The town of Dunwich on the Suffolk coast is predominantly known for going in the sea. The sad and inexorable fate of this lost city of England has inspired cultural icons from H.P. Lovecraft to Brian Eno; W.G. Sebald to Lovejoy. Ruth and Chris explore how Dunwich went from a thriving and prosperous harbour town to a mournful collection of masonry beneath the cold waves of the North Sea.
Read MoreWhat a story we have for you! Our new episode recounts the life of Margaret Catchpole - farmgirl, heroine, criminal, and pioneer. Margaret’s life was a rollercoaster of dramatic events, encompassing daring rescues, even more daring escapes, and an ill fated love affair. Her story offers a rare insight into the life of an unorthodox woman living in the late 18th/early 19th century.
Read MoreWrestingworth, Bedfordshire. 1841. Something is amiss in the Dazley household! Join us for the tale of Sarah and William Dazley, and some mysterious goings on involving past husbands and a dead pig.
Read MoreTune in for a special Mini Stranger exploring some of the May Day traditions of Cambridgeshire and East Anglia. Join Ruth and Chris to learn about the old customs of Waterbeach, the May Ladies and Jack in the Green, and strange old children’s game Honey Pots.
Read MoreThe county of Norfolk has its fair share of glacial erratics. These stones now stand, aliens to the landscape around them, and magnets for mysterious legends and strange folklore. In this mini episode, we hear about three such boulders and their sometimes surprising stories: the great stone of Lyng (St Edmund!), the Stockton standing stone (cursed!), and the Merton stone (orgies! Armageddon!).
Read MoreWe’re going to Essex! It’s time for a visit to Boote House in Felsted to see the rather unusual carving that adorns its walls - it’s the Felsted hag! But who or what does this grotesque figure represent? In our quest to find out, we come across shipyards and witch trials, and cast aspersions on the acting skills of both Jude Law and Sean Pertwee.
Read MoreIt’s 27th July, 1921, and King Street in the centre of Cambridge is bustling with the crowds of the Wednesday market. But something terrible is about to unfold at Alice Lawn’s general store… join Ruth and Chris for the story of one of the most violent and shocking murders in the history of the city.
Read MoreFor this mini episode we delve into the murky world of grindylows - bogeymen, or more accurately, bogeywomen from folklore that serve to warn children away from the watery danger of rivers, lakes, wells, and resevoirs.
Read MoreIn the local history books of Suffolk, one name is particularly associated with witchcraft and wizardry - that of old Winter. According to tales handed down from generation to generation, Winter the cunning man used his skills for good, helping the people of rural Suffolk to deter criminals and fight back against malevolent curses and bedevilment.
Read MoreThe esteemed M.R. James is our companion tonight. Renowned scholar, one time director of The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, and perhaps most importantly, finest purveyor of the festive tradition of stories of the supernatural.
Read MoreWe investigate the most peculiar tale of the green children of Woolpit, Suffolk. The sudden and unexplained appearance of two mysterious and verdant siblings in the 12th century has subsequently given rise to folklore and speculation, with theories spanning from fairy folk to, gasp, ALIENS! Join us for a brief romp through the history and theories behind the story.
Read MoreRuth is Stranger than Fiction makes a rare foray into the 20th century with the bizarre story of Harold Davidson, the rector of the Norfolk parish of Stiffkey from 1906 - 1932. We explore the unusual escapades of this unlikely figure, from a career on the London stage to his self-proclaimed role as ‘the prostitute’s padre.’
Read MoreHappy Hallowe’en to you all! We’ve got some spooky stories for you this episode with further investigations into ghostly goings on through the history of Cambridge. We cover Abbey House, said to be the most haunted building in the city and home to an unlikely selection of phantoms, including an overbearing squire, a tragic nun, and a strange creature called Wolfie.
Read MoreIt’s part 2 of the particular case of the body snatchers of Great Yarmouth. What brought them to this town on the Norfolk coast, so far from the medical schools of the cities? How did the residents of the town react to the snatching of their recently deceased relatives? And what became of the stolen corpses? It’s a grisly tale and no mistake.
Read MoreJoin us as we travel back to the 1820s and the dank world of body snatching. Gangs of resurrectionists roam the graveyards of the country, digging up the corpses of the recently deceased and selling them to top surgeons and eager medical students. Grim stuff. But was this a necessary horror in the service of medical advancement? Let’s see what Ruth, Jo, and Katy make of it.
Read MoreTown meets gown as Ruth and Chris encounter some of the many ghosts that haunt the cloistered corridors and courtyards of the University of Cambridge. Listen for supernatural tales of exorcisms at Peterhouse, foul smells at Sidney Sussex (including the reappearance of our old friend Cromwell), and an unfortunate sequence of events involving the plague and a disillusioned priest at Corpus Christi.
Read MoreIn this episode we discuss some very mysterious archaeological discoveries, made in the early 1800s in the village of Whittlesford, Cambridgeshire. The Chronicle Hills reveal their secrets and a ghostly tale unfolds. Perhaps more unpleasant still, the drinks take an unusual turn with a couple of very savoury offerings that divide the team, and everyone laughs childishly at amusing terminology.
Read MoreWe’re going a bit Agatha Christie for this one… it’s a dark November night at Stanfield Hall in Norfolk, and some bloody events are about to unfold. Disputed inheritances, convoluted family histories, poorly considered disguises, and a cowardly butler. Our tale of murder and mystery is accompanied by some rather potent cocktails, as all good tales should be.
Read MoreWe’re going back to the fens my lovely listeners… back to the fens for tales of mysterious lights in the darkness and strange phantoms whose only desire is to lead decent folks astray… it’s the ghost lights, the lantern men, the corpse candles and the will o’ the wisps! Classic fenland folklore lies within.
Read MoreCaution is recommended for the squeamish listener as we join Ruth and Chris for a very unpleasant story about a series of nasty discoveries that baffled the city of Norwich in late June 1851. Both literally and metaphorically, this tale takes us further into the gutters than ever before. Brace yourselves.
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