a!) ae AGT y ce IRo a SUN UNEXPECT: SB} 1) Peeieaasrt yiu:¥ Edition - EZ Digital MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP ? SUNKEN CITIES ? LOST LANDS ? MISSING PERSONSAAMMAAMA MAMMA MAAMAMAMAM AMAA AMA 4, dd A ddl dd ddd dd ddd dda 444.444. “AdAdadddaddadddadaddadadadadadadad. AAadgdaadadadaddddadadsdasdaadad. ‘dd didddddddddddddddddddd. AdbAdabaddadAaddadaadadadaadd, r"rrrrPrrrryrrPrrrrrrrrryPr “sAAdaadaasdadadaaaadaadadada. dd dd dl did di dd ddd did.didddidddi dl. AAAMAAMdMAMadd dA Adda dd AA A dd ddd dad ddidid4ddidddddd4dadd. dd dl dd dd ddiddd ddd 444 4d dda. ‘“sdddaddddadddadaddadadsadadaadad. “Add ddaddaadadadaddaadaaadaadad. A dl dl ddl ddl ddd ddl dla dad al ad aa Ad ddd ddd did ddddddddddd dada. rrrrrVyrrPrrrrrrrvrrryrryr rVVVrrrrPrPrPrrP “addadaadadadad.SHISTORY 5: Eko -* MYSTERIES History is supposed to explain the events of the past, but some of them defy explanation or even rational belief. How can ships and aeroplanes vanish from the seas and skies? Why are there formations in the ocean depths that look eerily like alien structures? Are they the lost sunken lands of myth? ‘What strange energies fuel the dancing lights in the Texan desert? Could a ghost send email in the 1980s? Join us as we delve into all of these bizarre questions and more as we reveal history’s weirdest mysteries...iad a (Lay) , ie CONTENTS i ODD PLACES STRANGE FOLK 56 Samm. 72 Ae eQees.. 74 Se 64 ESE 94 Ee “ 86! ws ‘MURDERS AND. 6 6 THE DANCING PLAGUE Au ion thatWEIRD SCIENCE 9 6 ARE WE REALLY ALONE? ] it 4 THEHUM ‘Do governments have ‘The noise heara roof of alien ie? around tho world 10 LOT Sac l l 8 ie THESE THOUGHT AE 10. 4. SECRET SIGNALS i 12 2 ae ‘MooN music ‘The stations thet send tpl 20 TH EAL 1 ] Te 124 ts inate SOLVED arses payee power aOdd PlacOM nares Iving allover the globe, almost from pole to pole, humans occupy nearly ‘every comer ofthe word. Seemingly, nearly everything has already been discovered and understood as humankind has leamt almost a there isto know about the planet and what's on it. However, the Earth stil holds number of mysteries - both natural and ancient human-made structures = which stil arent fully understood. Seeing is belevng. or so were tld, but gravy hile beg to cite. Alo known as magic roads; these re an optical isin that makes look youre traveling uphill when youre actualy soing Gown. Perhaps best experienced ina car, the phenomenon s caused by the surrounding landscape making it falsely look asf you are roling uphil, even though gravity is working as normal, taking the car down a slope. Often the horizon and other points of reference ike buildings, arent viewable from the ange the hills ‘on, skewing your perception ofthe slope further, as your brain focuses onthe roa rather than the surroundings, whieh would usualy prove is true and real graient. The unusual occurrence means that. acrss the word, magic roads have spawned inyths and legends. One such tale is that a ghost pushes the cars up the hil ard. f you brake to stop the ghost. steal l your petrol (On the south vest coast of Arica is another ‘magical phenomena, this tie named after afer. Namibia fairy eles are a spectaculsr round pattem on the ground that look ike the Earth has chickenpox. The crcles had long puzzled scientists with some attributing ther to termites, while others belived that plants had specifically somehaw chosen where to grow. The real never was closer tothe latter with the culprit actualy being grass around the rings sucking all the moisture out ofthese small areas. With the malnourished grass dying, the circles remained wile vegetation grew around them. Perhaps the most famous structre with rystical associations created by humankind s ‘Stonehenge. The prehistoric monument is famous forthe large stones that make up its circular formation bt, milena ater its construction, it stil int completely clear what it i or why and owt was bul. The purpose of Stonehenge 's bebeved tobe spintual and it's thought that the stones algn withthe movement of the sun 1 phenernena that 's especially prevalent atthe midsummer ad rmigwinter solstices ~ as well as the monty [Phases of the moon. Therefore itis reasoned that it acted asa srt of neolithic calendar forthe changing ofthe seasons as well as a bural sit. Mystery surrounds just how the stones that weigh more than 22 tons ~ were mewed into place, especially asthe type of rock snot found from sunrise fo sunset‘al that locally to Stonehenge. Some betove that the stones were left in the area ater the meting Jacier during an ice age, while others are ‘ofthe opinion that they were moved into place by humans using wooden rolers or sledge. Despite being one ofthe most weltknown ancient structures in the world and a UNESCO Wore Heritage Site, we carit say for sure what its rue purpose really was and its mastery ives on, (Only 20 miles away trom Stonehenge is Avebury, another neothic formation tht, with ‘more than 100 stones, the largest stone circle in Europe. tis a ceremonial burl site but une its nearby counterpart, wooden Iiely to have aso been on the site, Avebury has a network of banks, itches and circles but. like ‘many similar structure, a square monument hasbeen discovered beneath the ste. Surveys ‘ao suggest that there was a small wooden bulking and both are believed to date back to ofa, tures are ow ieee Re aun Nog tc. around 3.500 BCE. The purpose of Avebury isnt known for sure but theories ince that it or religious gathering place, in a sirilar way to Stonehenge. that was use to measure astronomical events and celebrate the beginning and the end of seasons. The mystery surrounding Avebury grows further as i's supposed that many ofthe stones were moved, buried or destroyed by order ofthe early Cristian church ast was befeve that they were recs of pagan worshipping, Some were aso used for construction during stone shortages in the 18th tury so the site may have been larger and ‘more complete than i today. In parts of England, some ofthe rong ills have large chal figures emblazcned upon them Apreminent example isthe 50-metre Cerne Abbas Giant, wich depicts a man carrying a cub. eis unknown who created i with some believing it was the Celts while others suggest it was created inthe Anglo-Saxon era or even curing the Entish Civd War tis thought thet couples would venture Lup to the Giant by right in the hope its distinety alc symbolism would bless families with children, Another etyph at Urington, Witshire, itustrates a giant horse. end a similar design was twsed on Celt cons, though its unusual design means that some belve itt representa dragon, ‘These vast images were thought to symbolise ‘or honour gods and bring good luck, One story behind the Urfington White Horse i that wil awake and dance upon te hilt King Arthur were tore again. Recently its theorized that ‘may have been created forthe Celtic and Roman soxdess of horses, Epona, These markings have inspired more recent version inchadng the Csmington White Horse made for King George Il in 1808, and a 15 acre kiwi bid in New Zealand created in 1919 ater the First Work War to welcome returing New Zealand troops.Dowsing isthe use of wooden or