In Kent there seem to be an extremely large number of ghosts, some of which are said to exist and some that have actually been seen. One of the reasons I have seen given for the location of some of these supposed apparitions is that smugglers would spread the rumours to a gullible public with the intention of keeping prying eyes away from places where they concealed their goods. Whether you happen to believe in ghosts or not, some of the stories relating to these incidents are interesting and add some local colour.
CANTERBURY
THOMAS BECKET
I have included this item about Saint Thomas here because of his association with Canterbury and the Cathedral. Although there is meant to have been some sightings of a ghost of Thomas Becket in the Crypt of the Cathedral (the place where he was first interred), his ghost is most commonly associated with The Tower of London.
Thomas had been Constable of The Tower before he was made Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162. Although he is not the earliest ghost that has been seen in England (there are lots of reports of the ghosts of Romans and of Ancient Britons), it is probable that his appearance, 71 years after his murder, may be the earliest recorded sighting of a ghost. It is said that the ghost appeared when alterations were being made to The Tower of which he did obviously not approve. It is said that the ghost struck at the repairs with a cross whereupon the wall crumbled and collapsed. Outspoken in life he was obviously attempting to make his views known in death.
There is also meant to be a hooded figure that inhabits The Crypt of the Cathedral but I do not know whether this individual that has been seen in the Chapel of Our Lady Undercroft could be associated with Saint Thomas or not.
THE SHIPWRIGHT'S ARMS
In a lonely spot near Faversham at Hollowshore stands The Shipwright's Arms, the perfect setting for a ghost story, right out on the marshes. Apparently, one Christmas Eve many years ago, a ship foundered off-shore and the only survivor struggled ashore and dragged himself to the only building in the area which was this "Pub". The Landlord has shut the place up for the night and just gone to bed. Hearing someone tapping at the door, he opened the window and told them to go away, thinking it was one of his late night customers returned for "one for the road". The following morning, the body of the sailor was found wedged against the door, dead as a door-nail!
Since that time the old sailor has been seen here from time to time, usually accompanied by the aroma of rum and tobacco although I have seen a different report that says that the smell is more like that of decay.
HEVER
HEVER CASTLE
The ghost of Anne Boleyn is probably more frequently associated with The Tower of London where she is well known for wandering about with "'er 'ead tucked underneath 'er arm". However, Hever Castle was her home before she married Henry and on Christmas Eve she is said to appear on the nearby bridge over the River Eden. Probably sorry she left!
MARGATE
THE NORTHERN BELLE PUBLIC HOUSE
LADY BLANCHE DE WARENNE
This
Public House In Mansion Street, close to the Harbour in Margate is supposedly
haunted by a deathly looking female wearing a white shroud. As the oldest
standing public house in Margate it had access from the cellars to old
tunnels used by smugglers in this part of the Town. It is in the cellars
and also the bar that the ghost has been seen. I was kindly sent this
information by Jo Morris together with the picture on the left, taken
in 1995. Her Great Great Uncle, Robert Edward Brockman was the licensee
of this establishment in about 1869 and lived there along with his wife,
Emma (née Collard), and their children. Apparently Robert is also
shown as a mariner in his records and it is probable that the building
was also once called 'Bankside'. Although Jo has no first-hand knowledge
of the female ghost she can attest to the death of some of the children
of this particular marriage in this building.
If you recognize a possible connection to these names you can contact
Jo at: jo@red-dragon-wales.com.
ROCHESTER
In 1264 the Norman Castle at Rochester was surrounded and under attack by the then Earl of Leicester, Simon de Montford. The Castle was being defended by a Crusader by the name of Ralph de Capo who was the intended husband of Lady Blanche. In the attacking force was one, Guilbert de Clare a.k.a. Sir Gilbert Clare, who was a rejected suitor of Lady Blanche.
It seemed that on the evening of Good Friday the battle or altercation swayed in favour of the defenders of the Castle and the Earl of Leicester retreated. As a consequence, Ralph de Capo left the Castle with some of his men and gave chase. What happened then was that Guilbert de Clare circled around behind de Capo and entered the Castle dressed in a suit of armour resembling that worn by de Capo. His only intention was to confront the Lady Blanche.
He eventually caught up with her on the battlements by 'the round tower' on the South East corner of the Castle. As Lady Blanche struggled to push de Clare away, her plight was spotted by de Capo. He was an excellent bowman and to save his intended, he fired an arrow which hit de Clare but glanced off his armour and went straight through the heart of Lady Blanche killing her instantly.
Her ghost, dressed in a white robe and still with the arrow through he heart is said to walk the battlements near the round tower on the anniversary of the event.
