Best Haunted Norfolk Podcasts (2025)

1
Finding the Lort Burn, One of Newcastle's Buried Rivers 28:08

2h ago28:08

28:08

Much is often made of London's lost rivers, like the Tyburn, Fleet, and Walbrook. Yet Newcastle upon Tyne also has rivers we cannot see. Ours are not lost, rather they're simply buried. The Skinnerburn, Erick Burn, Pandon Burn, Lam Burn, and Lort Burn all continue to flow beneath the city, down to the mighty Tyne. The Lort Burn is perhaps the most …

1
Ghosts, Lantern Men, and Treasure in the Norfolk Broads 17:41

7d ago17:41

17:41

The Broads National Park, often known as the Norfolk Broads, is one of the UK's 15 National Parks. Seven rivers and over sixty waterways called Broads comprise the park. In the medieval era, locals dug peat from the land for fuel. By the 14th century, these channels flooded and created the Broads. They'd become a popular boating destination by the …

1
Geomany & Practical Divination with Dr Alex Cummins 1:06:31

9d ago1:06:31

1:06:31

Dr Alexander Cummins is a contemporary cunning-man and historian of magic. His magical specialities are the dead (folk necromancy), divination (geomancy), the cunning-crafts of traditional British service magic, and the grimoires. His published works include The Black Raven with Brian Johnson, Nazarth: Pillars of Gladness, The Art of Cyprian’s Mirr…

1
Haunted Canals of England, Scotland & Wales 20:00

14d ago20:00

20:00

Canals occupy a strange place in the cultural imagination. They're manmade, yet offer a connection to nature, and they offer a means of transport, but one that's only accessible by boat. Some cities depend on canals, like Amsterdam or Venice, while in the UK, canals are often overlooked or forgotten spaces that have long outlived their original pur…

1
Healing Springs and Wells at Glastonbury, Carrawburgh and Lourdes 19:56

21d ago19:56

19:56

We've no doubt seen plenty of content online about water's power to be a great healer. We need to drink it (this is your reminder for today), while people swear by cold water baths for their wellbeing. Then we think about how much water appears in nature, somewhere we're often counselled to go to improve our mental health. I think of how often I fi…

1
Following the route of the Walbrook, one of London's lost rivers 24:07

28d ago24:07

24:07

A sense of mystery gathers around London's lost rivers, with their names whispered like forgotten deities from an ancient cult. Fleet, Tyburn, Walbrook, Effra, Westbourne, Neckinger. In some cases, they aren't so much lost, as buried. Sometimes, they break ground, appearing where you least expect them. Take the grey duct that carries the Westbourne…

1
Church Curiosities: Finding Folklore in Carvings and Statues 23:20

1M ago23:20

23:20

Visiting churches might not sound like everyone's idea of a great time. Yet the buildings are stuffed with strange carvings, peculiar graffiti, interesting artwork, and even sassy memorials. These church curiosities tell us a lot about what mattered to people in centuries past. They also preserve folklore, legends, and the beliefs of the congregati…

1
Telling and Preserving Ghost Stories with W.J. Gilbert 1:10:41

1M ago1:10:41

1:10:41

W.J. Gilbert is a writer, storyteller, and creator of the YouTube channel Eerie Edinburgh. Based in Edinburgh, he’s the author of the best-selling Hidden Haunts: Scotland, Hidden Haunts: England, and Ghostly Tales of the NC500 — a haunted journey through Scotland’s most legendary road trip route. His next book, Hidden Haunts: Ireland, is currently …

1
Holy Cross Church and the Witches of Wallsend 16:09

1M ago16:09

16:09

Churches can be sites of divination, haunted locations, and important community hubs. Yet in Wallsend, Holy Cross Church is notorious for a tale of witches and heroic derring-do. The ruin might not look like it now, but appearances can be deceptive. It's not just a chapel. Throw in a midnight ritual, grotesque women, a desecrated corpse and an infa…

