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| Ghosts Archive 1997 |
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 Ghosts news, views, gallery and archive brought to you by Weird Wiltshire Introduction Latest News News Archive Longleat House Sign of an Angel Bewley Court Red Lion Westbury Pool Maud Cunnington Wardour Castle Manor House Hotel Devizes Castle Kings Arms Malmesbury Abbey Lacock Abbey Avebury Manor Littlecote Manor Lydiard House Gallery Postcards Wallpaper Forum Links |
First Published April 19 1997 Pet grave mystery hides ghost story THE mystery of a pet tombstone in a Swindon park has been solved. Readers came to the assistance of the Adver after a headstone was spotted under a tree in the wood at the lower end of The Lawns, near Old Town. And they have revealed a tale of ghostly hauntings and a family's devotion to their pets. The Goddard family, who lived in a house in the park for the best part of two centuries, erected headstones to all their family pets. The headstones were close to the house but when the family left before the war there was no one to look after them. The house, acquired by the old Swindon borough, was used during the Second World War as a billet for American troops. They, it seems, were not the best behaved of visitors and the headstones gradually were smashed up. Then the spectre of the White Lady began to appear. This ghostly figure in white was seen to walk through the woods, terrifying young soldiers, who had another reason to be glad the war was over when they moved on. The White Lady was said to be the ghost of a Lady Goddard who was annoyed at the disturbance of her beloved pets memorial garden in the lovely park. Brian Chalk, of Parkstone Walk, Park South, was a ranger in The Lawns for 12 years from 1983 until he retired. His wife Valerie said: 'The gravestones used to be near the church and they were memorials to all the family pets. 'When they were clearing the area near the warden's hut the headstones left were just going to be taken to the tip. 'That's why the rangers put them in the wood - to save them.' Jean Allen of The Swindon Society reminded the Adver that a picture of the original memorial garden appeared in the first edition of the society's book of old Swindon photographs. These are now being reprinted so will soon be available to those who want to recall the town's history. Other readers also remember the garden well and rang or wrote to the adver. Thank you to you all but there is one mystery still unsolved. Who continues to put flowers by the headstone? Back to 1997 index |
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