metal rods to detect hidden archaeological features. When held out the Y-shaped instrument is seemingly moved by hidden energy and can locate underground water and ol or potentially lead to undiscovered ancient objects. Research has shown that dowsing only works ifthe user already has some prior information of roughly where the target can be found and the tool is unable to locate anything by itself. ‘The only suecess from dowsing has been through inaccurate or misplaced anecdotes and not scientific fact. Indeed, the rods may look tke they move towards an area that contains subterranean water but i's only because of the movements of the users arms that this happens, This fs what's called the idoomotor effect, where someone moves unconsciously but believes that the movernents arent caused by them but by something else ~ supernatural or otherwise. A similar phenomenon occurs when a Ouija board |s used, In addition, dowsers usualy operate where it's known that water 's underground anyway. Therefore, the idea of dowsing fs bit on random chance. This doesnt stop dowsors being called into locate water to this day, however: Wal fit works, who needs a reason why? ne theory combines natural and hua ‘made structures at specifi locations across the lobe. Ley ines imlve the theory that historical ‘monuments were purposely constructed in ‘a connected network and ae an example of ‘ancient lost knowledge. I's proposed that this formation was used purposely to create spntua ties between ancient sites, This belie can be as small scale as connections between Stonehenge ‘and Avebury or auch arger scope such as between the Great Wal of China and the Egyptian Pyramids. This thought can also be expanded into crop icles and natural landscapes such a& Uluru The concept of ly lines revolves around the idea ofthe Earths spiritual energy rather than a physical or nvigatioral ink between locations. Ley lines vary between cultures with the idea of firy paths orginating from Ietand, ‘agentes from China and spint ines from the Incan societies in South America, In the UK, St 10 ate, wh wil ten eed Michaes Line isa supposed 350 mie ley line that ‘sts between St Michae"'s Mount in Cornwall ‘and Norfolc Over the rsh Sea jutting out rom the Norther Irish coast a famous landscape known as the Giant's Causeway. formation of hexagonal columns it was formed 50-60 millon years ago by the cooling of superheated rock into distinctive shapes. Nearby ancient volcanoes ‘spewed out lava that cooled into the rocky columns you can see today. The ancient tale tates thatthe striking causeway was created by the mythical ksh her Finn MacCool who vas a giant trying to get closer toa rival giant in Scotland. Modem technology has since dspeled the fore behind the causeway but the name has stuck Scientific experiments on samples lof basaltic reck in olan demonstrated that the cooling process that formed the causeway ‘and also created another remarkable natural formation which reaches into the sky rather than stepping out into the ooean. ‘Standing alone onthe horizon the genesis of the Devs Tower in Wyoming USA is stl tricky to understand. A thick spire of rock shooting Up int the ar ts theorse that it riginated as subterranean molten rock that rose to the Earths surface as one huge mass, Erosion over 50 milion years has let only the strongest reck to become a tower hundreds of metres inthe ai. ‘particularly tal tale explains why itis known asthe Deul's Tower. The Native American Sioux had a story that a giant bear scratched at a ‘mountain while chasing chidren ancy, eventual. ithad clawed! for so long, that only the Bear's Tower remained. However, a mistransation mean that bear’ vas substuted fr ‘bad goin interpretations which then became ‘dei. Not for the frst te, a misunderstancing has formed a nth out ofa legendHOUSKA CASTLE This Czech fortress is said to guard a gateway into the depths of Hell bout 5Okm away from Prague stands a castle that seemingly serves absolutely no purpose. Houska Castle was builtin the 1th century by the Bohemian ruler Ottokar I The caste changed hands several times, enjoying a Renassance redesign in the late 16th century, before fang into disrepair inthe 18th century. By the 20th century, the curious legend of Houska Castle had attracted the attention of one particular group of people: the Nazis. nike other fortresses ofthe perio itwasrit meant to house the king, The caste wasnt near any trading route and there was no ‘aocess to water. Defences were uit inside the caste rather than outse ~ instead of keeping people out it seemed Ike the castle was meant to trap something ee in. ‘ecoring to lore, tis apparently pointess Construction was, in fact, bul over the gates of Hel A bottomless hole had existed at Houska for centuries, a gateway for demons and ev beings to enter Earth and terorise people. The area has long been avoided by locals. and evento this day the caste i given a wide berth, wth oly the inquistve daring to set enter. ‘Above this fateful hole stands the chapel, decicated to none ether than the leader of God's army, Archangel Michael. Fescoes decorate the walls = but their gory tales ave an insight into what rks below. with lfthanded demons clawing their way out ofthe scones However, before the chape’s construction the hole was invelved in some sinister experiments. Attempts were made to fil the hole with rocks, but no matter how many rocks were thrown i, 12 ‘never seemed to fl I's alleged that one duke summoned prisoners who had been condemned to death and offered them a pardon if they agreed tobe lowered into the hole, Many agreed, ‘expecting to escape with their Wes, They were ‘mistaken, There was lence as one was lowered down, Moment later his uncontrollable screams. echoed up from the depths. Ashe was hauled ‘back out, they discovered his hai ha turned white and he'd aged several decades. They ‘never fund out what was in there it drove the prisoner to madness, and he ded days later. Houska Castle's secrets doit end there. Many visitors dai to have experienced supernatural encounters, from the ghost ofa woman that sta the corridors, to curious arial ike presences skitterng onthe edge of sight Its these stores and supernatural sightings that struck a cherd withthe esoterca-obsessed "Nazis, From 1939 to 1945, Houska Castle was home to occult experiments, but records were lstroyed and i's nat known what happened here, However, several skeletons of Nazi oficers were discovered during renovations,Ed——_. Q, Odd Places ee PHANTOM ISLAND Humans have always wondered what’s over the next horizon, and according ORC CR CR CEN Cite ote Rea tot Bae eR hank mat ie UWL) ce er eee a od Seopa starr etd ne What these travelers tld you might have seemed unbelievable but with so mary people ee ee en) er ee rte nen eens the far east there were cultures older than time Cd ees eee eer eo es Coreen reenter at ey a ted eae ey ee nd Fee ee ee eto ard Cee eee tg ees Cette Ce ees eensDid the catastrophic explosion of a volcano inspire the legend of Atlantis? Visitors to the paradise island of Santor inthe ‘Aegean Sea woul be hard pressed to describe ‘tas deaster zone Inthe Ih century BCE