1
Love At First Bite 49:26

2M ago49:26

49:26

Welcome to this episode of "What's Out There," where Juliette and Nigel uncover the enchanting and eerie world of vampires! Today, we’ll explore the many facets of vampire lore, from ancient myths to their modern-day representations in literature and film. We’ll discuss how different cultures perceive vampires, spotlighting famous legends from arou…

1
The Tale of Enon Chapel: London's Most Notorious Burial Site 19:53

2M ago19:53

19:53

Here in the 21st century, death and burial often occur as part of a sanitised process. Death happens away from home, often in hospitals, and funerals are usually tidy, respectful affairs. We can forget that this wasn't always the case, and that our quaint, inner city gardens were sometimes putrescent burial grounds, crammed with rotting remains. Ev…

1
The Folklore of Lychgates and Popular Burial Monuments 23:17

2M ago23:17

23:17

You would absolutely know a lychgate if you saw one. They make popular backdrops for wedding photos, and provide a quaint air of rustic charm to country churchyards. They're the wooden or stone gateway, complete with tiled roof, that marks the entry into the churchyard. Not all churches have them, and they're far more common outside churches in the…

1
Folklore and Church Names: Preserving Local History 20:40

2M ago20:40

20:40

I started out with the intention of looking at unusual church names. The problem was, this offered the potential to accidentally poke fun at their congregations. It also didn't help that most churches in the UK have pretty similar names. They're named for individual saints, like St Nicholas' Cathedral in Newcastle, or even all saints like, funnily …

1
Origins of Sports Team Names: Preserving Folklore and History 23:03

2M ago23:03

23:03

Looking at the origins of sports team names might seem antithetical to folklore. Yet sport forms part of the ritual calendar for many people, whether on a personal or a mass scale. Look at the good luck rituals people follow before they watch their team play. Or how about the sporting events that become part of the folk tradition of a place through…

1
Cader Idris Lore and Writing Folklore with Victoria Male 1:00:03

2M ago1:00:03

1:00:03

Victoria Male is an internationally recognized screenwriter, earning accolades from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, film festivals, and major industry lists. Her prose has been published worldwide in fifteen literary magazines and she’s written op-eds for major publications. She worked in creative development for The Montecito Pictur…

1
The Folklore of British Pub Names Linked to Local History 19:34

3M ago19:34

19:34

There is no shortage of bizarre pub names in the UK. Some of them appear to be a combination of random objects, like the Frog and Nightgown. Others have a local story behind their odd name. I've covered unusual pub names before, so consider this Part 2. Yet when I started researching these examples, it became apparent that pub names didn't have to …

1
Strange Street Names: From The Philog to Dog Leap Stairs 19:58

3M ago19:58

19:58

Unlike place names, which often give us information who once lived somewhere, street names can be a different case entirely. Sometimes they bear the names of notable (and often now infamous) people. Other times they refer to long-gone industries performed in the area - you can guess what happened on Cock Lane in London, site of the Cock Lane Polter…

1
From Coven to Hot Coffee: The Folklore of Place Names Part 2 21:25

3M ago21:25

21:25

Place names are important and pass on a lot of valuable information, even if we no longer understand how to interpret it. Within them, they tell us who used to live in an area, or what natural features were important. Some of them even end up with a range of legends to explain names that might otherwise seem random or bizarre. Folklore attempts to …

1
Goats in Folklore: From the Farmyard Doctor to the Devil 21:46

3M ago21:46

21:46

When I decided to write about goats in folklore, I thought I would find plenty of content. After all, they appear in mythology. Look at Amalthea, the goat reputed to have raised Zeus in Greek myth. Or the goats associated with the goatherd in the Auriga constellation. That's before we get anywhere near the sign of Capricorn. Yet in terms of actual …

1
Race and the European Fairy Tale with Prof Kimberly Lau 51:15

3M ago51:15

51:15

Kimberly J. Lau is a professor of literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is the author of Erotic Infidelities: Love and Enchantment in Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber" (Wayne State University Press), Body Language: Sisters in Shape, Black Women's Fitness, and Feminist Identity Politics, and New Age Capitalism: Making Money …

