On the Road Again: Top 5 Haunted Roads

Photo by Myself, Wales, 2 years ago,
lost down a creepy country lane.

I really should have named this post "On the Road Again-ish", or perhaps "On the Road Again: Soon", because at the moment I'm unable to be on the road at all. But, like many people in Lockdown, I'm making plans for when I can travel again. Lists of places I dearly want to visit have been written, road-trip playlists have been made and maps have been bought. 

Most of our roads have been the sites of more modern accidents, but many of them have also been built through ancient sites, forgotten settlements, over Roman roads and old buildings. It's no surprise that even the most innocent looking country lane might come with a few spooks attached. And it's those roads that I'm going to introduce you to in this post. There are so many that are apparently haunted, it would have been near impossible to include all of them, so here are my Top 5 Haunted Roads.*

The B3212, Dartmoor, Devon.

Dartmoor is a beautiful place, bleak and full of mystery, So it's no surprise that even the roads have ghosts here, if you can call what haunts the B3212 a ghost.

For decades, drivers and cyclists have been victimised here by a pair of hands that grab their steering wheel or handlebars in an attempt to drive them off the road. No body, just a pair of hairy, disgusting hands with an unexplained dislike of motorists. This spirit isn't always visible either, sometimes not bothering to show itself when it strikes, confusing and terrifying drivers as they feel their steering wheel wrenched out of their control by the spirits steely grip. You could blame these sometimes fatal accidents on speeding drivers, but apparently the Hands aren't afraid to go after stationary vehicles as well. In 1924 a couple camping by the road claimed that the hands had tried to break into their caravan during the night. Then, in the 1960s, a motorist who had stopped to glance at her map found herself confronted by the hands. The creepy mitts were pressed against the windscreen of her car, on the outside rather than inside, much to her relief.

Most hauntings have a cause or story behind them, but the Hairy Hands of the B3212 don't have a solid one. It's been blamed on many things, including witchcraft and the vengeful ghost of a motorist killed in an accident.

Don't worry too much if you find yourself driving down this road though, there hasn't been a sighting for years.** The last one seems to have been in 2008, when a driver found the Hands clasped firmly over hers while driving.

The B1249, East Riding, Yorkshire

Sometimes referred to as a ghost, sometimes as the Werewolf of the Wolds; whatever it is that stalks around the B1249, it's something straight out of a horror movie. 

First reported in the 1960s, this creature made its grand entrance into the paranormal world by trying to break in through the windshield of a lorry travelling along the road. The driver was left shaken but unharmed and described his assailant as hairy, with glowing red eyes. It's easy to consider this a very vague description, but keep in mind the fellow was trying to avoid crashing at the time. I doubt his life or drivers insurance covered Cryptid Attacks. A better description of the beast didn't come along until 2016, when it was spotted by a motorist close to the nearby village named Halsham. She claims that it was a dog-like creature with a human face and that was bigger than her car.

Could this have been a real wolf? Nope. Wild wolves in England were wiped out in the 15th century, and the ones we did have didn't resemble a bigger, meaner version of Houska Castles resident dog beast.

The A75, Kinmount Straight, Scotland

When driving along a road at night you have to be ready for anything. In 1962, Derek and Norman Ferguson discovered that "anything" included a large spectral hen, which flew towards the windscreen of their vehicle and vanished before impact. The duo didn't have much time to recover from this encounter though, as soon they started to witness other phantom animals, including ghostly cats and dogs. These were wandering the road, appearing to be too large and feral to be normal creatures. Derek and Norman also saw another vehicle, a furniture van, swerving along the road. Some versions of the story claim that this van was also a ghost, but I think it's far more likely that it was a normal furniture van and that the driver was experiencing the same things as Derek and Norman.

Other sightings include mysterious figures that wander in front of drivers, a withered hag who runs screaming towards cars, phantom horse and carriages and a group of ragged people dragging a handcart behind them. This last group of medieval-looking individuals have the dubious honour of scaring one lorry driver onto quitting his job. I've not been able to find out just what it was about this gaggle of soggy strangers that spooked him so badly, but I'd love to find out.

