One of the first ghost stories based in Norfolk that I heard was that of Black Shuck. For some reason the story captivated me and stayed with me until, years later, I wrote the book Black Shuck: The Devil's Dog. But by then I had learnt that Norfolk has more ghost stories and hauntings associated with it than anywhere else, earning it the title: the most haunted county in England.
This notion was often promoted in the magazing Paranormal Norfolk which was produced from 2005-2007 - sadly no longer continued. Having finished writing Black Shuck, which drew both on my experiences as a wildlife film-maker and of the North Norfolk Coast, I was on the lookout for another local legend to base the sequel on. I was spoilt for choice! First there are many evocative and spooky place names around Norfolk, such as Tombland, The Devil's Throat and Grime's Graves, but also a whole host of scary stories such as the Ghost Fiddler of Binham Priory (Fiddler's Hill), the beheaded Lady Ann Boleyn riding through Blickling Estate, the White Lady of Gunton Park, the Pump Hill Ghost of Happisburgh, the Phantom Coach of Long Stratton, the Brown Lady of Raynham, the Children of Wayland (Wailing) Wood ... And so the list goes on. A great book exploring these legends is The Lore of the Land by Westwood & Simson.
So, if I decide that all future spooky adventures of Harry Lambert (the protagonist in Black Shuck) are to be based in Norfolk, I will have no shortage of material to draw from. The sequel is underway!
