What if the most extraordinary Gothic tale wasn't fiction at all? Born into wealth in New Orleans, Micaëla de Pontalba would endure betrayal, confinement, violence and an attempt on her life — yet somehow emerge unbroken, reshaping not only her own destiny but the city she called home. Her story…
What if magick isn't something supernatural at all — but something we've simply forgotten how to notice? This week, I’m joined by @PattiNegriGoodWitch to explore intuition, spirit communication and the paranormal — from haunted places and haunted dolls to the energies we may unknowingly create ourselves. It’s a conversation about…
How does someone shape an entire movement... and yet almost disappear from history? If you've explored Spiritualism, the paranormal or psychical research, you've almost certainly encountered the legacy of Maurice Barbanell—even if you've never recognised his name. In this episode, historian Dr Nick Richbell joins me to discuss his new…
On the night of the 31st August 1977, something began inside an ordinary council house in Enfield, North London, that would develop into one of the most famous—and fiercely disputed—poltergeist cases in history. At around 9:30pm, 11-year-old Janet Hodgson and her brother Johnny told their mother that something was moving…
There are landscapes where history never seems entirely past — where an ancient track, a ruined church, a lonely cave or a stretch of woodland can feel like a threshold between what we know and something altogether stranger. In this episode, we journey into the old borderlands of Mercia, exploring…
Why do some places suddenly feel unnaturally cold—and could there be more to it than a simple draught? In this episode of Haunted History Chronicles, I welcome back psychical researcher Ciaran Farrell to explore one of the most frequently reported yet least understood features of paranormal encounters: cold spots. Far…
On 21st August 1614, Erzsébet Báthory died imprisoned within the walls of Čachtice Castle. More than four centuries later, the woman remembered as the "Blood Countess" remains one of history's most infamous and controversial figures. Reputed to have been a vampire, the world's most prolific female serial killer, and a…
Why Do So Many Extraordinary Experiences Happen at Night? Last week, TyLean Tuijl challenged many of the assumptions surrounding possession, encouraging us to move beyond Hollywood stereotypes and consider a far more complex psychological, cultural and experiential picture. In this follow-up conversation, we explore another question that naturally emerged from…
On this day, 10 August 1901, two English women claimed to experience one of history's most famous and enduring paranormal mysteries – the Versailles Time Slip. While visiting the gardens of the Petit Trianon at the Palace of Versailles, Charlotte Anne Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain believed they had somehow stepped…
What does it really mean to be possessed? For centuries, stories of possession have been shaped by religion, folklore and popular culture. Films have taught us to expect dramatic exorcisms, distorted voices and supernatural battles between good and evil. But what if the reality is far more complex? Can possession…
How far would an institution go to explain the unexplained? In Part One, Ciaran Farrell recounted the childhood experiences that began in a haunted holiday home before, according to his account, following him into his boarding school. In Part Two, we explored how the alleged paranormal activity escalated, affecting pupils…
The story continues... In the first episode, Ciaran Farrell shared the extraordinary experiences that began with a family holiday to a reportedly haunted house in Broadstairs. What should have ended when the holiday was over instead followed him home and into his boarding school, where increasingly disturbing events drew the…
What happens when a haunted holiday doesn't end when you leave? In this extraordinary first part of a series of conversations, Ciaran Farrell shares the deeply personal story that shaped the rest of his life. What began as a family holiday in a supposedly haunted house in Kent soon became…
What happens when two of the world's most famous paranormal investigators arrive at the centre of an alleged haunting? Over the previous three episodes, Ciaran Farrell has described a series of extraordinary experiences that, according to his account, began in childhood before following him into boarding school. There, alleged paranormal…
What really happened inside 30 East Drive? The strange events at this ordinary-looking house in Pontefract began in August 1966 and would go on to become one of Britain's—and perhaps Europe's—most infamous alleged poltergeist cases. From flying marbles and shadow figures to scratches, disembodied voices and unexplained physical attacks, the…
What happens when one of Britain's most experienced paranormal investigators begins to question everything? In this fascinating conversation, I'm joined by Steve Mera—one of the UK's leading researchers into UFOs, poltergeists and unexplained phenomena. With over 1,000 hours of television appearances, CEO of Phenomena Magazine, founder of the Scientific Establishment…
This week marks the anniversary of the death of Maurice Barbanell, who passed away on 17 July 1981. More than four decades later, his influence on modern Spiritualism continues to be felt, even if his name is not as widely recognised as those of the mediums and spirit guides he…
This month marks the anniversary of the first famous Cottingley Fairy photographs, taken in July 1917, images that would go on to convince thousands—including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—that fairies really existed. Just a few years later, Doyle would publish The Coming of the Fairies, cementing the photographs as one of…
Could love survive death... or become something far darker? Just a few days ago marked the anniversary of the death of Karl Tanzler (also known as Count Karl von Cosel), one of the most disturbing and unforgettable figures in twentieth-century true crime and medical history. His story continues to blur…
History is filled with stories that everyone knows—but what about the ones that were forgotten, overlooked, buried, or simply lost to time? In this episode of Haunted History Chronicles, I’m joined by historian, researcher and storyteller Sarah Blake to explore the strange, shocking and fascinating stories featured in her new…
On this day in 1896, one of Victorian Britain's most notorious killers met her fate at Newgate Prison. When a bargeman pulled a suspicious package from the River Thames at Caversham on 30th March 1896, he made a discovery that would expose a horrifying trade hidden in plain sight. Wrapped…
On a quiet residential street in Villisca, an ordinary-looking house hides an extraordinary darkness. Shuttered windows, sealed doors, and a weather-worn warning sign give it away long before the story is told. Locals call it the “Murder House.” Inside its walls lies the unanswered horror of the night of 9th…
What began as a dream home in Bothell, Washington quickly became one of the most chilling and documented paranormal cases in modern history. In this episode of Haunted History Chronicles, we sit down with author and experiencer Keith Linder to uncover the terrifying true story behind THE BOTHELL HELL HOUSE…
Ahead of tomorrow’s date, we’re revisiting one of the strangest and most compelling trials in European history — the case of Thiess of Kaltenbrun, often known as “Old Thiess”. On the 28th April 1691, Thiess stood before a court in what is now Cēsis (then Venden) and made an extraordinary…