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Hidden East Anglia: Landscape Legends of Eastern England
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Deadman's Grave
Here is a "little hillock" called Deadman's Grave (TL777745 area), which is traditionally the burial place of both a man and his horse. In revenge at being denied a Christian burial, he has since haunted the mound on his horse, scaring passing horses and cattle.1 Others say it's the ghost of an executed highwayman.2 Although the location was once thought to be a burial mound, it's now thought to be simply a rabbit warren. Nothing was found when the spot was excavated, at the end of the 19th century.
Sources: 1. H. R. Barker: 'West Suffolk Illustrated' (Pawsey & Co, 1907), p.206. 2. 'Ickingham Villager' newsletter, Nov. 2017.
Near to All Saints church (TL775726) there is said to be a hedge, and a gap in it that can never be closed. This is the path of a witch who, with her familiar, a white rabbit, walks there at dusk. Sometimes it's the rabbit alone, and rumour says horses have run away and men have died after an encounter with them.
Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/community/your_suffolk/forest_heath/icklingham.shtml Alan Murdie: 'Haunted Bury St. Edmunds' (Tempus Publishing Ltd, 2006), p.75.
The Golden Pond
A pool in the park grounds of 18th century Ickworth House is known locally as the Golden Pond (TL811612), from a story that one of the abbots of Bury had thrown his gold into it for safekeeping. The rumour is that a chest of valuables was dredged up from the pond's bottom many years ago, but slipped back in as it stood on the grassy bank. However, in 1856 a chest was still being shown at the House as the very one that came out of the pond.
Source: A. C. Hervey: 'A paper read before the Archaeological Institute of Suffolk, at their meeting held at Ickworth, Oct. 2nd 1856', p.109.
The hill of devils
Source: Theo Clarke: 'Ebb and Flow: River Heritage Walks' (2008).
Secret tunnels
In 1740 Thomas Cartwright excavated beneath Stoke Hall a vast series of wine cellars, 18 in all, and a total of 180 feet in length. The house itself later decayed and was pulled down, but the cellars remained (and still exist, beside Stoke Hall Road). Having no idea as to their origin, people began making up tales about these underground workings, that were used as air raid shelters in World War Two. A tunnel was said to lead from there to the 'folly' called Freston Tower (TM178397), on the banks of the Orwell. Probably built between 1550-1560 by Edmund Latymer, this red bricked six-storey building was perhaps a 'standing' or look-out tower of some kind.
On the north side of the river, the Woolpack pub (TM167451) in Tuddenham Road is said to have had smuggler's tunnels running south to the dock area.2
There are allegedly deep (and supposedly haunted) cellars beneath the Fore Street site of the wine merchant Hayman Barwell Jones, which are said to form part of a system of tunnels. They are rumoured to link up with the Ancient House (see below), the 19th century Old Custom House in Key Street, Christchurch Mansion to the north, and the site of Holywells manor to the south-east.4
The Barwell Jones shop was at 24 Fore Street. At No.61 used to be the Record Collector Shop in a 16th century building, behind which, in the 1950's, a ground collapse supposedly revealed a tunnel said to run to the docks. Close by used to be the huge entrance to the Tollemache Bottling Plant, which stood between Fore Street and Lower Orwell Street. A tunnel from there was supposed to lead to the bonded warehouse at the Old Custom House on Wherry Quay.5
The Coach and Horses Inn used to stand in Lower Brook Street. On the opposite side of the road were the premises of Messrs.
E. L. Hunt, that were on the site of a mansion house owned by Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk and husband of Mary Tudor. A tunnel was said to connect the
two.6
Not too far away from the Buttermarket is the Halberd Inn (previously Paddy McGinty's) in Northgate Street, where a bricked-up entrance into Ipswich's vast tunnel system is to be found in the cellar.8 The ghostly monk that haunts the pub is said to have helped someone come from 'the monastery' through the tunnels, and for his pains was murdered by being drowned in the old well that can be seen in the lower bar.9
Sources: 1. 'The East Anglian Magazine', Vol.5 (1940), p.132. 2. www.paranormaldatabase.com/hotspots/ipswich.php 3. from former webpage: http://www.adamnetwebdesigns.co.uk/spreadeagle/haunted.html 4. Information gratefully received from John Wragg. 5. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/days-gone-by-did-you-know-about-the-mystery-tunnels-2270286
6. L. P. Thompson: 'Old Inns of Suffolk' (East Anglian Magazine Ltd, 1946), p.24. 8. https://suffolk.camra.org.uk/pub/528 9. http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/dont_miss/codename/ghosts/ghost_walk.shtml
Sandwiched between shop frontages in Eagle Street is the innocuous white door of No. 11 (TM167443). The building inside is of the 17th century, but externally of the 19th. Just above the doorway, a garish and grotesque face stares out with mad eyes, the wooden image of a head with chalk-white skin, crimson lips, and fangs. A fanciful and undoubtedly modern story has been reported to explain its presence there. Apparently, a monstrous ogre once lived in this area, which was otherwise marshy and deserted. Whenever people tried to build there, the ogre would destroy their work every night. Then one day, after much argument with a deputation of townspeople, he agreed to allow the occupation of his land as long as they placed an effigy of his head there, to remind them just whose domain it was. And if ever the image was removed, he swore to demolish the whole street in one night. A picture of the face above the doorway can be seen HERE.
Source: Pete Jennings: 'Haunted Ipswich' (The History Press, 2010), p.51.
Alecock's Grave
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