Potsford Gibbet

Potsford Gibbet, East Suffolk, Suffolk, England, IP13 0ND, United Kingdom

2 documented sources0 experiences

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The haunting

Potsford Gibbet stands in Potsford Wood near Wickham Market, Suffolk. The surviving remains mark a historic execution site where bodies were displayed in chains as a warning to others. The gibbet is particularly associated with Jonas (also recorded as Jonah) Snell, who was executed in 1699 for the murder of his master, John Bullard, and Bullard's father at Letheringham Mill. ◆ According to historical accounts, Snell was hanged in Wickham Market before his body was taken to Potsford Gibbet. ◆ His body was placed inside an iron gibbet cage, where it reportedly remained for around 40 years. ◆ Local tradition claims that his skeleton eventually remained hanging in the woods and that birds built nests inside his skull. ◆ His remains were eventually buried beneath the gibbet. ◆ The surviving gibbet post remains in Potsford Wood today. The Suffolk Heritage Explorer records the Potsford gibbet as having last been used in 1699, while the local archive records the story of Snell and the 40-year display of his body.

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Reported / claimed activity

One of the most disturbing reports associated with Potsford Gibbet concerns a hooded figure with a skeletal face. According to the Paranormal Database, during the 1980s, a lorry driver stopped near the site and walked into the woods. ◆ He stopped to read the information at the gibbet. ◆ He then reportedly felt someone tap him on the shoulder. ◆ When he turned around, he found himself face-to-face with a skeletal figure wearing dark robes and a hood. ◆ He reportedly fled back to his vehicle and drove away. What makes this account particularly interesting is that the sighting was reportedly made during daylight, rather than in the darkness one might expect from a traditional ghost story. Another reported encounter occurred in 1997. A couple whose car had broken down near the site reportedly encountered what was described as a black, shapeless figure. According to the account: ◆ The dark presence appeared near them. ◆ It reportedly produced a low, gentle moaning sound. ◆ The couple were sufficiently frightened by the experience to leave the area. The Paranormal Database records both the 1980s skeletal apparition and the 1997 encounter. There are also reports of strange twinkling lights being seen around Potsford Wood. Paranormal accounts associated with the site describe people travelling past the woods seeing unexplained lights and, on occasions, a ghostly figure near the gibbet. One of the strangest pieces of folklore connected with Potsford Gibbet concerns a stone which was said to have stood at the base of the gibbet. According to local legend: If somebody kicked the stone, it would scream. The story is recorded by the Paranormal Database as part of the folklore surrounding the site.

Background and folklore, separate from member eyewitness experiences.

Historical background

The story behind the haunting is particularly dark. According to the historical account reproduced by the Wickham Market Area Archive Centre, Snell entered Letheringham Mill and attacked John Bullard and his father with a sledgehammer, killing them both. His confession was later published, and tradition says that while imprisoned at Bury Gaol he composed verses expressing remorse for the murders. His body was subsequently taken to the gibbet at Potsford. The local archive describes this as the last known hanging in Wickham Market.

References & research

Sources & background

These sources document the location, story or claimed activity. They do not prove paranormal activity.

Suffolk Heritage Explorer RecordHistoric record · Suffolk Heritage Explorer
Historical information regarding Potsford Gibbet.
Paranormal Database - Potsford GibbetPublic dataset · Paranormal Database
Black robed figuire with skeletal face

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