The A616, Stockbridge Bypass, Sheffield

With the amount of fatal accidents along this road, a few ghosts are to be expected and, due to all the spooky happenings experienced at this location, it has become known as one of the most haunted roads in the UK. But the thing is, the hauntings started way back in the 1980s, before the road had even been completed. The first people to see anything were a couple of security guards. While on patrol, they came across a group of children in old fashioned looking clothing. They approached the kids to find out what was going on, only for the mischievous spooks to vanish into thin air. What happened the following night lead to the shaken security guards calling in the police. While they were walking the site they encountered a sinister-looking figure, described as a monk, sitting on a half-built bridge. This same figure would later appear again to a couple of policemen who had come to look into the strange happenings. They were sitting in their car and had been sceptical, up until they noticed the hooded figure outside peering in at them. When they got out to confront the Monk, he had vanished, but there was no way for him to run and hide without them seeing him. This encounter left them baffled and even made it into their official police report. Property around the bypass was once owned by monasteries, which could explain a monk's presence since it's possible he lived and worked there. As for the children, some have theorised that they may be the spirits of kids who worked and died in nearby mines. Whatever the cause, sightings continue to this day, with people reporting children running in front of their cars and the monk watching them from the side of the road.

The M6, Mid to North UK

Another one of the UK's most haunted roads, it's known as the longest and busiest in the country, but it's also one of the oldest. The M6 has been built through ancient battlefields, burial sights and over the old Roman roads that used to be there. And while we know the Roman roads are no longer there, apparently nobody told the Romans that. There are multiple reports of people seeing Roman soldiers marching along or across the road and, while that's not overly frightening, it certainly is distracting. Not what you want while you're doing 60mph on a busy six-lane motorway. Other spooks along this road include a phantom lorry speeding down the road in the wrong direction and things watching people from the bushes along the side of the road. What are these things? Nobody knows. Only their eyes have been seen. The road between Junctions 16 and 19 has been called Cheshire's Bermuda Triangle due to it being one of the UK biggest accident blackspots. This has lead some to believe the road is, to some degree, cursed.

Out of all the haunted roads on this list, the B3212 has to be my favourite. I read about it when I was in junior school, and it was the first time I realised that ghosts weren't just limited to creepy old houses. To a child, that's big news.*** I was both terrified and fascinated. When it's safe to travel again, Government guidelines allowing, I'm looking forward to revisiting it.

What about you, dear readers? What's your favourite haunting on this list, or have you got another favourite that I haven't included? Have you ever experienced anything on any of the roads I chose? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or tag me in a Tweet.

*No Phantom Hitchhikers included. As much as I love them, that's a post for another day.

**I had a quick Google and all the news turned up was articles about Easter eggs, dog grooming, hair colour trends and, oddly, Bradley Cooper.

***This information also coincided with my discovery of the Black Shuck, both stories were in the same book. The end result was little me trying to convince my friends that ghosts were following our coach over the foggy Yorkshire moors when we were on a week-long school trip and getting scolded by a teacher. I did possibly experience something paranormal on that trip, but nothing Hand or Shuck related. A tale for another time, perhaps.

Horror in Isolation.

As the lockdown continues, so too does the risk of boredom. And at The Strangeways HQ we are completely against boredom. So, in the hopes of introducing you to something you've never seen before, I present to you a list of films and series to check out while you're in lockdown. 



Ravenous (1999)
It's the 1800's and Lieutenant Boyd has been sent/banished to Fort Spencer, a remote garrison at the snow-covered Sierra Nevada mountain range. Home to the militaries outcasts, this frozen place is where the army sends the people it would rather forget. Despite this, everything seems to be going fine for Boyd and his companion. That is until a snowstorm blows a mysterious stranger, Colqhoun, their way and everything rapidly spirals out of control.
An interesting take on the Wendigo legend, the best way to describe Ravenous is glorious, gleeful chaos; it's humour at it's darkest.
The most important thing about this movie it to double-check which one you're watching. If you watch the 2018 Ravenous instead of the 1999 Ravenous then you'll be stuck with zombies eating people instead of Robert Carlyle eating people, and nobody want that.
Format: Movie
Available: Amazon
Subtitles: n/a