there was a thriving Minoan society onthe island “They raised beautiful buiings, decorated them with elegant frescoes, and weve deicat clothes. ‘Then arcund 1600 BCE the people of the isla ‘were wiped from the map by the eruption ofthe volcano Thera that forms the heart ofthe fand, ‘The explosion of Thera was one ofthe largest recorded eruptions in human history. Hundreds of ‘metres of ash were deposted. Much of the island was obliterated leaving just a i ofthe voleano protruding from the sea. Earthquakes and tsunamis destroyed many Minoan settements on nearby istands. Wasa folk ‘memory ofthis cataclysm atthe bass of Plato's tale of Avantis? Prato described the Atlanteans as ring rom ‘aniland which was swallowed by a natural clsaster. “But afterwards there occured violent ‘earthquakes and floods; and in a single day and right of misfortune all your warike men in 2 bboy sani into the earth, and the island of Alfants in tke manner disappeared in the depts ofthe sea” ‘The sudden destruction of ancient Thera certainly seems tof ths description. Thee are problems with the identtication of Aarts wth Thera, however, Prato is careful to describe tants as beng in the Atlantic Ocean and notin the nearby Aegean, In Plat’ teling the isand of Atantis was larger than Libya and Asia combined, which ancient ‘Thera was deftly not even before part oft blew up. Final Plato would not have had to cast his mind back over 1000 years for tales of cearthquakes and tsunamis - they were relatively ‘common in the geclogicaly unstable eastern Mediterranean, The hunt for Alanis it was ‘ever more than an idea, must continue.2), Odd Plac In the Arthurian legend of Tristan ane seul, the hero Tristan isthe son of the king of Lyonesse. This and stretched far aut into the sea beyend Cornwall and was rich in lands and pepulated by strong and heathy people. They constructed grand towns an towering churches. Then in Single night the whole and was washed under the sea. Only the group of racks known a8 Seven Stones Reet row marks the location ofthis sunken kingdom. | LYONNESSE Coasctine in. 3,000 HY-BRASIL In maps from the 14th century onwards tothe west of Ieland you can find ‘anisland called Bras or Hy Bras, Expeditons were launched from Bristol in the 1480s. There was a claimed sighting in 1674 when Captain John Nisbet ‘saw a bank of fog ft which revealed the island. On land he met a man who claimed the island was usualy hopthidon by the magi ofa wizard but the spell was broken, The land was never seen again. LEMURIA Inthe late 18th century the archaeologist Augustus Le Plongeon thought lost continent in the Indian ocean has been even the name he found similares between the wring ofthe ancient Egyptians and Lemuria. t was fst proposed to explain why fossils of lemurs Mayans. To explain a ink between the two he hypethesised a lost ere found in India ard Madagascar but not continent that layin the Atlantic called Mu. Cilsation had been cari to In Afrea. Lemuria would have allowed the Egypt by a Queen Mo from Mu, and also tothe New World. thers have ‘anima to cross a lnd bridge. twas placed Mu inthe Pacific but have been unable to locate it then incorporated into Theosophical belts as the home of a pomerl civlisation known as te Tid Rock Race. The theory of plate tectonios and the movement of landmasses has since explained how lemurs are found in India andl Madagascar Srertta Ly Peco cy Presa gray the subject of Peete sacl ag Peni ectritg Parasol Peat) Rieter) Sichsnemnsctne SSL | SHAMBHALA ‘The ancient Tibetan religion of Bon has legends that it was funded by a man called Tonga Shenrab Mioche who atved from a land known as Sharnbhala ~ the Land of Peace. Only those who were pure of heat could lve in Shambhala Various descriptions place Shambhala ina deep valley or beside a mountain inthe Himalayas. Noone has ever found Shambhala, but that may be because tes atthe intersection between the physical and spiritual realms according to belivers.‘According to Broton myth the city of ¥s was bull on the coast of Brittany by the wise and pious King Gradon who used dykes to hold back the sea. Unfortunately his daughter. Princess Dahut, opened the dykes to let na lover and the whole city was swallowed, Legends say that the city of Ys will emerge from the sea when Parsi engulfed by waters. Some say the bells of Ys can stil be hear ringing beneath the waves where the ety sank In what is now Cardigan Bay in Wales itis said that there was once the kingdom of Cantre’ Gwaelod. The sea was held back by mighty walls that had suice gates that were opened to lt water flow away. One day the keeper the keeper ofthe gates got drunk and lft them open. The ‘whole land drowned a the tide swent in, Today at low tide the stumps (of tees from an ancient forest ernerge from the water which some ‘beleve tobe the remains of Canter Gwaelo. ‘Acity known as ram ofthe Pili sid tobe buried under the sands ofthe Arabian desert. The Muslim holy book the Quran describes how God poured out destruction ona place known a “Iram = who had ltt pillars." Those who have scoured the sands for evidence of ram have pointed to meteor impact craters and deep sinkholes as posible locations fr the lst city. ‘What lys hidden inthe centre ofthe Earth? For believers inthe Hollow Earth theory there | is aninhabitable space beneath our fest. One ‘theory i that this isthe home of Agartha ~ 2 land populated by advanced humans. Beivers say the legend of Agatha dates back to | pre-Hind tales of race who lved on ‘an sland but moved thelr cisaton Underground to avoid a cataclysm, The race flourished and uses tunnels ‘connected t all continents Inthe ath century BCE a ost account ofthe Greek Pytheas. described his vist to and in the far north which he named Thule He placed Thule six days salirg from the north of tain. Later ‘ters sad that it was a place where the sun never set during ‘midsummer, placing it within the Artic czce, Mary places have ‘been propased as Thule: Greeniand,leland, Shetland, and theOdd Plac RAVENSER 000 The town that was washed away Unlike Pag Cree! CUS Eatiog Ceres recorded two Were kod SRST 1295 In 1299 a prosperous town standing on the banks of the Humber river in England was ranted a royal charter. It was known as Ravenser (Od, from "Ravers Tongue, due to the shape of the peninsula it stood on. Sources speak of other towns becoming jealous oft stealing thelr profits ‘They must have cheored when the tides started to tum against the town, ‘The waves began to erode the land which Ravenser Odd stood on. By 1332 twas said that a third of the population ha fed the steady washing away of thor property. The ed erkerepee nt ~— a ANT 1 QVITE a tanieexperimentt de chaktimens de fea» que, c fie Les voutoss tus secenfer ponds tn prec me defadimt plinkt08 que LefubseEb. Le premiers ele pliss memora= town chapel was undercut by the sea andthe bodies ofthe dead started to emerge. This was taken 2s a portent of doom. The end came wth a huge storm tide called Sant Marcos Food, or the Great Drowning of Men, in 1362. Ravenser Odd sipped forever beneath the sea and archaeologists are stil searching fort wth 2 ‘sonar survey research projct held