Ghosts can be witnessed at any time of year, but in the depths of winter, with long cold nights, it’s a busy time for spectral sightings. Hertfordshire is riddled with apparitions appearing in the winter months, writes author Jenni Kemp, you just need to know where to look.
In Datchworth, considered to be the most haunted village in the county, the groaning ghost of Walter Clibbons may be heard on December 28. Walter and his three sons were criminals of the late 18th century who frequented country fairs selling food. They used this trade as cover as they sought out traders who were making a profit. At the end of the day they would lay in wait to ambush their victims as they travelled home. One fateful night, the Clibbons gang were disturbed at their wicked deed and a violent struggle took place in which Walter was shot by a servant. Tradition says those who caught the Clibbons tied Walter by his heels to a horse and dragged him up and down the lane. The villainous Walter was buried at the spot, a stake through his heart. A wooden marker, Clibbons’ Post, stands there and to this day people say they can make out an indistinct horse pulling a groaning, contorted body towards The Horns pub....
More mysteriously but equally spooky is the ghost of Hawkins Hall Lane in the village. A little old lady who shambles along all in black, she appears to have a hunched back but from the front she is headless! She often appears as it grows dark on the lane in wintertime. Little else is known about this terrifying apparition.
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