Noroi: the curse (2005)
After a fire at his home, which seemingly killed his wife, our protagonist Kobayashi has vanished without a trace and at this point it's unknown whether he was responsible or not. As a famous paranormal investigator and documentary maker, Kobayashi was in the middle of filming a new documentary, investigating a series of strange events that have been taking place just before the tragic incident took place. The tapes he took leading up to the disaster help us retrace his steps, as the seemingly random paranormal events he was documenting are revealed to be linked and are the sign of something much more sinister and, ultimately, unstoppable.
Most found footage movies try to play themselves off as true stories, but few manage as well as Noroi. This gem of a horror movie is atmospheric, disturbing and its complex and fascinating plot will leave your skin crawling.
Format: Movie
Available: Shudder
Subtitles: yes

Lake Mungo (2008)
Lake Mungo documentary-style movie that follows the family of Alice, after her untimely death by drowning. As friends and family are interviewed, we get to know Alice through their memories. Meanwhile, her brother has set up video cameras in an attempt to catch signs of her spirit, after she starts to appear in the documentary footage and photos, seemingly to help bring some closure to the family. As filming continues and strange events occur, we soon discover there's a bigger mystery afoot. Is the ghost of Alice everything it seems? And what really led to the teenagers death? The truth is more shocking than you'd expect.
I'm not big on documentary horror movies, since there's so many bad ones out there since the genre became popular, but I will always recommend Lake Mungo. It's spooky and a little sad, and so well acted that you could believe that it's a real documentary.
Format: Movie
Available: Amazon
Subtitles: n/a

Marianne (2019)
Successful novelist Emma is forced to return to the hometown she left behind her at the behest of an old childhood friend, who's mother has become disturbingly obsessed with the horror novel Emma writes. To her utter dismay, she soon finds herself having to stay there due to the chaotic events that are unfolding in the small town, all of which are linked to Emma, her novels and the dark spirit that inspired them. As the lines between fact and fiction become blurred, the question is can the horror be stopped and, if it can, at what price?
Watching Marianne with my friends, I found myself doing something that I haven't done for a long time while watching a horror series. I was watching through my fingers. Even my friend M, usually distracted by his phone, couldn't tear himself away from the screen.
Format: Series
Available: Netflix
Subtitles: yes

As Above So Below (2014)
The film follows Archaeologist Scarlett and her cameraman as they descend into the darker areas of the Catacombs with a group of urban explorers. Their goal? Scarlett is frantically searching for the infamous philosophers stone. Her father spent his life in pursuit of the stone and, as a result of his obsession, was mocked and scorned by his fellow academics. His reputation ruined, he hung himself. Following her fathers notes, Scarlett has traced its hiding place to somewhere within the twisting depths of the ancient catacombs. Our heroine's mistake was believing that such a powerful object would be unguarded and easy to obtain. Her quest continues regardless and this mistake puts her life, and the lives of her companions, in danger.
Claustrophobic and incredibly creepy, As Above So Below is well-acted, with an engaging and original plot. It's also nice to see a film based in the Paris Catacombs, as there really aren't enough and it's an excellent location.
Format: Movie
Available: Netflix
Subtitles: some

Pulse (Kairo) (2001)
Atmospheric, eerie and, at the same time, oddly beautiful. This melancholy story follows two groups of characters as they deal with the lonely dead coming back to the land of the living via an increasingly popular website, the people around them vanishing into delicate clouds of ash and what this paranormal invasion means for mankind as a whole.
Since Hollywood went through a stage of churning out terrible reboots of Japanese horror movies, you may have heard of Pulse before. But you've probably heard of the remake, which was pretty awful, despite Wes Craven being involved. As the saying goes, if it ain't broke then don't fix it.
Format: Movie
Available: Amazon prime
Subtitles: yes.

