The haunting ivy-clad ruins hide behind a thicket of trees and a fairytale tangle of brambles, their ghostly secrets protected by the passage of time.

The atmospheric remains of St Mary at Fulmodeston are all that is left of the church that once served the village and was recorded in the Domesday Book – the building was abandoned in the 1880s, along with the church at Croxton, and a brand new church, Fulmodeston Christ Church, was built halfway between the two.

Set in picturesque countryside alongside tracks frequented by walkers, St Mary's ivy camouflage means that it is often overlooked – but in August 2005, a group of walkers noticed the church and decided to take a closer look: however, someone – or something – wasn't in the mood for welcoming visitors.

Unperturbed by the fact that one of the walker's dogs refused point blank to even approach the ruined tower of the church, the group picked their way through the brambles and began to explore the ruins, only to be met by a strange white mist and an overpowering smell of sulphur.

Sulphur is often recorded by those who witness paranormal activities and the smell has been recorded since Biblical times and by Greek philosophers – it is also often remarked on by those who claim to have been visited by flying saucers or aliens.

As the walking party went to leave the ruins, voices were heard and a spectral figure was seen moving around on the top of the tower, even though the floor upon which it would have stood had long since crumbled away. The walkers, very wisely, bid a somewhat hasty retreat.

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