With two ghostly monks and the Devil carrying the spirit of a local Colonel over the marshes on horseback, Ranworth can lay claim to be the most haunted village on the Broads. . .

ST BENET'S ABBEY

The ghost of a traitorous monk haunts this old Abbey, which was built for the Benedictines in AD 816.

St Benet's Abbey.

In the days immediately following the Norman Conquest, the monk betrayed his brethren to soldiers of William the Conqueror on the promise that he would be made Abbot.

True to their word, the Normans appointed him Abbot. He was then nailed to the Abbey doors then skinned alive. The Normans had no love for traitors, even Saxon ones.

His hauntings are limited to one day a year - 25th May. At certain times his screams are still to be heard and he can be seen hanging from the former bell tower...but that's just a legend.

OLD HALL, RANWORTH

Colonel Thomas Sydney lived at Old Hall and was a hard-drinking, boisterous huntsman whose notoriety for debauchery led to his appointment as a justice of the peace being revoked, and he did not enjoy losing bets.

On 31st December, 1770, at the biggest meet of the season, he challenged a neighbour to a race. When he found that he was well behind, and obviously going to lose, he pulled out his pistol and shot his opponent's horse, causing the rider to be thrown and break his neck.

Whilst at dinner that night, a thin stranger is said to have appeared at the Old Hall, thrown the Colonel across his saddle and galloped off into the darkness. The colonel eventually disappeared "mysteriously," and it was said that the devil had been seen carrying his body away over the marshes. According to legend, every year on the 31st December, the same scene is repeated.

BROTHER PACIFICUS OF RANWORTH BROAD

St Benet's Abbey.

The ghost of a medieval monk is said to hunt Ranworth Broad.

Brother Pacificus returned to his home at St Benet's Abbey, rowing across the broad from Ranworth church, to find the rest of the monks had been killed by Henry the Eight's soldiers.

He lived alone until his death, and is said to be seen rowing his boat in the early dawn.

John Fowler contacted us with the following:
We often enter the Three Rivers race in a Norfolk Punt. About 11 years ago my crew Dick and I were very focussed on returning to Horning in the early hours. It was nearly pitch black (probably about 02.30 hrs) but I became aware of a small boat nearly in the middle of the river 3-400 yards on the Thurne Mouth side of St Benets and planned my tack to pass it. Still being a little uncertain, a minute or so later I asked Dick if he could see anything, he said he could see a small boat ahead. We sailed on very slowly and to my relief I heard oars being shipped on the St Benet's side of the river. We shortly drew level with a small length of quay headed bank. We could clearly see all of the bank as we sailed along. No dinghy was to be seen. I checked the bank several times subsequently and there is no way a boat could not have been seen there - it is open land. Nor could it have been carried away in the time available. The place is close, I believe, just downstream of the old fish ponds at St Benets.

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