In the spirit of Hallowe’en, Jersey and Guernsey’s rich and haunting past makes for some thrilling ghost stories and creepy locations scattered across the Islands, if you know where to look! Everyone knows the done-to-death tales of a grey lady stalking the corridors in spooky old hotels, but the best locations are always the less well-known ones, and these ancient islands so steeped in history have no shortage of these.
Here’s our Top 5 Creepy Locations in the Channel Islands, with macabre stories to match. Pick your favourite for your next trip, and just make sure you don’t go alone…!
Devil’s Hole, St. Mary, Jersey
Off the beaten path, you’ll be rewarded with breath-taking cliff views stretching across the Channel. The Devil’s Hole is a spectacular blow hole which can be viewed from the cliff path above, and the view itself is incredible. But there’s more…. on the approach to the cliff path, the arresting sight of the bronze statue of the Devil will catch you off-guard, and is a replica of a figurehead which was discovered in 1851, afloat in the centre of what was then called Le Creux de Vis. How it got there wasn’t obvious. Maybe from a shipwreck, or perhaps there’s a more sinister explanation.
German Underground Hospital, St. Andrew, Guernsey
A dark chapter in the Islands’ history, evidence of occupation years are manifest through the Islands. The Underground Hospital in Guernsey is a fascinating and moving site to visit. The tunnels took 2 and a half years to complete, and were dug by slaves from across Europe in brutal conditions. Once completed, the hospital billeted around 800 wounded soldiers.
The sombre history of the hospital is chilling enough, but paranormal activity is regularly reported by visitors to the site. Unexplained figures in photographs, footsteps along empty corridors and voices from nowhere contribute to the accounts from visitors.
Witches’ Rock, St. Clement, Jersey
Rocqueberg Point, a long time ago, was the site where Hubert used to enjoy regular long evening walks. Having fallen asleep on one such evening, Hubert reported to his fianceé, Madeleine, that on wakening, he found himself in a magical forest, surrounded by beautiful girls, dancing through the trees. He joined them and promised to return the following evening. On telling Madeleine about his supernatural encounter, Madeleine’s sage advice was to never return. He dismissed Madeleine’s foreboding and resolved to return that evening. Madeleine spoke with her parish priest whose advice was to follow Hubert and take a Crucifix. Madeleine did, and on approaching Hubert, she could see him dancing not with beautiful young girls, but with ugly old witches! She duly raised her Crucifix and the witches vanished.
On one part of the rock, it’s said that an imprint of the Devil’s cloven hoof can be seen (and maybe more, if you time your visit to coincide with a full moon!).
Bouley Bay, Trinity, Jersey
Historically known for smugglers, the legend of Bouley Bay makes it one of Jersey’s most intriguing locations. The Black Dog of Bouley Bay is a tale which has echoed through the years. It’s said that when a storm was due to break, a black dog would appear, and sailors reported the howls of the black dog reverberating off the wild seas during stormy weather. More recently, the black dog was observed on the night of the great storms of 1987. Bouley Bay is also said to display strange and unexplained lights out to sea on dark nights, with ghostly lights approaching shore and vanishing. Tales of a lady in white who wanders the streets, disappearing down into the bay are more fleeting, and you may have to visit after dark to know for sure.
Mont Orguell Castle, Gorey, Jersey
13th Century Mont Orgeull Castle is the backdrop for a story about a young man, the son of the castle guardian, who embarked on a relationship with a young woman who was deemed to be beneath his social status. The young man dismissed the disapproval of his family and married the young woman anyway. This was a short-lived union, as his father killed both young people in a rage. Since that day, the two young people can be seen standing on the site of their marriage, and fleeting visions and unidentified voices are not uncommon.
