My favourite (spooky) spots in Nottinghamshire

This week we slightly amended our favourite places and asked a few specialists of the odd, what were their weirdest encounters and where we might find the strangest and scariest places in Nottinghamshire. Beware it may make you shiver and you may not see those Nottinghamshire locations in the same light ever again. Feel free to share your very own scary stories in the comments below and as usual, send us your favourite places at social@experiencenottinghamshire.com and you may appear on our various social media channels. Steven Sheil, Mayhem Horror Film Festival curator (which starts tomorrow) and director of Mum & Dad and Dead Mine: "Working in the field of horror films, I've often had to visit grim or unusual places in the search for shooting locations. Some time ago I went to visit Annesley Hall in Nottinghamshire, formerly the home of Lord Byron's boyhood love Mary Chaworth. It’s a house with a lot of history, but in recent times has fallen into disrepair, and now has the look and feel of a classic haunted house. It's probably the only place I've ever visited where I've felt the chill of something potentially paranormal. Especially one room on the lower floor, with bars over the door and the air thick with an impossible coldness…" Hannah Tidswell, Learning Officer at Creswell Crags, home to some of the oldest cave art in the country: " The Ghost of Mother Grundy who lives in Mother Grundy’s Parlour. Mother Grundy was an old lady from Creswell Village who was suspected of witchcraft. She was cast out of the village and came to live in the Gorge. One day, one of the village children was playing in the Gorge and fell ill after ingesting a poisonous plant. Mother Grundy was quick to give him the antidote and saved his life. The villagers were overjoyed and invited her back into the village but she refused and lived out her days in the cave." Dr. David Cross from the Nottingham Ghost Walk: "My favourite Nottinghamshire haunted place is the ruined Annesley Church, which is about half a mile off junction 27 of the M1 towards Mansfield. The also-ruined Annesley Hall is adjacent and the whole site has been the scene of many ghostly sightings over the years. There is the well known 'grey lady' said to have fallen (or been pushed) down a well, and the black dog that many people have stopped their car thinking they have run over, only to find no sign of a dog anywhere. We have also been told about a procession of ghostly monks carrying flaming torches seen walking at the road side around 2am one morning." Shirley Philips, Cleaner at the Galleries of Justice: "Early one October morning I went into the criminal court room to clean just like I usually do. I was busy doing my cleaning when I just happened to drop my duster. As I bent down to pick it up I got this strange eerie feeling, a feeling that I had never experienced before, just as though someone or something had just brushed right by me. My body was all of a shiver! As I stood up I saw a figure all in black! I was shocked, it frightened me so much my heart was beating really fast. I hurried out of the court rooms in tears, told staff what had happened and would not go back into the courtroom for a while. I do go into the courtroom now but sometimes feel quite nervous because of what happened. I have had other experiences during my time working at the Galleries of Justice, but this one has to be the worst and the most frightening of all." Karl Gibson, Manager at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem: "The infamous cursed galleon: Legend has it that this nameless model of a galleon may have been presented to the inn by a parting sailor but the motive for him having done so is unknown. Whatever the motivation may have been, this model galleon truly is possessed of a hideous curse. It is reputed that at least three people who dared to try clean it, died very mysterious and unexpected deaths. The model galleon is now housed in a glass case undisturbed and safe from human touch." Ezekial Bone, Resident Ghost: "My favourite haunt is the Lace Market. The ancient church surrounded by cobbled streets and the old gentlemen’s houses speak of the prosperity of a garden town. Yet the foreboding presence of the County Gaol and the looming lace mills of Broadway with their faded grandeur, tell of hard times gone by. The Lace Market is a real jewel in the crown of the Queen of the Midlands and the atmosphere conjured up here is second to none. Scratch the surface with an enquiring mind, and the whole place is alive with the ghosts of the past. Join me!" Want to explore more haunted locations in Nottinghamshire? Try our Ghosts & Ghouls Trail >> http://empedia.info/maps/163