Ghost hunting in Britain's most haunted village
Thursday, January 10, 2013
GHOST hunters will be tracking down spooks in Kent tomorrow night - in the country's most haunted village.
Stephen Moyle, of Rochester, runs spectre-seeking missions at haunted locations around the country and tomorrow he will lead an intrepid group into the woods in Pluckley near Ashford.
Pluckley - Britain's most haunted village
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Pluckley was named Britain's most haunted village by Guinness World Records in 1989 thanks to its 12 resident ghosts.
In the dead of night, Mr Moyle will guide the phantom hunters deep into the village's chillingly named Screaming Woods to experience paranormal activity first hand.
Mr Moyle said: "People either get it or they don't. We have had lots of people coming along to our events who say they don't believe in all that rubbish.
"But usually, something happens on a ghost hunt to make them change their minds."
Mr Moyle, a website designer by day, spiritualist medium by night, has been leading ghost hunting expeditions for ten years.
As a child, 39-year-old Mr Moyle became aware of seeing and hearing spirits but did not acknowledge his unusual ability until he was in his twenties.
He first trained as an architect at the University of Kent, Canterbury, and later became an IT specialist. He then set up Ghost Hunt Events, which he runs with the help of a team of paranormal investigators.
On a typical outing, Mr Moyle uses his skills as a medium to pick up the presence of spirits, backed up with an arsenal of ghost hunting gizmos designed to detect energy from the other side.
"We've got all sorts of gadgets to help us detect spirit energy," Mr Moyle said.
"Our electromagnetic field detectors light up when they pick up this kind of energy. You've got to remember we'll be in the middle of a wood where there is no electricity for some miles.
"When it turns red you can be sure there is a spirit right in front of you."
Other equipment used to spot visitors from beyond the grave include an American device called a Ghost Meter Pro which Mr Moyle says picks up energy flowing at different frequencies, a bit like a radio.
He and his team also use motion sensors, night vision cameras and a machine called a Spirit Box through which Mr Moyle reckons ghosts can speak directly to the living.
Mr Moyle's ghost hunts are so popular that the Pluckley Woods events are sold out until June. But there are spaces available at other Kent locations throughout the year including Fort Borstal in Chatham, the Timeball Tower in Deal and Oldbury Hill fort near Sevenoaks.
Mr Moyle said: "Occasionally, there have been some slower events where the activity we detected was minimal.
"And there are always the people who will find a rational explanation for the weirdest things. They find it hard to believe because it would rock their mindset.
"But I guarantee most people who feel this way will walk into a ghost hunt and leave with changed minds."
To find out about more ghost hunting events in Kent and around Britain, go on to ghosthuntevents.co.uk.
