Ghost Stories of the English Civil War
Spectral armies in the winter sky, drowned lovers crying from the river, a king who watched his cause die from the city walls - welcome to the haunted battlefields of the English Civil War.
Between 1642 and 1651, the British Isles tore themselves apart. Neighbour fought neighbour, families were divided, and tens of thousands fell on fields, at castle walls, and in besieged towns from Cornwall to Yorkshire. It was the bloodiest conflict in English history - and it left behind a nation of ghosts. Nowhere else in Britain has produced so many phantom armies, restless soldiers, and haunted ruins, and nowhere are the stories so deeply rooted in genuine, documented history.
In Ghosts of the English Civil War, you will walk the killing grounds where the past refuses to rest. From the spectral battle of Edgehill - seen replaying in the heavens weeks after the fighting, and so alarming that King Charles I sent officers to investigate - to the withered patch of ground at Colchester where two executed Royalists fell, this chilling collection gathers the most haunting and authentic supernatural legends of the war.
Drawing on contemporary "wonder" pamphlets, county folklore records, and centuries of local tradition, this book grounds every haunting in real people, real battles, and real places you can still visit today.
Step onto the battlefield and discover:
The Phantom Battle of Edgehill: The apparition so credible that the King sent men to identify the spectral dead.
The Drowned Lovers of Goodrich Castle: The Royalist and his sweetheart whose cries still rise from the River Wye.
The Witch-Dog of the Cavaliers: How Prince Rupert's poodle became the most feared familiar in England.
The King in the Oak: The hunted prince, the hollow tree, and the ghosts of Boscobel House.
Perfect for history lovers, followers of British folklore, paranormal enthusiasts, and anyone drawn to the darker corners of the nation's past, this book is your guide to the restless spirits of a divided kingdom.
Light a candle, bar the door, and step onto the old battlefields - if you dare.
