Can’t afford a location? Or just simply curious, then why don’t you check out some of the Most Haunted Woods in the UK?

With autumn fast approaching and Halloween only around the corner, it’s that time of the year when every investigators obsession with the paranormal peaks and when people from outside the field reach in for a peak…
So take a look at some of the Britain’s most haunted woods…and if you have been, please comment how it was and if anything happened, I would love to hear your stories and ghostly tales!

Screaming Woods – Dering Woods – Pluckley

Smarden Bell Road, Smarden, Ashford, TN27 0SY

Alleged to be the most haunted woods in Britain, Dering Woods, also known as Screaming woods lays between the villages of Smarden and Pluckley. The woods earned it’s title after there have been many reports of people hearing screams coming from the woods at night or footsteps and whispers during the days of fog.

It is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the people who get lost in them, in particular locals speak of a suicidal army colonel of the 18th century, a highways who was captured by the villagers, pinned to a tree and beheaded. Many from nearby villages claim to have seen black shadows following them while they were travelling across the woods. The wood is also famous for presenting one of the oldest Neolithic sites in the world.

One of the most strangest phenomena for these woods took place on 1st November, 1948. 20 people from Maltman’s area was found dead, 11 whom was children.

Many witnessed reported seeing strange lights coming from the woods on Halloween night when the massacre would have taken place.

Autopsies couldn’t determine the cause of death of these 20 and after a few weeks the local authorities ended their investigation into their deaths claiming that the cause was carbon monoxide poisoning. These raised questions of the police involvement regarding the case.

In 1964, Robert Collins, a private investigator, conducted in-depth witness interviews to uncover possible links about the alleged activity of an unknown religious cult in the village of Smarden. His research came to a halt, when he died in a tragic car accident the following year.

On the same night, 50 years later in 1998, 4 college students went missing from the woods, witnesses came forward to say they had experienced seeing strange lights again in the sky. The 4 college students bodies was never found and the investigation into their where bouts stopped after 3 weeks.

Check out this EVP some locals caught a while investigating the area

Bradley Woods – Lincolnshire

Bradley Road, South of Grimsby, DN33 1Qw

The ghost named as the Black Lady is said to haunt these woods. Eye witnesses have claimed to have described her as a young and pretty female, around 5 ‘6 tall and is dressed in a flowing black cloak and a black hood that obscures her hair but reveals her mournful, pale, tear soaked face.

There are many stories where the ghost of the Black Lady is from, one being that she is a nun, another, that she was a spinster who lived her life alone in a cottage in the woods and the last that a woodsman and his wife lived in Bradley Woods in a cottage, the woodsman went off to fight at war, and everyday the wife would wander the woods to meet her husband at the edge with her child to see if he had come back, however, the enemy army crossed the Humber and marched through the area on the way to attack Lincoln.

As the wife left her cottage, three hobelar’s brutally raped her and snatched her baby boy and ridded off laughing their heads off into the woods. Heartbroken and humiliated, she wandered the woods searching for her boy and husband. After her death people reported still seeing her wandering the woods, carrying on her never-ending search. It is said that who ever ventures into the woods on Christmas Eve and shouts ‘ Black lady, black lady, I’ve stolen your baby’ three times, the lady will appear to take her child back…...

Hoober Stand – Rotherham

Hoober Hill, Wentworth, S62 7SA

Hoober Stand is a 30 metre high tower on a ridge in Wentworth. Hoober Stand has a large woodland surrounding the area and is reported that a monk has been seen. Light anomalies are often caught and voices are often heard and feelings of being surrounded are often felt. There is a cave within the woods, which is now closed off, it is alleged that an angry spirit haunts this area and has claimed to scare many away.

A massive claim to this area is black arts and witch craft takes place here, butchered crows pinned to trees have been spotted and white hooded men chasing investigators out of the woods …

But don’t just take my word for it…it is also rated on trip advisor with one reviewer stating

‘My dad and I went ghost hunting at night, after hearing stories about it being haunted. After me being terrified that we would actually find something, I decided to not turn our SB-7 spirit box. Something moved in the bushes, the emf detector went off and we legged it. ‘My dad and I went ghost hunting at night, after hearing stories about it being haunted. After me being terrified that we would actually find something, I decided to not turn our SB-7 spirit box. Something moved in the bushes, the Legend says Sir Hugo entered into a sinister pact with the Devil. This act allowed him to summon an army of goblins, who helped their master construct the underground hall. detector went off and we legged it.’

Parsonage Woods – Kent

Benenden, Kent, TN17 4LD

Parsonage Wood is a beautiful place to take a stroll with its lush foliage, majestic trees and bubbling streams. However, when night falls the woods become a much more scary place. It is said that those who have braved the woods after dark have come back with many ghostly tales of disembodied voices among the trees. Disturbingly, all of the accounts are similar and they do not tell of spirits talking, but rather the sounds of a ritual happening. The voices are said to chatter excitedly, getting louder and louder until they reach a high-pitched point then a spine chilling scream which seems like it can only belong to someone in pain follows. Then silence. No-one knows what this relates to and few who have experienced it are keen to return to investigate the area more.

Epping Forest – London

This postcode will take you to hang man’s hill IG10 4AB

Most of the history of the forest may have been lost with time. However, there is still evidence of “Iron Age” forts; stories of Iceni Warriors; Roman battles; Saxon saints; Norman invaders; Tudor hunting grounds; notorious highwaymen; a place to escape war and plague, and a retreat for famous artists and writers.
Epping Forest is also notorious for its link with crime. The famous highwayman Dick Turpin had a hideout there, he lived for many years in a cave at High Beach. He and his partner Tom King would rob most people who would pass by. Because of its proximity to the city of London, the forest is also a notorious burial area for murder victims, another reason why this forest is notorious for its ghost stories. People have reported apparitions, lights and there’s even a spot called the Hangman’s Hill at High Beach where some claims that when you put your car in neutral, your car gets pulled uphill.