in 2022. RUNGHOLT A town destroyed by the arrogance of its people, and the wild sea For hundreds of years the people of Schleswig have told stories ofthe town of Runghost and the fate the overtook it. Bult an an island called Strand near to the coast was once a thriving port tou, Wealth flowed into the town from the ships that docked and this money was invested in dykes to cive the sea ever further back. Fiches made the people arrogant, it said and during one storm, they openly mocked the se and dared ito its worst. This was the same storm of 1362 which drowned Ravenser Oc, The storm broke the dykes and inundated Runghott, drowning it forever. The sea wasnt done with Strand flan. On 11 October 1634 a storm caused what is known 25 the Burchard Flood “The coastine was shattered in mary parts of Schleswig and by the time it receded most of Strand was gone, “This was the same storm of 1362 which also drowned the town of Ravenser Odd”The islands where the ancient, world’s tin was mined “Tinis vital fr making bronze and so trader ofthe ancient world were wing to travel arge distances to find it.The Greek historian Herodotus says that tin in his day was dug in the Cassteridos = the tin islands ~ but he did not know where they were, Later ‘writers placed them tothe north-west f Spain, To reach them, Meciterranean traders had to risk the rough seas ofthe Atante. (One of the ely locations ofthe Cassiterides fs Corll in Britain 28 Its rich in tin which has been mined there sine antqulty. Shunned by sailors and beset by evil spirits Off the coast of Newfoundland in North “America many map makers of the 16th century placed a pair of islands which they ‘named the [le of Demons. Sailors avoided the place due to mysterious howing emanating from and baled that i was home to rmalcious supernatural beings. When the French noblewoman Marguerite de La Roque bbecame pregnant by @ common salor she was. ‘marooned on the Isle of Demons by her uncle. Her child and lover ced there but Marguerite ‘was rescued. Given the unralbityof early maps itis not certain which istand the Ie of Demons actualy was. A saint’s attempts to find the Isle of the Blessed ‘Saint Brendan, known as The Navigator, ved in the 6th century and is said to have sale into the Atlantic. evangelisng to those he met while in search ofthe [le ofthe Blessed, an ancient Greek legend reconceptualsed in medieval Chistian belt 5 aholy paradise He saw many amazing sights ‘and said he managed to locate the island, where he stopped to say mass, For huncreds of years it was marked on maps. though no one could agree ‘actly where it was. Various lecations have been suggested from close to Irland, to Madeira, tothe ‘Azores. As late asthe 1770s sailors were recording sightings of St Brendan’ Island, but no one has reliably identified yet.‘The legendary and lost kingdom of the dread sorceress Queen Himiko In ancient Chinese istories there are record of queen caled Hike who ‘ed a land ale Yat in Japan. Ther records ay that she care to power after 80 years ofc war wich ‘avaged the and when her people etea her queen They ao say she ‘led by sorcery and betcha her subjects rom inside ay feted pace. Flowing Hiko’ death she ts buried in amour alongside 100 of her closest servants, The kingdom of Yamatal disappeared fem hstory soon afterwards, Te Chinese records a0 Be drectons for reaching Yamatal that Where precisely was Yamata? This sone of _ while others favour Honshu, There ae aso some donot seem to match up wth Japanese the most hotly debated topics in Japanese history. who say Himiko ruled from one ofthe islands in the oograpy. Some scholars place it onthe sland ofKyushy area known asthe Devils Sea south of Japan, Driven by a lust for wealth explorers searched for the lost city of gold From the moment Europeans arrive inthe New Word they hungeed for ‘the god and jewels they thought must exist there. Word soon began to spread about a cty, or country, called El Dorado Cthe golden’) where gold was a commen as dit. Conquistadors and explorers tke Walter Raleigh searched Venezuela, Colombia, and anywhere they couid reach in pursuit of the untold riches that could be thers. None found Many ofthe gold hunters heard rumours ofa land caled Meta or Metza where temples were filed with gold But it aways eluded them. Attempts were made to drain Lake (Guatavita in the Andes because it was thought a treasure of gold was hidden there. Only smal amounts of gold were lever recovered ‘There was a real) Dora butt was 2 person net a place. When the leader ofthe Muisca people was ‘anointed he was covered in gold cust ‘and rowed to ake to wash tof. He was the golden one the El Dorado. ee Pas essen model may sbow © the ceremony ota new Flee 20 SI win irre nomaner i Yerenage PAPER TOWNS ISLE on, wieHr ogotiy pose Pie ee eo Pie wcrc Ore eee ty encyclopaedia Why cartographers put towns on maps when there’s nothing there if you fotow the map produced by Otto G LUndberg and Emest Alpes in 1930 of New York State it should not be too ficult to fn the town of Age. tis very clearly marked. Yet vaitors willbe disappointed. There is no Agloe and there never was. Infact the ame was made up. from the nial of the cartographers, asa way to ensure that no ‘one copied their map. Mapmakers create these paper towns, or phantom settoments, te catch out unscrupulous copyeats. I anyone plagarised ther map they would be able to point to Agloe as proof. This can bea rea problem. In 2001 the Automabile Association in Brain pad Orcinance Survey £20 miion nen it was caught copying their maps. Otten cartographers only insert smal roads ‘oF streets into the maps to catch copiers. Some have unauble names such as Lye Close. Other examples are Moat Lane in London and Oxygen Street in Edinburgh, Paper towns may be rarer but can be found in many maps and usualy vole small vlages and settlements that no ‘one would want to goto anyway. Even the ‘omniscient Google Maps seems tohave phantom settlements At one time searches for Argeton would direct users to an empty patch of fils in England, Was this an attempt to trap anyone using thee data? Some users pointed out that rgleton is an ‘anagram of "Not real G" ~ were G could be the intial or Google. Google itself merely described it as a stake “The internat as come to lve the concept of paper towns. German users have popularised the idea thatthe (genuine) city of Bleleetd does not exst ands the product of a conspiracy to make people believe itis real 24Odd Plac THE REAL TREASURE ISLAND The hunt for treasure on Oak Island has claimed the lives of six and the fortunes of many - but what even lies beneath the soil of this treacherous patch of land? WAITENBY ALICE PATTILLO st off the Atlantic coast of Nova ‘Sata, eastern Canada, in Mahone Bay, about 45 miles southwest of the provincial capital of Halifax. sits a small sland shrouded in legend and lore. Oak Island is not quite a mile long, and less than half a mile wide, connected to the mainland by a causeway bul in 1965, and made up, ‘mostly of swamps and marsh, but that hasn't stopped it from being one of Canada's most encuring mysteries (ak Island is one of 360 srrallistarcs within Mahone