Oxford Castle was once the site of torture and judicial execution, so it is no surprise that it features in Paranormal Oxford (Amberley, £12.99)) by Ross Andrews.
Andrews has spent 20 years investigating the paranormal in Gloucestershire, and he doesn’t just tell ghost stories. He also reports the observations and recordings of ghost hunters and even sometimes looks for rational explanations. Reports of poltergeists in Oxford Castle, for example, include stones being thrown, but, as he points out: “This is an old building and stones may be loose.”
One ghost said to haunt the Castle Mound is Mary Blandy, who was executed there for murdering her father.
Many people believe she was innocent, says the author, and her ghost is supposed to be seeking revenge on those who implicated her.
His final chapter on How To Be A Ghost Hunter advises prior research on Google Earth, and equipment such as an Electro Magnetic Field meter and infra-red alarms, plus audio equipment and, of course, a camera. Andrews explains his belief that electro-magnetic radiation can induce hallucinations, and that it could be the explanation for several hauntings reported by Oxford students. I don’t know if anyone has told him, but other things can induce hallucinations in Oxford students.
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