Clapham Wood Mystery
Encyclopedia
The Clapham Wood Mystery is the name given to a collection of unusual events which are associated with Clapham Wood
, West Sussex
, England
, resulting in the area developing its own lore in popular culture. Events have included reports of people making unusual sightings or experiencing unusual phenomena, and of family pets disappearing or sickening. There have also been several human deaths associated with the location.
or the sensation of being pushed by unseen forces, or of witnessing patches of strange grey mist developing suddenly on pathways through the woods. Some people have also reported a strong sense of being followed. Studies with a Geiger counter
have revealed slightly elevated levels of background radiation in the area, which is surprising since the area is situated on chalk
which is normally low in radiation due to a lower level of Potassium 40. Early photographs of the area appear to show a large crater or depression within the woods, although the area is now more heavily forested and difficult to search.
- disappeared. Their bodies were discovered 6 weeks later. Burgess had been strangled and sexually assaulted, whilst his wife, Jillian, had been stabbed to death. Police began looking at all five deaths as murders, and eventually Tim Withers was arrested, found guilty in all five cases, and jailed.
called the Friends of Hecate
(FoH). Part of the book dealt with an incident in 1978 when Charles Walker is said to have been contacted by an initiate of the group, who claimed that it was responsible for the sacrificial slaughter of dogs and other animals. The man said that the FoH planned to use the wood for at least another decade before finding other locations, and he claimed that people in high places were involved, and would tolerate no interference in the group's activities. Walker claimed that the cult was later forced to leave the area due to a combination of press attention and a storm, known as the Great Storm of 1987
, which damaged large tracts of the wood the year that the book was published.
Journalist Will Storr investigated cult activity in his book Will Storr Vs The Supernatural, but did not find any conclusive evidence beyond testament of odd campfires objects and unfriendly locals.
Clapham, West Sussex
Clapham is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. The parish has a population of 317 in an area of . It lies three miles north of Angmering on the A280 road and north of the A27 crossroads...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, resulting in the area developing its own lore in popular culture. Events have included reports of people making unusual sightings or experiencing unusual phenomena, and of family pets disappearing or sickening. There have also been several human deaths associated with the location.
Strange experiences
Since the 1960s the area has experienced a rash of UFO sightings, reports of people experiencing nauseaNausea
Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
or the sensation of being pushed by unseen forces, or of witnessing patches of strange grey mist developing suddenly on pathways through the woods. Some people have also reported a strong sense of being followed. Studies with a Geiger counter
Geiger counter
A Geiger counter, also called a Geiger–Müller counter, is a type of particle detector that measures ionizing radiation. They detect the emission of nuclear radiation: alpha particles, beta particles or gamma rays. A Geiger counter detects radiation by ionization produced in a low-pressure gas in a...
have revealed slightly elevated levels of background radiation in the area, which is surprising since the area is situated on chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
which is normally low in radiation due to a lower level of Potassium 40. Early photographs of the area appear to show a large crater or depression within the woods, although the area is now more heavily forested and difficult to search.
Animal disappearances
In 1975, several reports, including some in the national press, were made of pets going missing in the area. Initially, two dogs were said to have disappeared without a trace, a third to have vanished but later reappeared suffering from an unidentified illness for which it had to be euthanised. After news of these three cases became public, other dog owners came forward claiming that their pets had experienced agitation in the woods. A dog from a family of 8 Americans went missing in March 2011 and was later found dead with horrible marks and looked as if it was slaughtered.Human deaths
Four deaths have occurred either in or close to the woods and have since become part of the lore surrounding it. The first death was in June 1972 when police officer Peter Goldsmith disappeared while hiking in the region. His body was discovered 6 months later. The second death was that of Leon Foster whose body was discovered in August 1975. He had been missing for 3 weeks. The third death was of Reverend Harry Neil Snelling, the former vicar of Clapham. He disappeared in October 1978 and his body was not found until 3 years later. English coroners ruled open verdicts in all three cases. In September 1981, Jillian Matthews and Liam Burgess - a homeless couple schizophrenicSchizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
- disappeared. Their bodies were discovered 6 weeks later. Burgess had been strangled and sexually assaulted, whilst his wife, Jillian, had been stabbed to death. Police began looking at all five deaths as murders, and eventually Tim Withers was arrested, found guilty in all five cases, and jailed.
Cult activity
In their 1987 book The Demonic Connection Toyne Newton, Charles Walker and Alan Brown claimed that Clapham Wood had been used by a satanic cultCult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
called the Friends of Hecate
Hecate
Hecate or Hekate is a chthonic Greco-Roman goddess associated with magic, witchcraft, necromancy, and crossroads.She is attested in poetry as early as Hesiod's Theogony...
(FoH). Part of the book dealt with an incident in 1978 when Charles Walker is said to have been contacted by an initiate of the group, who claimed that it was responsible for the sacrificial slaughter of dogs and other animals. The man said that the FoH planned to use the wood for at least another decade before finding other locations, and he claimed that people in high places were involved, and would tolerate no interference in the group's activities. Walker claimed that the cult was later forced to leave the area due to a combination of press attention and a storm, known as the Great Storm of 1987
Great Storm of 1987
The Great Storm of 1987 occurred on the night of 15/16 October 1987, when an unusually strong weather system caused winds to hit much of southern England and northern France...
, which damaged large tracts of the wood the year that the book was published.
Journalist Will Storr investigated cult activity in his book Will Storr Vs The Supernatural, but did not find any conclusive evidence beyond testament of odd campfires objects and unfriendly locals.