Bay but i one ofthe largest and located barely 200 yards from the mainland ‘The eastside ofthe sland is composed of the Porous rocks imestone, gypsum and sandstone hile the west, by contrast, nasty made up of ‘uartzte and slate with the wetland separating the extremities leading to theories thatthe island was once two, conjoined by nature or the work of man. The island's name derives from it being the only one in the area home to 22 an irpressive forest of mature red oak trees. ‘These magnificent trees once erguifed the land ‘mass and would have been a stumning spectacle for early European settlers. Unfortunately, the ‘ak population was later decimated in the 19th Century thanks to an infestation of black ants. ‘These lish thickets would have fe mystical ane cere without the added mystery now associated with the island and pernaps that's exactly vy the legend exist. In fact. the citizens ofthe ‘nearby township of Chester hax shared tales of ‘strange ights” appearing onthe land aftr dark ‘Silay, rumerous local shermen had reported ‘ystorous human figures “sihouctted aganst bonfires” spotted on the isle. This led to two men venturing out to Oak Island to investigate, nly to ever be seen again BURIED TREASURE? Butt is 1795 thatthe myth that would captivate the world was inital estabished. The story begins witha teenage boy by the name ofThe real Treasure Island Fi 3pa Daniel MeGinris. The 16-yearclt had rowed to the eastside of Oak Island early one spring morning with the spirt of adventure. Some sources say hhe was accompanied by two friends, Anthony Vaughn and John Smith, others say his pals Joined him later, but the general consensus i that [McGinnis hada been exploring the island long when he came across a bizarre 13 foot saucer shaped depression in the earth vathin a dearrg, with evidence thatthe pit was manmade. The {erked txanch ofan cok re extended deocty ‘above the curious crater and. allegedly, hosted 2 tackle block, attached by a wooden peg. Upon winessing the strange set up McGinris surmised ‘one thing ~ ths must be the ste of buried treasure. What ther explanation could thre be? He immedately enlisted the help of Vaughn and ‘Smith to investigate. When the boys attempted te remove the tackle block hangin from the oak branch it fel tothe ground and crumbled into ower indicating some significant age. Net MeGinns, Vaughn and Smith went to town on the hollowed ground with pickaxes and shovels, lagng two fet down unt they hit a layer of flagstones that appeared to have been iid there. After tossing the stones aside, the tio dscovered ‘athe entrance toa shaft the walls of which were ‘made from har, packed cay. They shoveled the loose earth for within the shaft, labouring for 2 few days before striking sold wood about ten fet down. What the boys mistook fora treasure chest was actually @ smal platform formed by logs. Aided wih arope and a bucket, the ads continued to dg ane discard the lose sol for another tn fot untl hitting soil weod once ‘again ~ another level platform of logs. It was at this point. 20 feet down, surrounded by wals of ay thatthe teens decides they needed help (or would potentiay wind up buried ave. They ceventualy decided to buy land upon the island, supporting themselves a farmers and spending their spare time seeking out others to help them ‘upon their quest to unearth what they believed as Captain Kidd's treasure Within the next ten years. the word of potent treasure had spread throughout the province Prominent men had taken an interest in the promise of hidden riches, and decided to fern 2 company forthe purpose of fling the ‘sive treasure. Enlistng the help of specialist lequpment, the pit was excavated a further 75 feet, with wooden logs found marking every ten fot crop. At 90 feet down there was afl slab of rock with markings etched into, which was, Interpreted as meaning “forty fet below two millon pounds buried” by an expert in Halifax.‘A approximately 90 feat a wooden platform was discovered, spanning the entire shaft, but when the men retuned to work two days after making this cscovery the hole was found fled with 30 feet of water despite there being no signs of moisture before. An elaborate booby trap, perhaps? They tried tono aval to drain out this phantom water but after days of work it was decided to dig anew dct next tothe original fone and attempt to tunnel underneath the ole shaft to locate the treasure. The new shaft was dug successful, but when they began tunneling beneath the original they were met wih a sudden flood of water yet again, the men barely escaping with their ives. The company soon pulled out ‘rom the treacherous treasure sooking, By the midSth century the treasure hunt ‘on Oak island had caught on. n 1849. Vaughn returned to the original pt, but water was struck ‘at 86 feet down, Again the water would shit. Another effort was made with another group of ‘men who delle bore holes ae discovered the Platform found by the team almost hal a century eater was made of spruce After dling through they found layers of oak, metal more spruce, clay ‘and even coconut fibres, A thi shaft was dug with the same intention asthe second but again was flooded with seawater. This same pattern repeated with numerous excavation attempts made by a varity of companies. Some efforts {even resulted in the colapse of the platforms, uring any prospective treasure further down, Into the ground, Te orginal shaft was quickly dubbed the Money Pit due tothe extensive ‘amount of capital tat had been invested into ‘excavating te hole, but despite this, avi treasure seekers endured with the elusive shaft and nearby cave, Smits Cove, attracting a constant fw of Investigators consistently for oer 200 years = Cone party of explorers even included US president Frankin D Roosove. The cost ofthe hunt for gold on Oak sand hasnt been ust losses in frances. Legend has it that seven men wil ein the search before the treasure is found, So farsi unfortunate souls have ost their ives in the pursuit ofthe speculated treasure. In 161, a pump engine boler burst, lig one man, in 1857 a weer bythe ame of Maynard Kaiser el to his death In 1965, the team reported on by Reacers Digest sutfered four fataltes: Robert Resta his 18-year old son, his work partner Carl Graeser and another man who attempted to save the men, Cyl Hitz, ‘AN ENDURING ENIGMA ‘There have been allegations that McGinnis, Vaughn and Smith mae up the story in order to cover up the fact that they already located the PIRATE BOOTY? When McGinnis discovered what has since been dubbed "The Money Pit it was mere decades since the height of piracy and buccaneering. ‘Mahone Bay had been known as one ofthe world’ pirate havens and tales of buried treasure were rife in the region, Captain Kidd was a successful Scottish prvatoor ofthe golden age of piracy and was known to have buried a cache of treasure on GGardiners island just of the coast of Long Island, New York, nt too far from Nova Scotia ‘Aftor being captured in Boston in 1699 he was sent to Newgate Prison and hung in 1701. He was known to have had more treasure than what was discovered and used a evidence in his tri It's debated if