Haunted Bourne

Like many other historic towns and cities, Bourne has its fair share of ghost stories and UFO sightings, with many documented sightings at various locations in and around the town.

One of Bourne's allegedly most haunted locations are the ancient Bourne Woods, on the western outskirts of the town. These woods date back hundreds of years and have a long history of ghost sightings. One of the most reported sightings is that of a large black dog that is said to observe people while they are in the wood. Although the creature never actually leaves the protective tree line, it said that this ghostly dog can be heard growling loudly at anyone who is unfortunate enough to encounter its ghostly presence.

A black dog is described as being black in colour though they have been seen in white. They are a lot bigger than a average size dog, have a shaggy coat, big red eyes that glow, long teeth and a slavering mouth. They disappear as mysteriously as they appear, as they simply vanish into thin air, some gradually fade until nothing, others change into another form.

A local paranormal investigation team recently visited the Bourne Woods to investigate this location. It was reported that two members of the team refused to enter the wood after experiencing extreme fear on the perimeter of the wood, with one breaking down into tears for no particular reason. The remaining members who did enter the wood were reported to make a quick escape though a gap in a perimeter hedge, after hearing the ghostly growling of what was thought to be the black dog.

One member of the team quoted the following regarding the loud growling noise that had been heard from within the woods, "The noise was really strange. It totally freaked everyone out, as we were in a wood the natural explanation of it being an animal springs to mind, but having experienced the shire loudness of the growl, and how it seemed to surround us, I'm convinced it was not an animal. It shook everyone up, and as a result this part of the investigation came to a rather hasty end."

It has been reported that the Bourne Woods may also be haunted by a grey lady and man, who are said to roam the woods after darkness falls, although documented cases of this particular haunting are scarce.

The Math Wood, located on the southern outskirts of the town, close to the new by-pass and the small halmet of Northorpe are also reported to be haunted. It is said that these woods are haunted by a ghostly character known as Nanny Rutt. This is a character in a cautionary tale associated with Nanny Rutt's well, an artesian spring in Math Wood. Legend has it that in the distant past, a girl went into the wood, to the well and disappeared having been taken off by Nanny Rutt. It is said that parents used to use it to warn their children against wandering in the wood. In this respect, Nanny Rutt was a form of the Bogeyman.

It has been reported that some people have experienced an overwhelming sense of being watched when walking though these woods and hearing identifiable noises, which it is thought could be Nanny Rutt.

There have also been sightings of ghostly figures seen on some of the isolated roads around Bourne, most notably the road between Bourne and Sleaford, where one couple reported seeing a ghostly figure on the far side of the road. It was said that this figure was seen walking towards them and grabbed their attention because it was so dark, and there was no sign of life or civilization in the direction in which he was heading. It was reported that his clothes were very strange and as the others cars headlight were passing him, he seamed to take a large stumble in to the centre of the road. It was reported that the gentlemen driving the car slammed on the brakes at the same moment his wife called stop! As they passed where the figure should have been, it was said that he was right back to the side of the road again. They both thought this was strange, as logic dictates that he should have been hit by the vehicle, as he could not have possibly moved back onto the side of the road that quickly. They then reported that when we looked up they noticed that the car in front of them never broke once, which suggested that they had not even seen this figure.

Finally, it is also reported that one of the oldest surviving domestic properties in Bourne, the Red Hall is reputably haunted by the ghost of a former resident, who has been seen roaming this 17th century building on a number of occasions.

UFO sightings in and around Bourne are also common place, with many people claiming to have experienced an unexplained sighting. Please review the links below to read some eye witnessed accounts from people in the area.