Grave Encounters (2011)
For those of you who love watching ghost hunting shows, but have always wondered what it would be like if one went terribly wrong, this is the ideal movie for you. Presented as a found-footage documentary, it aims to explain what happened to the crew of Grave Encounters, a Ghost Adventures style television program that had to be cancelled after the entire crew disappeared mysteriously while filming at an abandoned mental asylum. The footage they filmed there is recovered, soon the whole horrific story of what happened that night reveals itself to the viewer and all we can do is watch as what should have been a simple ghost hunt turns into something much more sinister.
The acting is good, the plot interesting and the ghosts? They'll haunt your nightmares. There's also a sequel, but it's nowhere as good as its predecessor and is nothing to write home about.
Format: Movie
Available: Shudder
Subtitles: n/a

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
While it has a nicely sized cast, The Autopsy of Jane Doe spends most of its screen time focusing on just three of the characters. Tommy is the local coroner in his small town and Austin, his bored of the job son, often helps him out at the family business. Austin is planning to go out on a date with his girlfriend, but all that goes out the window when the local sheriff arrives at the mortuary with the body of an unknown woman. This is Jane Doe, a common nickname given to an unnamed female corpse. Found at the scene of a multiple homicide, Jane doesn't appear to have been involved at all and her cause of death is a mystery. As a result, the Sherrif needs Tommy and Austin to work through the night to solve this mystery. The autopsy begins, but Jane's corpse defies all logic. The situation only gets worse as our baffled duo find themselves trapped in the building due to a storm and terrifying activity starts to occur around the mortuary.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe was yet another pleasant surprise for me and my friends, during our attempts to find a terrible horror movie we instead found this wonderful one. This movie will keep you glued to the screen and you'll find yourself playing detective, trying to decipher what is going on from the clues that the movie gives you.
Format: Movie
Available: Amazon Prime
Subtitles: n/a

The Terror, (2018)
Based on the book of the same name, The Terror follows a semi-fictional account of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition. Tasked with finding the Northwest Passage, our heroes set sail for the Arctic in the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. However, they soon find themselves stuck in the ice with no thaw in sight, thanks to freak weather conditions and the hubris of expedition leader Sir John Franklin. After his untimely death, his second in command Captain Francis Crozier is reluctantly forced to take command and save his crew. But if the threat of frostbite and the fear of scurvy and starvation wasn't bad enough, there's something ancient and angry out on the ice and it wants them dead, picking the crew off one by one. And so what should have been a one year voyage turns into a terrifying cat and mouse battle for survival.
Part horror, part tragedy, The Terror will keep you glued to the screen, worried for the welfare of your favourite character. And trust me, you'll have a favourite character. The acting is top-notch, the special effects are excellent and the attention to historical detail is out of this world. This series didn't get enough attention when it first came out, but I highly recommend it. And if you enjoy it, then don't forget to check out season two.

Format: Series
Available: Amazon Prime
Subtitles: some

Hellier (2019)
Make yourself comfortable, because you'll find yourself wanting to binge-watch this. Hellier is presented as a documentary, following a team of paranormal investigators as they receive and investigate an email from a man who claims to be under siege by mysterious creatures, at his home in rural Hellier, Kentucky. On arrival in Hellier, our characters discover that the man who emailed them doesn't seem to exist but something paranormal is going on. They soon find themselves sucked into a mystery that's even bigger than they could ever have imagined, unable to tear themselves away from it as they proceed to investigate, despite being in over their heads.
I discovered Hellier through Twitter and I was instantly hooked. Gentle but at the same time spine-chillingly creepy due to its realism, there's something about Hellier that gives me podcast vibes. Well paced, it keeps you on the edge of your seat. You want to know what happens next and will end up genuinely caring for the welfare of the characters.
Format: Series
Available: Amazon Prime
Subtitles: n/a


I hope my little list has given you some ideas to keep you entertained while everything is in chaos. If you have any movie suggestions for me or have found a new favourite movie/series thanks to this list, then let me know over at Twitter or in the comments below. Until then, stay safe, dear readers.