Lulworth Cove
Lulworth Cove is in Dorset, England, and has many paranormal legends associated with it.
History
Known as one of the most haunted places in England, Lulworth Cove has a long history. Tales of the paranormal date back hundreds of years.
Lulworth Cove was formed 10,000 years ago (after the last Ice Age) by meltwater and is continuously evolving as the sea still erodes the softer rocks behind the hard headland. Some of the rocks are 60 million years old, while others are 150 million years old (hence the area is also called the Jurassic Coast).
Fishing was the lifeblood of the community for many centuries, but fish stocks dropped at the end of the 19th century, and this almost killed the fishing industry. Fishermen still trawl the waters today, but the industry is a shadow of its former self.
A whale entered Lulworth Cove in 1785, but managed to escape despite the locals trying to kill it.
The area is a favorite of geographers and walkers thanks to its incredible landscape and hills, and the Natural World Heritage coastline.
Approximately five miles from Lulworth Cove is the Tyneham ghost town, a village requisitioned during World War II for military training. However, when the war ended, the former residents were not allowed to return.
Before they were evacuated, the residents pinned a note to the church door that read, “Please treat the church and houses with care. We have given up our homes, where many of us have lived for generations, to help win the war and keep men free. We shall return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly.”
Cases
There have been numerous apparitions and strange sightings on Lulworth Cove over the years.
Napoleon on the Beach
A figure who looks very much like Napoleon is said to appear with a second man on the beach at Lulworth Cove. He unfolds maps and has a discussion with the second man before disappearing. It is said that Napoleon considered Lulworth Cove as a potential place to land his troops in preparation for an invasion.
A Light at Lulworth Castle
From the 1500s to the 1800s, a strange, eerie light could be seen at night in one of the rooms in Lulworth Castle. The room was eventually pulled down and rebuilt, but the mysterious light still radiated from it. It is not known who or what created the light.
Ghostly Dancers
When Lulworth Castle was burning to the ground, the servants managed to get out. They met at nearby Durdle Door by the sea, but sadly, the sea claimed their lives. Many people have said that they could hear voices there – desperate people crying out and screaming.
Ghostly dancers could sometimes be seen during World War II. This was when the area was littered with mines and barbed wire, which made it impossible for anybody to set foot there, let alone dance around.
There have been multiple sightings since then, including a sailor who reported seeing the group of dancers appear from the sea, dance for a while, and then disappear back underneath the water.
Some think that these young women are the servants who died after escaping from the burning castle.
Black Dog or Shuck
Local lore suggests that a black dog haunts Lulworth Cove. It is thought that this dog is a shuck, but very little is known.
A shuck is generally said to be an apparition, but is also associated with the Devil and hellhounds. A shuck usually has glowing eyes and is thought to be a sign of impending death.
The Farmer’s Wife
Following his wife’s death, a farmer was haunted for days by a ball of light. He believed the ball of light was his dead wife. On giving away his wife’s possessions, the haunting ceased. Recently, there have been reports of a phantom elderly lady. Could this be the farmer’s wife?
The Phantom Army
A Roman army is alleged to haunt the hills, continuing its ghostly march around Lulworth Cove. Over the centuries, the area has been the scene of many a battle, so could there be other armies roaming around?
A Bronze Age burial mound dates from 1900 BC, and an enormous Celtic hillfort has been dated to around 400 BC. A Roman grave was unearthed on a nearby farm, with the grave being dated to the first century AD, so there could be any number of military ‘ghosts’ around Lulworth Cove.
Scary EVPs
Paranormal investigators have captured what they say are real EVPs at Lulworth Cove.
And in 1982, near the cove, a driver claimed to have spotted a mother and child in clothes from the 1860s. The driver said the child was crying, and the woman looked angry. The witness turned around to investigate if the pair were ok, but they had vanished.
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| Other Name/s | N/A |
| Address | Lulworth Cove, West Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, England |
| Location | United Kingdom, |
| Type | Cove |
| Activity reported | Haunting |
Where to find
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In the media
Hamlet (1913), produced by Cecil Hepworth.
Links
References
paranormaldatabase.com, “Dorset – Paranormal Database Records,” accessed August 1, 2017.
lulworthonline.co.uk, “Lulworth Cove,” accessed August 01 2017.
southwestcoastpath.org.uk, “Walk – Lulworth Cove and the Fossil Forest,” accessed August 1, 2017.
bournemouthecho.co.uk, “Spirit guide,” accessed August 1, 2017.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/chilling-note-left-behind-locals-26866933, “Chilling note left behind by locals as UK ‘ghost village’ was abandoned overnight,” accessed February 22, 2023.
Entry Details
Published
Last modified on February 22nd, 2023 at 5:16 pm
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