Many people over the years have reported hearing the sound of galloping horses and the sound of wheels on many a lonely country road, some have even seen this sinister vehicle pass them by, others see nothing but instead, hear the sound. It is said that when one hears or sees these death coaches, it symbolises death - and is on it's journey to collect the person who is about to expire.
In her book, Mysterious Ireland, Sheila St Clair writes about such coaches, and tells the tale of Frank McGovern who had been travelling along the Newtowngore Road one evening with a friend when they heard the sound of wheels coming up behind them. When they looked over their shoulders, they both saw the coach and to avoid being struck by it, they jumped into the ditch and out of harms way. Both men saw the coach clearly as it passed them by, and told witnesses that it was tall and black, that there was a driver holding reins in his hands but that there were no horses to be seen. They also said, that as far as they could see, the coach was empty, except for the driver. A little way on up the road, the coach turned off and vanished from sight.
Another tale is that of a family sitting with their dying child. The sound of a coach was heard driving up to the front door, but it also happened that the elderly mother, who also lived in the house, was not well, and the daughter in law was sure that the coach had come to collect the old lady. Unfortunately, later in the day, it was the child and not the ailing grandmother, who died.
Here in the UK, many Royal ghosts, Kings, Queens and Princes, Lords and Ladies haunt many buildings in which they dwelled during their lives. Legions of Roman Soldiers still walk in cities like York, whilst Cromwells soldiers still roam places like Marston Moor, hiding in ditches or galloping across the moor on horseback ......Ancient Monks and Nuns walk the ruins of many an abbey, the haunting tones of church organs can be heard coming from empty isolated country churches, many - Inns and Taverns have ghostly guests, and so do some of our Hospitals..
Some ghosts tend to visit prior to a death. In my own experience, I remember one of my boyfriends elderly aunts, who came to stay with his family after her husband, Percy had died. She lived there happily for a few years, and then one day she came out of the shower and told us that she had just seen Percy in the shower. We thought she was pulling our legs, but about a week later she died. Also, before my Grandmother died, she asked who the man was sitting at the end of her bed. There was no one there, and we thought it might be Grandad, her husband, coming for her.
I also remember when I lived in Germany, seeing a man holding a small child in his arms in my bedroom one night - although whether I really saw it or was half asleep I couldn't swear! At the time I was living across the road from an old Nazi holding camp and the estate was built upon an old graveyard.
Quite a bit has been documented about Phantom dogs and other animals. These usually tend to be huge black animals with ferocious looking eyes stalking roads and graveyards and striking fear into the heart of anyone who has the misfortune to come across them.
Although some of these animals are still looking for their masters, or guarding their fallen masters bodies, some of these animals are looked upon as being evil and demonic and may even appear to symbolise a forthcoming death.
Some of these animals appear headless, why I cannot fathom, as there doesn't appear to be any documentation to say that in days of old dogs were beheaded like their human counterparts!!!
Happily, there are few reports of seeing such phantom dogs these days, probably because of more efficient road systems taking us off the old proverbial beaten track - and for me that's a good thing, as I think some living dogs are scary enough without the possibility of bumping into a phantom dog!!!
Check out the links below to read more about ghosts and phantom dogs e.t.c.
The Borley Family History Pages
The Village with a Dozen Ghosts
Haunted Castles and Nortumbrian Ghosts
Ghosts and Tragedies of Northumberland
Ghosts in Pickering and Scarborough
More Scottish Haunting Stories