The Devil at Barnard Gate
27 March 2023
Barnard Gate, Eynsham
The Devil in the form of a fiery serpent is said to have ensnared a man on his way to Barnard Gate.
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?
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!
The Highwaymen of Swinbrook Manor
13 January 2023
Swinbrook Manor, Swinbrook
In 1806 Swinbrook locals started to believe there was something decidedly odd about the new tenants for Swinbrook Manor...
Ghosts of the Old Vicarage, Burford
10 January 2023
8 High Street, Burford
The history of the Old Vicarage in Burford is full of ghosts, and possibly even murders!
The Black Dog of Wilcote Woods
1 January 2023
Wilcote, West Oxfordshire
According to legend, a ritual involving priests, babies, bells, and ponds was used to lay the ghostly black dog that once terrorised Wilcote.