1
Pigs in Folklore: From Piggy Banks to Spectral Sows 18:59

4M ago18:59

18:59

Pigs appear in folklore in somewhat unusual ways. Sometimes, they choose the location where a church should be built. Or they appear as phantoms, haunting misty moorland. Sailors or fishermen considered pigs unlucky, and wouldn't even say 'pig' at sea. If they met a pig on their way to the boat, they would postpone sailing. Some of them went so far…

1
Cows in Folklore: From Fairy Cattle to Spectral Calves 23:24

4M ago23:24

23:24

Certain animals might spring to mind when it comes to folklore. Hares, horses, deer, cats - they all have an otherworldly quality to them. Would you consider the same of cows? There's a surprising amount of folklore about cows. They can be death omens, fairy cattle, consumption cures, or even the guardians of treasure. That's not even considering t…

1
Sheep in Folklore: From Medical Remedies to Good Luck Charms 19:05

4M ago19:05

19:05

Following on from 2024's theme of the Folklore of Animals, this month we'll examine the Folklore of Agricultural Animals. This week, we'll explore the folklore, legends, and even folk medicine associated with sheep. Sheep are not native to the UK. Neolithic settlers brought them to Britain from southwest Asia in around 3000 BCE. Sheepskin and other…

1
Sámi Myths and Legends with Niina Niskanen 44:27

4M ago44:27

44:27

Niina Niskanen is a Finnish artist, writer and a folklorist who specialises in Finnish, Baltic and Sámi Mythology. She is an online educator and hosted “Heart of Mielikki,” one of the first online courses about Finnish mythology for non-Finnish speaking audiences. Niina is also an artist with a BA in illustration. Her work has been displayed in num…

1
Mourning Folklore: From Giving Rings to Wearing Black 27:22

4M ago27:22

27:22

If you think of the phrase "to be in mourning", you'll probably imagine a Victorian scene. Perhaps a black-clad widow ushers similarly black-clad children to a desolate graveyard in the depths of autumn. Or maybe you picture a grand house, shuttered up against the world that continues outside, while life is paused for those inside as they grieve th…

1
The Green Children of Woolpit: Fairies, Aliens, or Something Else? 18:58

4M ago18:58

18:58

According to legend, two green children wandered into a village in 12th-century Suffolk. No one knew who they were or where they came from. Their refusal to eat and unfamiliar language made locals wary. Over time, they gradually assimilated and told a fantastic story of their origins. Were they fairies? Lost children with big imaginations? Extrater…

1
The Folklore of Dowsing, aka Water Witching 21:18

5M ago21:18

21:18

Dowsing is a fascinating form of divination since it is often used to find water, minerals, or even lost items. While other forms of divination like tarot or botanomancy seek to provide information, here the information is often of a tangible sort. Rather than telling a fortune, or providing a prophetic dream that must be interpreted, dowsing appea…

1
The Geordie Dialect: Its History and Some Basic Phrases 26:28

5M ago26:28

26:28

There can be a tendency to view folklore as antiquated customs, old legends, or outdated practices. Yet folklore is not disconnected from contemporary life, and is an ever-evolving part of our lived experience. Folk music and folk art are two obvious branches, yet dialect and language is another. Louise Pound refers to dialect as "a species of folk…

1
The Loch Ness Monster: Kelpie, Legend, or Giant Eel? 19:58

5M ago19:58

19:58

The Loch Ness Monster is perhaps one of the world's most enduring mysteries. Does a giant reptile really lurk in a Scottish loch? Has it somehow survived for millennia on its own? Or is it something darker and more dangerous? It is, after all, a monster. Its legend dates to the 7th century, although recorded sightings really begin in earnest in the…

1
Legends of RMS Titanic: Mummy Curses and Ghost Captains 20:13

5M ago20:13

20:13

Few maritime disasters have captured the public imagination like the RMS Titanic. Perhaps it's because of the relatively recent nature of its sinking, compared to the loss of the Mary Rose warship. The countless films, documentaries, and exhibitions probably help in prolonging fascination. New theories and reconstructions attempt to pin blame on on…