It is said that if you park on the hill the car will roll up it instead of down as you reach the top and look straight ahead you will see a bare field with just a tree in it which is apparently where a man was hung, supposedly you are being pulled up the hill by the hangman.

Wychwood Forest – Oxfordshire – OX7 3BN

Located in rural Oxfordshire, this dark forest is known for many mysterious happenings. One in particular tree is a known hotspot for activity. It is believed to have been used as a ‘hanging tree’, believed to have been used to hang criminals sentenced to death by the local courts. Many have reported the sensation of a male presence around the tree and having feelings of oppression and dread. The sounds of thundering hooves has also been heard with no evidence of any animals nearby. People have claimed to have been touched on their shoulders while through.
It is also alleged to be home to the aristocratic ghost known as Amy Robsart. In life, she was married to the Earl of Leicester and after her death it is said that her apparition confronted her husband while he was out hunting in the woods and proclaimed that he would be joining her in the afterlife in 10 days time. He soon fell ill and died within 10 days. Its believed that anyone who meets Amy’s apparition in the woods will suffer a similar fate.

Cannock Chase

Lady Hill, Birches Valley, Rugeley, Staffordshire, Cannock, WS15 2UQ

Cannock chase is a large location noted for its outstanding beauty and ancient history. It is also one of the most paranormally active areas in the U.K also. Not just ghosts have been witnessed here. Both strange lights and unusual shaped aircrafts have been witnessed within this area also. In addition, there have literally been thousands of observations over the years of a large black cat, frequently described as panther like – that stalks the Cannock Chase Woods and the surrounding country side. One of the weirdest entities is a demonic dog that is believed to haunt the area. Witnessed by numerous people, the description seems to be the same – huge and muscular, with abnormally pointed ears and glowing eyes. This terrifying spectacle is often seen at night. Another strange creature has been observed at night but also during the day is of an entity has been described as being like a werewolf. When eyewitnesses who first come across this creature thought it was an unusually large dog. On closer inspection, and for some reason unknown to the witnesses, they started to become very uneasy. When the creature became aware of them, it rears onto its hind legs and moved like lightning into the woods, running not on all fours, but only on its hind legs. This creature has been witnessed by many credible people – many who will not give their name publicly for fear of ridicule – but are adamant about what they have seen.

Another strange occurrence is a ghost like figure known as ‘The Lady of the Chase’. This female apparition has been seen on numerous occasions around Cannock Chase Woods and the surrounding area. However, this spectre does not seem to be an ordinary woman. Witnesses describe her as being tall and slender and having a female shape. However, she has no breasts nor any sign of genitalia. But the eyes are described as being extremely large, dark and very hypnotic. There is also reports of black-eyed children believed by some to be the murder victims of Raymond Leslie Morris in the 1960’s and many also reporting to have seen The Slender man.

Hermit’s Wood – Derbyshire

Located near Ilkeston in Derbyshire, the area which Hermit cave sits in is an area of ancient woodland. One of the most common paranormal reports here is strange banging noises often followed by an oppressive atmosphere. Many have claimed they begin to get the overwhelming sensation of bring watched and then followed. Many have also reported seeing an apparition of a monk or some other hooded figure.

Legend states that a monk, who was properly from the nearby Abbey of dale, hung himself in the cave and continues to haunt the area to this day.

Pembrey Woods – Wales – SA16 0EJ

Human activities in Pembrey Woods dates back to at least 400 B.C. when a fort was established there. The area is better known for what the locals call the “little hatchet men of Pembrey” who would lure ships with their lanterns close to a coast line that was filled with dangerous rocks, ultimately wrecking the ships. The little hatchet men would then slaughter the survivors and rob everything they could. From the 19th century, gun powder and dynamite was produced in the forest. Close by, was a RAF air field and during the second world war, many damaged planes crashed in the area trying to make it home. Many ghosts are seen roaming in the forest as well as on the shores, from the little hatchet men to the ghost of a second world war air man, people have also seen ghost ships with dead sailors on board.

Clapham Wood – West Sussex – BN13 3XR

Clapham Wood is a woodland area in Clapham, West Sussex, which Fortean authors and paranormal enthusiasts believe to be a focus of UFO sightings, Satanic cult activity, deaths, and lost or sick pets.
According to Nick Brownlow’s article in Fortean Times magazine, reports of UFO sightings, claims of nausea, sudden patches of grey mist, and sensations of being pushed or followed have been made since the 1960s, as well as a number of reports of pets being sick or lost in the area.

Four deaths have occurred either in or close to the woods. In 1972, Police Constable Peter Goldsmith went missing, and body was found hidden in a patch of thick bramble at Clapham Wood some six months later. In August 1975, missing pensioner Leon Foster was found in the woods by a couple searching for a lost horse. In 1978, the missing Reverend Harry Neil Snelling’s body was found by a Canadian tourist. In September 1981, the body of Jillian Matthews, a homeless individual with schizophrenia was discovered, having been raped and strangled. It is believed that these woods are used for rituals by a satanic cult . Both the woods and ring have been linked with possible cult activity and are believed to be sites of dark mystical powers. Bramber castle lies to the East where the crumbling ruins are alleged to be haunted by ghostly apparitions. Some believe that Clapham woods could even be cursed……