The Endless Hauntings of Epping Forest in England

A Historical Tapestry of Crime

Epping Forest’s history is not without its dark chapters. Once a royal hunting ground, the forest became a haven for outlaws and criminals during the medieval period. Infamous highwaymen and ne’er-do-wells sought refuge beneath its leafy cover, preying on unsuspecting travelers along the forest’s ancient paths. The legends of notorious figures like Dick Turpin, who allegedly used the forest as a hideout, still linger in the whispers of the rustling leaves.

Read More: Check of all stories from Haunted Forests

Because of it being so close to London, the London gangsters known as the Kray twins used this forest to dump the body of their victims. Unsolved murders as well as unidentified bodies have been found in the forest the following decades as well into recent times with a few years between them.

The Ghost of the Notorious Dick Turpin

As mentioned the Epping Forest is notorious for being a place of crimes, and many of the ghost stories are woven into this. Dick Turpin was a highwayman that allegedly had a hideout inside of the forest. He was born in Hempstead around 1705 and throughout his life it was said he was dumping the bodies of his victims in the forest. He did at least murder one man there as he was tried and hanged in York in 1739 for it.

**Richard Turpin:** Illustration of Turpin who shoots dead Thomas Morris, outside his cave at Epping Forest

It is also said that Turpin is haunting the forest, especially around Traps Hill. The very name of the nearby road is said to come from the fear of being robbed in their sleep by him.

According to these rumors about him haunting Epping Forest, he is seen on his horse named Black Bess and is often said to be dragging a woman behind him. Although Black Bess never actually existed, he was accused of stealing horses. This is most likely connected to the crime of the widow Shelley that lived on Traps Hill farm and victim for one of his heinous crimes in 1734, and that he seems to revisit in his afterlife.

He broke into her house and threatened to roast her over the open fire if she didn’t tell where he could find her wealth. Her son eventually told them, but they didn’t leave immediately. They stayed and drank her wine, ate her food before going over to her neighbors as well to rob them too.

Ever since his death, his life has been readapted in books, movies and tv series, even trying to mold him into more of a Robin Hood character than the ruthless robber and gang member he was. And ever since his legacy has grown, people have claimed to have seen his ghost coming storming down Traps Hill on a horse, still a menace in the forest.

Dick Turpin is also said to haunt St. George’s Field in York were he frequented as well as the York Novotel Hotel and a path close to the River Ouse among other things.

The Ghost of the Celtic Queen Boudicca

At Loughton Camps you find a hill fort from the Iron Age that local legend claims was used by the Celtic Queen Boudicca. The hill fort is from around 500 BC and is a type of earthwork used as a refuge og defended settlement and can be found just northwest of Loughton town.

Boudicca was the leader of the British Iceni tribe and most known for her uprising against the Roman Empire and is seen as a national heroine for the British. Her husband had gifted their kingdom to their daughters, but after he died, it was ignored and his kingdom was annexed. Boudicca were flogged and her daughters were raped so that they would be seen as tainted.

**Boadicea, Queen of the Iceni**: Illustration by Charles Hamilton Smith from 1821.

This caused her to rally her soldiers in an uprising against the empire in year 60. She was defeated the following year though and died. She is said to have died in either battle, of her injuries later or by suicide.

Another hill fort connected to the Celtic queen is at Ambresbury Banks. This is believed to be the site where Boudicca were defeated by the Roman Empire in 61. Eighty thousand men and women were said to have lost their lives to her crusade against the empire, although the story lacks archaeological evidence. Most likely this site was a bit further north.

These hill forts we know for sure were used by the warring Celtic tribes of Trinovantes and Catuvellauni before the Roman invasion.

Although much of the historical facts remain unverified, the legend of her ghost roaming the forest still linger. Some claim to have seen the ghost of Boudicca herself though, coming through the mist on her chariot.

The Suicide Ponds of Epping Forest

Inside the forest you will find many lakes and ponds. There is a place said to draw people to it to take their life and it has a sinister reputation. Although there are over 100 lakes and ponds in the forest, it could be many places of course.

This place in the woods is a pond where according to legend was two young lovers who drowned themselves around 300 years ago in one of the ponds in the forest, many believing it to be this. The tragedies since then have seemingly just been piling on.

So bad is it apparently that people have tried to get a petition going in 2021 to close the pond off and get 24 hour surveillance because of the darkness surrounding this particular pond.

Lindsey Pond

Another pond in the forest is the pond close to Lindsey Street. In the 1960s, stories started pouring in about ghostly figures coming from the pond on horseback. According to the stories, they rode toward town before suddenly disappearing.

Many of the waters close to the forest are said to have a ghost or two in them. A young girl drowning close to the Kings Oak pub has also been seen here, as well as sightings of a headless horseman. There are also more than one story about a woman drowning her child and herself in these ponds and have ever since been haunting the waters of Epping Forest.

The Hangman’s Hill Mystery

One particular site, known as Hangman’s Hill, adds to the eerie mystique of Epping Forest just past Avey Lane. Legend has it that this location was once used for public executions, with the spirits of the condemned lingering in the hushed stillness of the night.

According to legend that is probably the most talked about and most tried. People have heard screams coming from the hill and even called the police to the site without them finding anything.

Some visitors claim to experience strange phenomena on Hangman’s Hill, where gravity seemingly defies its own rules, prompting vehicles to roll uphill—a phenomenon that only deepens the forest’s reputation for the unexplained.

The only thing is put your car in neutral and feel the shift as the hangman pulls you up towards the hill.

The Bad Omens

Some of the animals you see inside of Epping Forest are apparently more than they seem. There are stories about a White hard or stag seen in the forest that signifies death or at least trouble if you see it.

The same goes for seeing a Black Shuck, or the ghost dog that is found everywhere in Essex as well as England for that matter. Some say it is a harbinger of bad luck or just a companion of the devil.

It is mostly in the High Beech where sightings of the haunted hound have been seen.

Modern-Day Hauntings of Epping Forest

As night descends upon Epping Forest, stories of modern-day hauntings persist. Witnesses recount chilling encounters, from ghostly shapes moving among the trees to unsettling sounds that echo through the darkness.

Even after all these years people still claim to see headless horsemen in the forest, at Wake arms roundabout there is allegedly a man who runs out in front of the cars. When the cars stop however, he only stares into their eyes before he fades away.

Around these parts reports about the ghost of a biker as well as a horse-drawn coach have been seen in the night.

Epping Forest, with its ancient trees and hidden pathways, stands as a living chronicle of England’s past. Beyond the rustling leaves and dappled sunlight, the forest harbors tales of crime and spectral echoes, inviting those brave enough to explore its shadowy recesses. As day turns to night, the secrets of Epping Forest come alive, beckoning the curious and daring to unravel the mysteries that continue to weave their spell upon this enchanted woodland.