1
Welsh Legends and Folklore Tourism with Russ Williams 45:58

5M ago45:58

45:58

In this month's episode of Fabulous Folklore Presents, I'm talking to Russ Williams, the author of Where the Folk: A Welsh Folklore Road Trip. Russ grew up in Caernarfon in North Wales, where he was raised on Welsh stories, like the one about a mountain that would send you mad or turn you into a gifted poet if you camped out on it, or the one about…

1
Sinister Minster 44:52

6M ago44:52

44:52

They are back on their local turf again. Join Juliette and Nigel as they take a trip to the seaside town of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. There's no fun on the beach in this episode, though, as they take you to a location with five stories to share. From digging in the dark to spirits swooping around, there's even a tale about a mummy!! Welcome to the…

1
Blue Men of the Minch: Scotland's Storm Kelpies 16:14

6M ago16:14

16:14

When we look at types of folkloric creature, we often encounter the same types in different places, such as mermaids or fairies. But occasionally, you encounter a creature so localised that it only appears in a single place. The Blue Men of the Minch are one such example. Feared by sailors, the Blue Men of the Minch lived in the straight between th…

1
Legends of Submerged Villages: Divine Punishment and Drowned Churches 20:30

6M ago20:30

20:30

If we think of submerged cities, lost beneath the waves, we're probably most likely to think of Atlantis, that thought-experiment that took on a life of its own. Closer to home, there's the lost Welsh kingdom of Cantre’r Gwaelod, believed to lie between Bae Ceredigion and Ynys Enlli. Yet there are countless tales of submerged villages along both th…

1
The Mouse in Folklore: Medicine, Omens, and Collecting Teeth 21:10

6M ago21:10

21:10

The humble mouse appears in a surprising amount of folklore. Both a harbinger of death if spotted in the house, and a medical remedy for a range of ailments, it seems the mouse both harms and heals. This reputation even stretches back to ancient Egypt, demonstrating just how ambivalent humans have felt about the tiny rodent for centuries. With stra…

1
The Legends & Lore of the Dark Man with Darragh Mason 56:04

6M ago56:04

56:04

Welcome back to Fabulous Folklore Presents. This time, I'm delighted to be talking to Darragh Mason, a multi-award-winning photographer, author, and researcher. He studied photography at Dublin City University and has traveled extensively across Asia, Europe, and America, where he has written articles and published his photography. His work has tak…

1
Horses in Folklore: Black Bess, Hag Riding, and Spectral Steeds 26:56

6M ago26:56

26:56

Humans first domesticated horses in around 3500 BC. Since then, they’ve pulled our chariots and carts, carried royalty and soldiers, worked on farms, and been steadfast companions. Horses are actually a prey animal, which perhaps explains their vulnerability to supernatural attack by witches and fairies. Yet as the stories in this episode will show…

1
Dogs in Folklore: Loyal Companions and Witches' Familiars 21:27

7M ago21:27

21:27

Britain is supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, especially when it comes to pet dogs. According to the PDSA, 29% of UK adults own a dog, which gives an estimated population of 10.6 million pet dogs. While 29% isn't a majority, the number of pet dogs in the country has increased over the last few years. So it seems only fair to see how this pop…

1
Deer Folklore: Omens, Cults, and White Stag Legends 23:01

7M ago23:01

23:01

Human relationships with deer stretch back thousands of years. Archaeologists uncovered red deer skulls at Star Carr in Yorkshire which are 11,000 years old. No one knows what they were used for, if they had practical applications or were used in shamanic rituals. But it suggests some kind of relationship between humans and deer, even if we're not …

1
Listener Supernatural Experiences Part 3 of 3 29:51

7M ago29:51

29:51

I’ve been sharing real-life supernatural experiences from Fabulous Folklore listeners for the past couple of weeks. It’s been brilliant to see how vulnerable people have been in sharing these, since talking about such things can often earn you a strong amount of scorn. But I really think it’s important to preserve these stories, a) to honour the ex…

