Haunted Convicts Tunnel, Wombwell Woods, Barnsley, Uk

My Updated and most recent blog of this location can be seen here.

Haunted Convicts Tunnel – The Ghost Train? Updated Research

Wombwell and its Woods is known for it history and hauntings over the years.

There is prehistoric activity in the Wombwell area which is indicated by Mesolithic and Neolithic findspots. Some have even suggested that there is a possible ‘henge’ in Wombwell Wood. Iron Age and Romano-British field systems and settlements are visible in several parts of the Wombwell area as cropmarks on aerial photographs. Place-name evidence indicates early medieval activity in the area and the area was recorded as ‘Wanbella’ in the 1086 Domesday survey. Wombwell may derive its name from the Old English element ‘wamb’, meaning a hollow, and means the well in the hollow.

Wombwell Woods is believed by many to be a site for dark arts over the years, there has been many reports of ghostly manifestations. The most common sighting is of a male apparition which is suppose to look like ‘Guy Fawkes’. People have reported that this ghostly apparition has jumped out on them as they have walked through the woods and a couple reported that he jumped out at them as they drove past the woods, he covered his face with a cape as they drove straight through him.

Bright balls of light has been reported as well as many people reporting to have been attacked here by a unforeseen force which as made them feel so ill it has resulted in them passing out. Shadow figures is another common sighting in the area.

Recent history of this location to add is that in 2009 a broken-hearted husband murdered his wife before killing himself with an electric drill after she ended their marriage on Facebook. Electrical engineer Gary Grinhaff bludgeoned wife his Tracey to death after she changed her Facebook status to ‘splitting up with husband.’ He then drove to Wombwell woods where he tried to kill himself in a number of different ways before finally succeeding.

Convicts Tunnel has two attached stories to it.

One in the 1800’s the fields round the tunnel were camp sites for convicts being transported and this would have stop off point.

Another story tells how the tunnel was build by prisoners looked after by monks.

The actual history of the tunnel is quite vague from what I can find.

The hauntings

Local legend says a monk was killed on the building of the tunnel and is given the name the green monk, the green monk has been reported to be seen by more than one person.

It is also reported that if you visit at 12:00am and stand in the tunnel you may hear and feel the train that use to go through and have the sensation of it going through you.

Paranormal Investigator, Phil Sinsclair, visited here and states that while there

‘Something was definitely mocking me and playing around with my equipment not to mention claiming to be ‘EVIL’

A user on a Forum, who visits many times stated that its a ‘very scary place and you will more or less hear things’.

While I was here, my phone did seem to be draining very fastly and I did hear strange bangs when nobody was actually around.

I did a live here, which can be seen below.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1819142965061518&id=1724463721196110

After the live, I was contacted by medium, Steve Watmough, who believes the tunnel could be haunted by a terrier dog, a male of about 30 who had committed suicide here and a women who wanders who has long dark hair.

To back this up, a member of the Paranormal Hauntings group came forward to support Steve’s claims if this after this was published.

It certainly does had a eerie feeling to it and is certainly a location you will be seeing me investigate at night time.

Pictures below is arrows within the tunnel believed to be carved by the convicts…looking in forums people have reported these being here for a long time so also worth checking out while there….