Kida spend enough time in Nova ‘Seota to construct such an elaborate dugout for his ilgotten gains. Another pirate theory is thatthe buried treasure fs not that of Captain da but the notorious Blackbeard, who was sale tohhave claimed that he stowed away his riches. “were none but Satan and myeslf can find i. Was that Oak Island? ‘treasure or thatthe teenagers wer fronting some ‘conspiracy of Yankoe loyalists who were runing a _smugging operation out of Oak sind curing the “American Revolutonary War. But most treasure hunters have been on boar withthe boys’ story ‘and the suggestion thatthe treasure, if there is any is that ofa pirate, Other hypetheses of what ‘treasure is hicden below the Money include the missing jewels ofthe last French queen, Mare “Aninette, and other hoards of gold = from fleeing Incas and Aztecs to Spanish saors and French Army engineers to profits of war Some speculate that the treasures in fact the stolen ood of St Ancrews Cathedral “The alloged marked stone discovered inthe ‘early 19th century along with other sigs seid toave been found around Oak sind have ‘ven rise to theories ofthe pit beng a Masonic secret vault” ~ part ofan ination rit, These claims have also spavred the theory thatthe pit may even contain the Holy Gall or the Ark of the Covenant buried by ened Knights Templar members, Smilary, others beleve thatthe Rosierucians ~ reportedly led by Sir Francs Bacon ~ could have hden a legendary vault beneath the earth onthe island. Accorcing to some, Bacon was the tru author of Shakespeare's works and ‘0 some of his forgotten manuscripts are sad to be buried deep below the ct. Other explanations forthe pit include the idea that itis actualy an old tar kin and neta site of treasure at al. The water that has deterred many intrepid explorers was previously claimed to have been an elaborate man-made drainage system. but moce recent findings have suggested that its merely a natural phenomenon So, perhaps the ptitsel isnt a man-made structure at al but simply snk hole. Whatever the case, the mystery of Cakiland endures.THE BUILDING OF CORAL CASTLE Built to mend a broken heart, does Florida’s Coral Castle contain mystical secrets that have yet to be decoded? ‘ano help ov machThe building of Coral Castle - hen 26-year Vistrsto view thease gre legends began to sping up arcund the cold Edward forasmalldonaton. The eccentic bude ncung one that he was able Leedskalnin case sa masterpiece to mone the enormous Bleck of corals though arrived inthe cf consnicion and they were welts, USA from his actualy made ot of Leeann understoed the vale of sa native Latvia just bore World cake a sedimentary rock _promation and dectxed thatthe magnetic War his future looked blak, Remataby he stones ropes ofthe case had eds trminal He had been rejected by his 2weheld together without _itess He dedin 1951, but Coa Cases a fiancée and was suffering any bonding agent. is ‘monument 9h fe tors tothe ste sil sock from tuberculosis, then a ther weigt and preion ase. te how he was able to move the vast terminal disease, and he paceman that eps lcs ito lace with such precision, and myths believed that his days oral Caste andra, have sprung up incng the bee that he was ‘Were numbered, ‘As Coral Caste ren, leo do so by means fens even Leeann raveledto iors bare ever Sing tthe stones, wht stil other theories Fda, where began werk more desperate to pat that Leesan somehow hares the (on cata He deboataly chose a remote ara how ene sightybuitrman pwr ofthe Earth tse drawing nary from to ensures privacy but, when cation began hod achive sich a feat thou ny sy ley nes that alomed i to move the blocks to move dose; he puchased a new pare of ‘machinery or asistance Leeda tod thom ith ae. Yet whether ts mathematics or land and began the boro process of moving simply ha it was easy when one knew Row, cr magpetim, Cora Cas 2 analing mystery his gl structures and continuing his work on ven fazed that he had leaned the sce of waiting to be solved. Perhaps Leesan has what became Cora ae Fr nest 30 years, the pyramid buiders He fiz to give anything let bind a lagi uz, but maybe tia spa Leesan work on in slide, efising to ‘se aay cher than the tartalsng suggestion bok whatover the answer the sation to Corl alow anyone to watch him work, but alowg ‘hat he employed perpetual motion As intrest Caste’ constuction has yet tbe covered.POR Eco LIS ni From the sites of grisly and unsolved murders to tales of unquiet spirits roaming their former homes, haunted and horrible houses are packed Aisidemsblosuathnvee-Nmenyesio lo} MSC aay PU TCU Ce e are simply un down ard dilapidated for so lng that they ‘anc nerve sensations ike shiv tke pains throughout Br)RAYNHAM HALL ‘The looation of the first ‘ghost | photo’ - but what did the camera see? though some have claimed thatthe famous [Photograph ofa ghostly entity foating down the stairs of Raynham Halls nothing more than a ‘cunning fake, many more, incising the renowned host hunter Harry Price believe it to be the genuine article. Over the years the image has been reproduced in hundreds of Books on the paranormal, but whois this kminary spectre and itis thought thatthe Brown Lacy, s0-call ate coloured brocade St of Lady Dorothy Walpole, the ving second wife of Charles Turi) send. Despite having 1 chien, it was an Lunhapoy marrage, with Dorothy spending too ‘much money on frocks and Charles uneashing bis violent temper on a whim. When he scovered that his wife had had an a before ther marriage, Townsend locked his wife 5, Her death remains somewhat ofa mystery, she offal ded of smallpox. many lame at the time that she had been pushed ‘dow the stars, Others whispered that she had been starve to death. In truth, she most tkely broken hear, away frm. Ether way, shorty after her death spotted ting re Wharton ging forthe chien er ahost ong the landing and servants and visitors iif, death, Dorothy’ spint was cruel and ‘malevolent esting inthe rapid departure of Houses of horror Bs; Di rere i a mary members of sta. No more the beautful ristress ofthe house, this hideous entity stared & Darky with dark hollow sockets her previous sparking eyes guests, including King George IV, who refused to stayin this a 1 wel known author Captain Marryat, who fied a gun pein blark in with her, butt wan't until she wa photographed by Captan Provand and Indra Shira that she became a true supernatural celebrity, ay, Raynham Hal continues tobe troubled by ber ces iden. The sound gallery and the rusting of sik skirts ont staircase stil startle guess, whist weighty chairs by themsebves. spirit mariacally searching for her whispers inthe picture‘This terraced home was anything but ordinary “There was obvious distress in Peggy Hodsor's vice when she called local police to her rented terrace hore on 284 Green Street, where the single mother was raising four chen As her kids prepared for bed that August evening in 1977 Peggy heard a strange noise Uupstars. Thinking it was her daughters, 13:year ‘old Margaret and 11-year-old Janet, scuffing, she vent to look and something terying happened. ‘Ahoavy chest began slicing across the room, apparently without assistance. When