Hello and welcome, Wyrdos! This week, Andy and Craig are diving headfirst into one of the most notoriously strange places in England: Clapham Woods. From a centuries-old curse to big cat sightings, cults, and UFOs, this small patch of woodland has it all.
Join the hosts as they explore the bizarre and mysterious stories surrounding Clapham Woods and the nearby ChanctonburyRing, including:\
- The Curse of 1288: A look at the ancient curse laid upon the village by Robert Le Falconer, and the theory that it’s the source of all the bizarre happenings.
- A Spate of Mysterious Deaths: The hosts cover the four strange deaths associated with the woods, including a police constable, a depressive vicar, a pensioner who underwent rapid decomposition, and a murder victim.
- Missing Animals and Big Cats: The episode explores stories of a horse that vanished without a trace, a dog that became violently ill after a visit, and a disturbing discovery of a pit of skinned cats.
- The Cult of Hecate: A deep dive into the alleged cult that a local newspaper mislabeled as "satanic," including investigator Charles Walker's meeting with an initiate who claimed the missing dogs were sacrifices.
- Unsettling Encounters: Andy and Craig discuss the one solid ghost story they could find—a woman who was physically thrown into a barbed wire fence by an unseen force—and the widespread feelings of unease and sickness people report in the woods.
- UFO Sightings: From a 1700s sighting of a "full moon" object to a Ouija board message from the 1960s about a spacecraft base, the hosts discuss the many UFO reports from the area and the lack of verifiable details.
- Alistair Crowley and the Devil's Soup: The show ends with a look at the connection between the notorious occultist, the nearby Chanctonbury Ring, and the local folklore about running around a clump of trees to summon the Devil for a bowl of soup.
- Final Verdict: The hosts conclude that while the stories make for incredible folklore, a lot of the material is difficult to verify and seems to stem from a single source.
Wyrd News
- The Asparamancer: Craig shares a hilarious story about a fortune teller who correctly predicted Brexit and Andy Murray's Wimbledon win by throwing asparagus spears into the air.
- Cannibal at the Police Station: Andy finishes with a truly shocking and gruesome story of a witch doctor who walked into a police station with a bag of human remains, claiming he had been forced to eat human flesh.
Stay Wyrd!
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Written and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens
Edited by Craig Brooks
Intro music by Leonell Cassio - The Paranormal Is Real (ft. Carrie)
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