Phenomenal Nottinghamshire series uncovering a unique blend of the uncanny and bizarre across the county, exploring some of Nottinghamshire’s most mysterious and rarely told tales of high strangeness.
If stereotypes are to be believed, ghosts and phantoms only haunt grand houses once occupied by privileged aristocrats. And while those opulent homes may indeed harbour memories and perhaps the spectres of former inhabitants.
Our journey begins in a very different setting—a neglected corner of Forest Fields, a densely populated neighbourhood in the heart of the city. Known as a multicultural melting pot, Forest Fields is a place “where there’s always something going on.” But in 1995, something otherworldly was happening within one of its modest residential homes. A small close that I pass by frequently on the way to the day job, Laurie Close.
Laurie Close, Forest Fields
A modest city council property built in 1995. Nineteen-year-old Tracey Wakelin and her partner, Darren Taylor, 21, had recently moved in, excited to start a new chapter with their three young children: Kirsty, Chelsea, and baby Marcus.
Their happiness was short-lived, however, as the home soon became a source of terror. Light bulbs would mysteriously pop out of their sockets. It wasn’t uncommon for Tracey or Darren to walk into a room only to find every door and drawer wide open.
Sudden temperature drops sent chills through the air. Unexplained crashes echoed from empty rooms. Banging sounds pulsed through the house, with thunderous booms shaking the very walls. Bewildered and frightened, the family struggled to make sense of the relentless disturbances. Their frustration grew as they questioned their sanity, enduring episodes that left them in constant dread.
The haunting presence offered no respite; phenomena could strike at any hour, and even the children’s bedrooms were no sanctuary. One night, Chelsea ran to her parents’ room, tearfully claiming “Santa” had entered her bedroom. Darren, amused at first, asked if Santa had left her any presents. Chelsea shook her head, bursting into tears as she described a figure resembling Saint Nicholas—perhaps in red clothing, possibly with a beard—who had pulled her hair, slapped her face, and then vanished.
Tracey, too, had her own harrowing encounter. She awoke one night to find a tall, dark figure looming beside her bed, standing silently, its form twisted and unnatural.
In January 1996, the Evening Post reported that Reverend Graham Burton of St. Martha’s Church in Broxtowe, along with another clergyman, visited the home to perform a blessing and exorcism. As soon as they stepped inside, loud bangs echoed throughout the house, reverberating through walls and floors. Yet, through prayer and blessing, the clergymen seemed to quiet the disturbances. Though it’s unclear how much longer the family remained at Laurie Close, their unsettling experiences left a lasting imprint on both them and the local community.
Sunken Church, Bramcote
From the Nottingham Hidden History Team, The Domesday Book (1086) records a settlement in ‘Bruncote’. A simple wooden structure is likely to have served as a place of worship before a stone church was built. The body of the church which consisted of the nave, north aisle and the tower date to the 12th or 13th century.
Most people when first seeing the church often wonder and ask the question – ”has the church sunken into the ground?”. The answer is no but the appearance makes it look like that. There is no evidence of subsidence to the church structure. No one knows how the church came to have the name of the Sunken Church. Perhaps the reason why is because when approaching the church from a great distance it does appear to be sinking into the ground. The reason why only the tower survives is because of the general decay of the church.
It is the Autumn of 1978, a young PC Graham Wilkins patrolling the village of Bramcote late at night. He was standing near the tower of the church, when a distinct shape of figure emerged from the darkness and surprised him with a dark cowl covering his head. Graham described how the figure proceeded to cross the churchyard, he then shone his torch at the figure to gain an understanding of the actions, seemingly the beam went through the figure.
Graham’s instincts were to call the encounter in, radioing for help. “a spokesman said “They didn’t have a ghost of a chance in finding anyone. Apphrension of a monk, vicar canon Roy Williams archdeacon of Nottingham, not dismissing Graham’s experience said the strangest aspect to the event is the historical records do not show monks at the church.
Sources: Nottingham Hidden History Team, Nottingham Bygones October 2006
Want to continue your handshake with the mysteries of Nottinghamshire? We have a 12 part series of articles ready to roll out and a supplementary audio podcast series.
Phenomenal Nottinghamshire #2 – We take the road behind Nottingham Castle to the private village hidden in the centre of the city known as The Park Estate and pull back the uncanny events of A Bestwood Haunting
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