Peggy began shoving it back, she met strong resistance from an unseen fore. The chest moved a second time. faster. Aghast, Peggy and the gis fled, When pale officer arved, thay found nothing ‘unusual ~ unl they started to leave. Yeas ater, fone of them remembered a char in the Iving race rising off the floor and meving across the 30 room. After checking for wires and other unssen reasons forthe episode the pote let. However, the Enfield Fotergeist cd not. For months, the Poltergeist wreaked havoc, apparently throwing, objects and making noes. ‘As news of the phenomena leaked, sceptics accused the gs of being the source In ‘espeation, egsy contacted the Society for Pychical Research, Two investigators, Guy Lyon Pyfair and Maurice Grosse responded, hing barrister Mary Rose Barrington, to verity their research, During moe than a year on the premises, the investigators recorded numerous incidents, inching Payfa’s enccunter He entered an upstairs room to find the entire Vtoran-era replace ripped from the wall = haray something the youre gts were capable of Witnesses saw Janet levitate, and she was cragged by an urknown entity from her bbecrcom and down the stars, She also broke into isturbng fits of cursing, and an eerie oie was heard coming from her When investigators posed ‘questions, the voice replied that it belonged to a ‘man named Bl. A record search revealed a man ‘named Bil Wikins had ved and ded there Throughout the vestigation, the girs were suspected of plying tricks, but they claimed that very few ofthe cocurrences were thei dong. Thirty years after the events subsided, Janet told an interviewer, “I know from my oun experience that twas real. It ved off me, off iy energy.” Although the sceptics persist, the poltergest activity in Eifel remains largely Unexplained. Today, the Enfield houses sill residential home, so please do not str the current residents,THE WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE Legend has it that a gun heiress built this confusing mansion to distract unqulet spirits When gun magnate Willan Wirt Winchester, sole owner ofthe Winchester Repeating Arms Company, ced of tuberculosis in March 1881, he left is grieving widow, Sarah, with a half share in the family business as wall s an enormous fortune of $20 milion. According to legend, Sarah sted spittuast. where her husband's ghost told her that they had been cursed by the blood ‘money tat they had made from seling ther flfles, The medium told her that n order to break the curse she needed to bull a house fr them al but that as soon as she stopped bullng. the spits would cat up wit her and she would de ‘Although the Winchesters had been based in Connecticut. 1884 Sarah crossed the country to San Jose in California, where she had bought ‘an eightroomed farmnouse and 140 acres of land, Over the next 38 years, Sarah verked tirelessly on her complex bling project employing dozens of local cxattsmen who were ven daly instructions to add new features tothe labyrinthine bulding ‘Alongside secret rooms, trap doors staircases ‘and doors that led nowhere, and other peculr ‘and pointless features, Sarah insisted that er house feature her favourite spiderweb motif as wel 2s the number 13 to ward of the evi spits, By the time she ded in September 1922, her ‘mysterious house was seven storeys high and Incorporated 47 starcases and feeplaces, 2000 doors, 10.000 windows and six kitchens. I's not own precisely how mary rooms there are, but the closest estimate is 160. Within just afew months of her death, the house was opened to the puble and athough there have been no recorded sightings of ghosts, ‘many have reported feeling extremely unsettled 2s they wander deeper into the labyrinth of rooms, especialy on the thd floor where Mrs \Winchester’s servants once Ived, and where a fen vistors have reported hearing dsembodted footsteps and whispers. VILLISCA AX MURDER HOUSE But who was the mystery murderer that committed the massacre? In June 1912 the ite ct of Visca, lowe, was rocked by a brutal axe murder incent. Inthe Watches of the ight between 9 and 10 June, sic ‘members ofthe Moore family — parents Josioh ‘and Sarah ther children Herman Montgomery (QD, Mary Katherine (10), Arthur Boyd (7), and Paul Vernon (5), and Mary Katherine's fiends Ina Mae (8) and Lena Gertrude Stinger (2), were al bludgeoned to death with an axe belonging to Josiah, which was found in the spare room where the visting girs ha been staying, No one has ‘ever been convicted ofthe crime. An tinerant minister ley ofthe church the Moores attended ‘wae tried twiee and even confessed tothe ere, but was acquitted due to mental ilress. ‘Arnumber of paranormal investigations have ‘been conducted, with photos, video and audio ofits supposed haunting recorded by TV shows ‘and YouTubers. Today the house at 808 E 2nd Street has been restored to its erly 20th century Coraiion, and functons as a museum. Day tours ‘and group overight stays are avalable. aC LIZZIE BORDEN HOUSE A murder mystery still haunts this Massachusetts house ~ if Lizzie didn’t Kill her relatives, then just who did? ofhorror [At the end of the 19th century, all was not wellin the Borden household in Fall River, Massachusetts. Wealthy but frugal widower [Andrew Borden hae remarried, his daughters Luzzi and Emma avoided ther stepmother Abby, whom they belleved had marred their father for his money, and their late mather's brother John Morse was visting to discuss some property issues onthe fateful day of & ‘August 1882. That was the day Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered with a hatchet. LLzzie was tried and acquitted of telr murders and offically the mystery of their deaths has never been solved. The house at 230 2nd Street is now a bed and breakfast with ts supposedly haunted rooms themed ‘around the unsolved case ~ ts most- requested room s the guest room where [Abby Borden was killed. Accommodation and tous are aval, including day tours an Fighttime ghost tours. 3132 Did this notorious haunting, a media sensation, ever even happen? In 3977 a sensational book captured the work atlention. The “Amite Hororby Jay Anson would go onto inspire a series ‘of books and fms about what happened at 112 Ocean Avenue In New York's Long Isand subur of Amity, both on the notorious night of 13 November 1974 and thereafter. The tale hhas been med in egal wrangling anc controversy ever since It's worth noting thatthe house, once known as High Hopes, has hha its address changed, and been renovated completly to alter ‘or remove the iconic windows and ater features familar rom ‘book covers and moves. ts current owners and neighbourhood residents alke are very unhappy wit ts notoriety and tend to refuse requests to seuss the locaton ots alleged events, This isnot a house you can, cr should turn up to for a vist. ‘The reason that the house turned thi quiet Long Isiand suburb into a paranormal mea orcus starts with the mass murder of is entre famiy — both parents, two brothers, and two sisters ~ by Ronald DeFeo Jr in 1974, DeFeo was 2 hard drug user and had a volatile relationship with his fami, He was corvicted of shooting ali of them in their beds. Up