Wiltshire residents who have ever felt an eerie suspicion that their home may be haunted can now call in the ghostbusters to check.
A West Country group of paranormal researchers is asking people who own spooky properties in the county if they can come in and investigate.
The group, Frome Paranormal, is especially interested in exploring unexplained phenomena in buildings in Devizes and Trowbridge.
The group recently posted on social media an appeal to probe places in Wiltshire where a bump in the night might not be the boiler rattling and it has been inundated with suggestions of where a spectre is suspected to lurk.
Claire Louise Sawyer, a researcher with Frome Paranormal, said: “We’re looking for people owning places in Devizes or near Trowbridge who would like to have a small group of six to eight paranormal investigators in for an evening to see what we can find. I’m thinking of especially any properties built on the old mental institute or old pubs.”
Led by spirit medium Lee Jones, the group has been hosting paranormal investigations across Somerset and Wiltshire. They bring with them the latest kit designed to detect the possible presence of wraiths and spooks, including electronic voice phenomena recorders and K2 meters.
Manufacturers of K2 meters claim: “The KII meter was originally created for environmental control to detect and show electromagnetic energy which is produced by a wide range of things.
"It is believed by many paranormal investigators that spirits and entities are made up of electrical energy, and this device is able to detect when these electrical energies are close by.”
Frome Paranormal explained: “Electronic voice phenomena recorders detect any activity that comes across over electronic devices. It is common to record audio on location and ask questions out loud. You then listen to the recording after to see if there were any responses to the questions.”
Already many Devizes residents have responded to Frome Paranormal’s request, suggesting that they investigate a variety of old pubs in the town, including The Bell and The Black Swan, The George and Dragon at Rowde and The Red Lion at Avebury.
The Red Lion dates back to the early 1600s, and was a farmhouse until 1802, when it acquired a licence and became a coaching inn. Several ghosts are said to reside both within and without the ancient property. Very occasionally a phantom carriage, drawn by ghostly horses, has been seen clattering across the inn's courtyard.
The Red Lion is also rumoured to host a female phantom called Florrie. During the 17th-century English Civil War, Florrie' s husband is said to have returned unannounced from the conflict and caught his wife in the arms of another man. He shot her lover dead and slit his wife' s throat. He then dragged her body to the well and, having thrown her down it, sealed it with a huge boulder.
Florrie's ghost has remained behind ever since, searching, it is said, for a man with a beard. Florrie has been seen emerging from and disappearing into the old well, which is now glassed over,
According to one report, a chandelier in the restaurant suddenly began to spin round at an alarming speed. When the manager was summoned, he nodded knowingly when he saw that the man sitting directly underneath it sported a bushy beard.
Those wishing to host a visit from Frome Paranormal’s team should contact them on Facebook.
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