Brutal murder of a match girl
9 March 2023
Botley Road/Binsey Lane, Oxford
The murder of Betsy Richards in 1871 was described by Oxford Coroner William Brunner as the worst crime he had seen in his 28 year career.
A Farm called Purgatory
17 February 2023
Purgatory, Steeple Barton
An unusual name jumps out at you while browsing maps of the River Dorn between Steeple Barton and Wootton: Purgatory. What is this hellish-sounding place, and how did it get its name?
Infanticide at Culham Station
17 February 2023
Culham Station, Abingdon Rd, Culham
In 1873, Culham stationmaster William Bradshaw made a grisly discovery in the station toilets that saw passenger Jane Haines on trial for infanticide.
Ghosts, Giants and Beasts of the Chequers Inn, Oxford
17 February 2023
The Chequers, 131 High Street, Oxford
The Chequers dates back over eight centuries and boasts a strange history, including strange animals, giants, secret tunnels and ghostly monks!
Shot students at Caudwell's Castle
14 February 2023
5 Folly Bridge, Abingdon Road
Just two years after it was built, the owner of Caudwell's Castle was on trial for shooting a student who had been tampering with his ornamental cannons!
The Battle of Mr Sturdy and Mr Castle
10 February 2023
Sturdy's Castle, Banbury Road, Tackley
Sturdy's Castle is a pub with a curious name, and an even more curious legend that inspired it.
A body-snatching hoax at Enstone church
9 February 2023
St Kenelm's Church, Enstone
In February 1832, the peaceful village of Enstone was suddenly alive with stories of grave-robbing. But were these rumours true?
Baby-farming and ghosts at Stonelands
3 February 2023
Stonelands, Burford Road, Brize Norton
The Stonelands area in between Brize Norton and Burford had a dark reputation in the 18th and 19th centuries as a location for 'baby-farming,'. Is Stonelands haunted by the ghost of a child-murderer?
Christmas ghosts and talking cats at Idbury Woods
3 February 2023
Unknown woodland near Idbury
Folklorist Katherine Briggs records a strange tale of travellers lost in the snow and harassed by ghosts, who receive assistance from an unusual source!
Grave robbing at St. Mary Magdalen church, Oxford
30 January 2023
9 Magdalen Street, Oxford
With Oxford's anatomy schools desperate for cadavers, resurrection men were at work in the very centre of the city!