until his own death in prison in 2021 (aged 68). DeFeo gave interviews and fled lawsuits alleging that other members of the family. frends, and even the Mafia were responsibe forte killings. ‘A year after the murders, the Lut family bought and moved into the house, which sti contained much ofthe DeFeo familys furriture and t's hore where the story really begins. Anson book recounts that a friend of the Lutzs, concerned by the account ofthe murders, advsed ther to have the house blessed. It goes on to state that local Catolc priest (whose name is changed in the book to protect his privacy) arrive to perform a bessing, but claimed he heard spectral voices teling him to “get out. Then the so-called Amitylle horror realy began. The Lutz family la the property after 28 day, having been subjected to what the book clams were paranormal phenomena incxdng ectoplasm, coven hooforints poltergest activity and much more. Sulpsequent contractor, buyers and residents have reported no paranormal activity atte house‘Who was Bathsheba Sherman, and when did she really die? Known to locals and to the Peeron family that lived there a the Od Arnold Estate, this Rhode ‘Amald farmhouse dates back to around 1736, It's the inspiration for The Conuring, the fst ‘ewe in the franchise ofthe same name, which takes as its inspiration the cases of hauntings ‘and demonic possession investigate by sel described dornonologsts and mediums Ed and Lorraine Warren. After experiencing unsetting paranormal events during the 1970s, the Perron family ale the Warrens in to investigate. The Warrens claimed they dscovered a horde of unquet spirits, the worst of which was the host of former resident Bathsheba Sherman, hose gravestone dated 18121885 (not the ‘moves 1849) can be found ina graveyard in ‘nearby Harrisile. Legend now pants Bathsheba a8 an vl witch who murdered babies with pins, Whatever the historical veracity ofthe ‘alegatons, The Conjurng house now leans into Its horrr story with tours and ghost hunteried investigations, including overnight events thas a strict bookings-only policy A secret British sympathiser with murderous inclinations lived here Known variously as the Conference House and the Benttey Manor. this Staten Island residence was home to several generations of the ilopp family the late 8th century, ‘one of them, Chrstonher Bilope was secretly colonel inthe Britsh loyalist forces during the American Revolution. He allowed his home to be used to tend to injured redcoats (British soldiers). Those that ded were buried swity in unmarked graves, One evening thinking that a servant gl was an American spy, ilo threw the gt down the stairs her body met the some fate asthe deceased redcoats. Today, t's thought that both she and innumerable British soldiers haunt the house, Now a museum, Visits and guided tours are avaiable during the rmuseuris open season at limited times during weekends - although it shoud be noted that it focuses on its American Revolution history, not its paranorral associations ‘Known as the most haunted house in America, it’s home to several supernatural mysteries and phenomena ‘Once called the most haunted house in America, Myrties Plantation i @ paranormal ‘nple treat. Alegedty buit on a Native ‘American burial ground, te ste of atleast one verfed murder as wel as a sinister poisoning, and ‘a notorious hub of Arcan ‘American plantation slavery toboct it also boasts a spectral bloodstan tat can apparently never be cleaned, a possessed mirer, and a voodoo practising ghost Leaning int its horifc haunted history, it ‘offers accommodation. day and evering tours (both public and private). a coffee shop, and a restaurant specasing in Southern food.Would you stay in an AirBnB with 18 unquiet spirits, including the vengeful disinherited daughter of the local mayor? “This elegant Victorian Queen Anne Revival house was one of the finest in its town when it was but by umber magnate and town mayor (Cat Beck. One ofthe towns first fares, the Becks were nine strong. and when Cars wife ded it was left to Mary, his eldest daughter, to raise her siblings. But despite Carts much vaunted wealth (he was a philanthropist who helpeto establish churches and schools, ‘and was famous fr owning the town's frst car, 21903 Oldsmobile which is now ina focal museum) at his death he lft Mary usta single dolar. Understandably, she was angry, which perhaps what gave rise to the legend that she now haunts the house. But she's apparenty not ‘the only one ~ paranormal investigators claim ‘that up to 18 spints are resident and that they ‘creak floorboards, slam doors, whisper insults ‘and pull sits hai Mary and some of her shostly trends are even said to promenade nearby Church Street cressedin ther Victorian best. Despite its unfriencly spectral residents, however, the Carl Beck House isa magnet for visitors, and the apartment onthe op flor is _valable for rer n AirBn ~ search for The Haunted House Apt 302! MM ‘This Australian homestead saw more than its fair share of mysterious deaths ‘Tho story of Christopher Cranley and his family is aragsto-iches one. Frontier farmers in Junee, New South Wales, nthe mi1800s, the Cranleys ved ina simple slab cottage, Lnti Christopher got rich off the coming of the railway. The family moved into ther urous ‘ew homestead in 1885, and their previous home became the servants* quarters Ling in those servants quarters were two maids, both of whom Christopher Crawley got pregnant. One killed herself the other boce er child, he later was left bain damaged afte being hit bya coach, and as kept chained. frst nthe homesteads coach house, and then te his mother’s bed. The mas, ‘alongwith Christopher Crawly, who ded of sepsis, and his wife, who shut herself in her attic chapel or decades aftr his death are booved to haunt the property, along witha stable boy who diedin a fir, a Crawley granddaughter who was cropped down the stairs, and caretaker no was shot dead, Today the house ils itself 2 Australia's most haunted, Daytime tours (veokends only) and specialist overnight ghost tours are avaiable, ‘The scene of some tragic ritual murders is now a museum of Mexican black magic “The Casa de os Lamentos, oF House of Lament, isa prety litle 18th century Spanish Barone ‘ransion in Guanajuato city in Mexico. Here, in ‘the 1890s, ned mining engineer Tadeo Fuigenclo Moja and his adored wife Maria Constanza de la Riviera. After an economic crisis at the mine he worked at led manual workers to blame Me for their late pay, a gang of cisgrunted miners ‘ured up at the house and stabbed Maria ‘Constanza to death. The murder sent Meja mad. He vste a local bruja, cr witch, who told him of ‘black magic rituals he could perform in ore to contact his departed love. Meja became a serial ‘ele, sacrificing bs vctins in a bloody attempt toreconnect with his beloved and secreting their remains inthe basement. When he realised police were onto him, he shot himself Now the House (of Laments isa museum tothe griy tale and filed with 19th century housewares, collections of uniquely Mexican magical artefacts, and photos of the tragic couple. You can vist on most days and tours are avaiable,