1
Paracons and Poltergeists 36:57

7M ago36:57

36:57

A little Halloween treat...or is it a trick!! Join Juliette and Nigel in discussing a road trip adventure to High Wycombe to attend their first ever Paracon. While there, they grabbed hold of everyone's favourite parapsychologist, Ciaran O'Keeffe, for an in depth discussion about Poltergeists and hauntings. Which turned into a fascinating chat inde…

1
Scottish Folk Magic with Scott Richardson-Reed 1:04:03

7M ago1:04:03

1:04:03

In this episode of Fabulous Folklore Presents, I chat to Scott Richardson-Read of Cailleach's Herbarium about Scottish cosmology, discuss the differences between Scottish folk magic and folk magic practices elsewhere in the British Isles, and talk about the value of ancestor work in Scottish folk magic. Scott is an independent researcher, published…

1
Listener Supernatural Experiences Part 2 of 3 28:02

7M ago28:02

28:02

If you listened the real-life supernatural experiences I shared last week, you would have noticed two things. First, not all experiences are terrifying. Some can be affirming, or so regular as to have become commonplace. Second, they don’t need to be full-on light and sound shows to deeply affect someone. We’re likely to pay attention to a polterge…

1
Listener Supernatural Experiences Part 1 of 3 24:43

7M ago24:43

24:43

If you believe the movies, supernatural experiences are big, brash and bold - or they’re just so bone-chillingly terrifying that you’re completely unable to do anything. I’m looking at you, 1963 version of The Haunting. But in reality? They can be far more subtle - but no less bizarre, scary, or unsettling, getting under your skin and taking root a…

1
Tarot, Love Magic and Voodoo with Lilith Dorsey 1:01:33

8M ago1:01:33

1:01:33

In this episode of Fabulous Folklore Presents, I chat to the legend that is Lilith Dorsey! We talk about tarot, some New Orleans lore, and why the city has such an unusual reputation, and why people are so drawn to love magic! Lilith Dorsey M.A., hails from many magickal traditions, including Afro-Caribbean, Celtic, and Indigenous American spiritua…

1
The Tedworth Drummer: Haunting or Hoax? 22:20

8M ago22:20

22:20

Certain cases loom large in the history of the supernatural, especially in relation to the investigation of the supernatural. The 20th century provided the likes of the Enfield Poltergeist. Even Willington Mill in the 19th century offered an earlier opportunity. Yet the Tedworth Drummer offered an opportunity to explore a haunting in the 17th centu…

1
The Mysterious Haunting at Willington Mill, Wallsend 22:03

8M ago22:03

22:03

We might think of ghost hunts or investigations as a predominantly 20th and 21st-century endeavour. Yet the legend of the ghosts at Willington Mill shows that people were trying to unearth the supernatural even in the first half of the 19th century. Spectral figures and unearthly noises plagued those living at the miller's house, with witnesses eve…

1
Lore of the Aran Islands: Saints, Ancient Forts, and Sweaters 19:56

8M ago19:56

19:56

The Aran Islands lie in Galway Bay off the west coast of Ireland. They're made up of Inis Mór, Inis Mearn, and Inis Oírr. People have likely lived on the islands since c. 3000 BCE. Late Bronze Age and Iron Age ruins scatter the islands, alongside old churches and holy wells. After the era of saints and pilgrimages, Elizabeth I unlawfully seized own…

1
Invitation to listeners! Bring out your supernatural encounters 2:42

8M ago2:42

2:42

Hello, friends! Our October theme for the podcast is (unsurprisingly) the supernatural. So I wanted to dedicate at least one episode to people's supernatural encounters, rather than focusing on what's in books or newspapers! You can remain anonymous if you want, but if you choose to submit a story, I will need to know a few things about the encount…

1
Legends of Bardsey Island: Avalon or the Isle of 20,000 Saints? 15:42

8M ago15:42

15:42

Ynys Enlli in north Wales is also known as Bardsey Island, and it's been a pilgrimage destination since the 6th century. The island lies at the north end of Cardigan Bay, just off the tip of the Llŷn peninsula. Archaeological evidence shows human habitation on the island for at least four millennia. But where does it get its mysterious name of the …

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Haunted Norfolk Podcasts

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