True Supernatural Story

Thetford Priory

For some years in my younger days I had what some might say was the perfect job. I was employed as a surveyor of ancient monuments by the British Government. This meant I was able to visit many old churches, castles, neolithic sites and ruined abbeys and cathedrals in the daily course of my work. I spent many happy hours sketching and recording architectural details at these wonderful sites and of course much of the time it was during the beautiful English summers.

Many of the buildings had long histories stretching back several hundred years and of course there was at times a very palpable sense of the past. Old buildings are said to carry within their walls residual echoes of its past inhabitants. To be honest I never gave much thought to ghosts and supernatural happenings until one summer’s day in Thetford in Suffolk.

I was carrying out a survey of the ruins that was once a spectacular Norman Cluniac Priory founded in 1103. The superstructure of the once impressive buildings had long been destroyed by the iconoclastic men of Henry VIII going about their awful business during the dissolution of the monasteries and this priory was abandoned in 1536. There must have been great sadness and much violence done at Thetford when the priory was torn down. 

I had resumed my work after lunch and was mapping out the position of stub stone columns all that now remained of the great supporting structure that held up the large timber roof beams. The site was closed to the public on that day and the resident caretaker had gone into town for some supplies so I was quite alone. I suddenly became aware of a person to the left of my vision and quickly looking up saw a gowned figure pass behind the mass of a column and disappear from view. I put my sketch pad and pencil down on the grass and walked to the other side of the column to apprehend whoever it was, for on this day when the monument was closed, they had no right to be in the grounds. Before turning the corner of the ruined masonry I called out “Hello! You shouldn’t be here today!”

I was just about to add as I got to the far side “because the monument is shut to the public...” when I was surprised to see that no one was there. I was perplexed to say the least because I had definitely spied the figure just moments before. Calling out again in aloud voice “Hello...Hello!” I ran to several of the other piles of masonry where I thought they might be hiding but I found no one. It was at that point I felt a distinct chill course through my body and the hairs on neck stood on end. As I write these words the same feeling is coursing through me. It was only today when researching some information about the Priory in Wikipedia that I read that the place was haunted and was the subject of the TV documentary ‘Ghosthunters’. I do believe I had on that day experienced a ghost, perhaps a hooded monk still walking the sacred grounds of his once thriving Priory.