex’ (Ian Henry Publications, 1987, p.137.

Kirby-le-Soken:

Secret tunnel

The Red Lion inn (TM220221) dates to at least the 16th, and possibly the 14th, century. As in many areas along the Essex coast, smuggling was a thriving business here, with a legendary tunnel for transporting contraband said to have lead north from the inn out to a secret spot in the marshes. Huguenot refugees of the early 18th century were also supposed to have used this tunnel, which was supposedly blocked up in 1946 - but it may just have referred to the track now called Malting Lane, which leads from beside the inn out to the sea-wall.

Source: Matthew Fautley & James Garon: 'Essex Coastline: Then & Now' (Potton Publishing, 2005), p.31-2.