Image by bouncer1788 via Flickr
The ruins of the church on Clophill are around 400 years old. St Mary’s church was abandoned in 1848 when a Victorian replacement was build in the centre of the nearby village.
Local folklore has some interesting tales as to why the church was left and a new one built.
One rumour suggests that the church was the wrong way around, facing away from God instead of towards God. It was said that this error had forced the church into becoming a holy building for Satan rather than God.
The church is believed to have been built on top of a leper hospital which was run by monks.
The church is sometimes described as being on Deadman’s Hill. This is not correct as Deadman’s Hill is by the A6 road rather than Clophill Village.
Some of the confusion of the church’s location relates to a horrible murder in 1961 when Michael Gregsten was killed at Deadman’s Hill. James Hanratty was found guilty of the murder and hanged. Many believe that Hanratty was innocent.
There have been reported incidents of satanic rituals at Clophill. In 1963 the grave of an apothecary’s wife was broken into, bones removed and placed in a ritual formation in what was once the nave of the church. Bones where again taken from the graveyard on the hill in 1969 and once again ritualistically arranged.
Hauntings
There a number of reported sightings associated with Clophill Church. Many visitors report a chilly and oppressive atmosphere at the church even during warm days.
Visitors report watching a faint light moving up the hill and towards the ruins of the church before vanishing.
The ghost of a monk has been sighted at Clophill Church but some paranormal investigators have also used projections of a robed monk to scare curious teenagers away from the runes.
In Pure Spirit
What do you think about investigators using the monk projection to keep local kids away from the hill? Have you been to the ruined church and experience the familiar chill?
January 9, 2011 at 10:27 pm
About 8 years ago, I went down there with a few mates. They locked me in the back of the car and made me sit in the middle so I couldn't escape n I had no choice but to go up there. Upon arriving, we drove up that little dirt track and we saw some of the people come out of their houses, walk halfway down their driveways and just stop and stare at us. They looked really odd and creepy and something really didn't feel right. At that point I wanted to turn round and go back. Then when we stopped outside the church, a couple of my friends got out of the car and walked closer to it. I stayed in the car and when I look out the window I saw a huge black creature glide right past my window, it must of been the size of a panther but it disappeared as quick as it came. At that point, I freaked out and said I wanted to go home NOW, and everyone came back to the car. However when we tried to start the car, it wouldn't start, no matter how many times we tried it. Then something started rocking the car quite violently and I ended up in tears. We were looking out the window but there was nothing there that could have appeared to be rocking the car from side to side. None of our phones would work either! Eventually one of the lads got out of the car and started walking back down the little dirt track to try and get help with his car, but he soon re-appeared saying there was nobody about for miles! So we tried again and the car still wouldn't start, so at this point, the lads got out and pushed the car down the little track and back out onto the road. Then, strangely enough, after we were away from the church grounds, the car started up first time and are phones were all working again. I'm sorry but that freaked me out a gooden and there is no way in hell I would EVER go back up there at night!!!!
However, I have been there during the day and the atmosphere was completely different, so people who have only been there during the day cannot say there is nothing wrong with the place. You would need to visit there at night before you came to that conclusion.
Also, many people I know who have been there have mentioned cars failing to start up in the church grouds, and lots of people have also mentioned their phones not working whilst they're there too!! Seems a bit too much to be a coinidence!
There are definitely evil forces at work up there, and a word of advice, they are definitely forces not to be reckoned with!! Go at your own risk!!!
January 14, 2011 at 11:53 am
Nice post. I live a few miles from Clophill and have grown up hearing these stories, it's a very creepy place. I've linked to you on http://www.spookipedia.co.uk
January 14, 2011 at 2:36 pm
If anyone would like to re-tell their Clophill stories or knowledge of the place and would like to feature in a documentary, please can you contact me immediately by email. I would love to hear from local's!!
Heidi.stephenson@study.beds.ac.uk
Thanks.
July 11, 2011 at 5:41 pm
I’m 19 and hearing there is a scary church 10 miles from your house is a very interesting night !! A few friends and I decided to go up and check it out , I was very excited so I decided to take my camera and see if we could see any orbs or anything in the mist ! When we got to clophil , as soon as we got to the turning up the dirt track the car felt cold , I wasn’t the only one who felt cold , maybe it was because we knew it was haunted so our mind playing tricks on us or maybe it was somthing else ! I had butterflies in my stomach and I was nervous but excited ! I took some pics in the car no orbs or anything .. We came to the church and it didn’t really look that scary , I told jack ( the driver) to keep the lights on the car on . We had 1 torch between us and lewis ( a friend) had that . I took lots of pictures of the church but found nothing .. After about 10 mins of going inside the church around the church we saw nothing .. We all went over to the grave stones , iv herd some creepy things have been written on them but I forgot to read them. Lewis is a bit of a jack the lad so he decided to try and look cool shouting “come on then you ghosts” and other things , running about in circles being a prat ! We all got in the car , when we got in the car I took a picture of lewis and the orbs decided to appear .. I think we may have annoyed them . The more lewis acted like a pratt the bigger closer and whiter they got , after 1 picture my camera stopped working , this scared me so I shouted to lewis to get back in the car . He got back and we sped off ! When we got to the bottom and on the road my camera immediately started working . I have an album on my facebook if you want to see them serch for charli ‘ charles’ fiume on there x
September 30, 2011 at 3:40 pm
I only heard about clophil yesterday so me my boyfriend and my friend nicole decided to go and check this place out, there was 3 guys who were in the little car park bit and he showed us around they said they were suposed to stop people going in yet one guy offered to show us around which i thought was quite strange! He took us into the church and showed us around then as we started to walk out the church his mate who was in the car park spoke through to his walkie talkie and said "have you got them in the church yet" this really creeped me out and so we decided to go back to the car! we left and started driving down the little track when all of a sudden the whole of my windows steamed up for no reason then diapeared leaving a face! i thought i was seeing things and didnt say anything untill my friend then started screaming i honestly have no explaination for this and my boyfriend does not belive in this kind of stuff but also does not no how to explain the face!! Has anyone else had any simular experiences???
November 7, 2011 at 2:31 am
Spooky bloke hanging around reckoned he was old bill, but encouraged us 2 go up there ? I think he might be a satanist or something. He wasn’t too bothered that I was a kid and it was midnight ! I think he was a weirdo
December 13, 2011 at 5:44 am
I have 8 out of 9 chapters written on a book about Clophill. I have been writing it for years. It is about my experiences with visiting the church in the 60's. It challenges the reader to explain whether or not the bazaar things I experienced were man-made, or supernatual. If I ever finish the book, you get to decide for yourselves.
January 6, 2012 at 8:26 am
Hey Bill, I'm just finishing a book on Clophill myself about the history of the church and the events that went on up there in 63 with witness interviews, the story of Lewis Barker the rector etc and the legacy that goes on up to present day. Would love to have a chat. Please drop me a line at hydrofilms@hotmail.com. Thanks, Kevin