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Melksham's Headless Ghost

Snarlton Lane, Melksham, Wiltshire Apparition Victorian

Snarlton Lane in Melksham has a spine-tingling secret. It's said that a man walking along this lane one midnight encountered a figure holding an umbrella, walking ahead of him. As he approached, the umbrella was lowered, revealing a ghastly sight - a stump where a head should have been. The witness was so shaken that he refused to travel along the lane again, and he wasn't the only one to spot the apparition. This eerie encounter has been etched in local memory, leaving many to wonder about the story behind the headless figure.

The haunting of Snarlton Lane, also once known as Chalk's Lane, dates back to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The exact location may be disputed, but the legend of the headless man has persisted. Over the years, there have been multiple sightings of the ghostly figure, with the witness in question seeing it not just once, but twice more. While the origins of the haunting remain unclear, it's possible that the apparition is connected to a local event or tragedy. What's certain is that the image of the headless man holding an umbrella has become an enduring part of Melksham's paranormal folklore.

Historical Context

The haunting is believed to have originated in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.

Location

Location Details

Location Type
Road
Activity Types
Visual
Witness Credibility
Multiple Witnesses
Threat Level
Harmless
Accessibility
Public Access
Date / Era
Late nineteenth or early twentieth century, around midnight
Postcode Area
SN15

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