Reigate Cemetery
9th August 2008

Introduction
Photographs
Team Reports
Team 1
Team 2
Group
Personal Reports
Val Butler
Ken Taylor
Jim Arnold
Emma Macdonald
Mandy Firth
Steen Spencer
Kelly Skimming
Simon Patterson

Introduction

Following the Burial Acts of 1852 and 1853 authority burial boards were created and many Victorian cemeteries opened. Among these was Reigate Cemetery, which opened in 1856. Within the cemetery there are many impressive mausoleum and memorials in a wide variety of styles. The two Victorian buildings, the cemetery chapel and the original public mortuary are now solely used by the grounds maintenance staff.

Photographs

1/15 - Group Photograph

Team Reports

Team 1 - Val (Team Leader), Steen, Ken, Kelly & Emma

Vigil 1 Church and left side of Cemetery
Val calls out for spirit to come forward but there is no reply. Ken and Emma feel quite comfortable walking around this area on their own. We came across a large memorial that had steps underneath a covered pathway with a hole at the edge of the memorial. Ken and Emma put their hands down the hole and took some photographs. Walking around Emma loses her breath while Steen feels the air is dense. A strong breeze if felt by us although the huge trees were perfectly still. Val calls to spirit again but there was no response. Steen whistled and asks for spirit to copy him which failed. Ken and Steen both feel very itchy like insects crawling over them. Val has the feeling that a lot of souls died through the plague. Ken asks spirit to come forward but there was no response. Kelly and Val complain they have a headache.

Vigil 2 Right side of Cemetery
We started to slowly walk along the pathway and Kelly had a fit of the giggles but does not know why. We all stood in a circle holding hands and held a séance but nothing came through. Ken sees a shadow in a dark area and went to investigate it but nothing was there. Emma has a pain in her neck but when she moves to a different area the pain went, maybe a possible hanging. Kelly’s camera has interference on it, maybe electricity in the air although the night was clear and mild. Val calls to spirit but there is no response. Of a sudden Val starts to talk all in rhyme and says she has thought about poetry, also she has a picture of a highwayman in mind. Steen then starts talking with a French accent for no reason whatsoever. Val sees movement between graves and again starts talking all in rhyme. Ken sees a boy aged between 5 and 6 he can feel his presence with him he wears short trousers and boots. Ken is drawn to one particular grave with the same surname as his. Again Ken feels the boy is now following us. Emma is drawn to a grave that has the name of William and feels a great sadness while kneeling beside it almost to the point of crying, but why she cannot say. Ken talks to the boy again and asks him to come and play with us. While walking down a narrow pathway Steen hears footsteps and scuffing behind him but no one is there. Emma has to go back to William’s grave she is so sad. A sound is heard by Steen and Val down the same path that Steen had heard footsteps. Val and Steen take turns in calling out but there is no response. Nearing the mausoleum Val feels she is being pushed. Kelly has a sharp pain down her shoulder. End of Vigil

Team 2 - Jim (Team Leader), Simon, Mandy & Jim (Guest)

Vigil 1 Right side of Cemetery
Mandy complains of having dry eyes and wants to keep on rubbing them, Jim said he felt like he was being watched All formed a circle and Jim called to spirit, Mandy heard something shuffle Jim felt giddy. EMF meter reading 0 temperature 13.6 to 14.8. Jim again called to spirit and had the names of Charles and Mary. Jim our guest started to shiver and Mandy heard another shuffle. Simon noticed the name of Mary Ann was on the gravestone next to where we were standing. Jim was given the date of ten score and ten.

Vigil 2 Church and left side of Cemetery
All group formed a circle behind the church as Mandy saw a shadow moving behind her. There was a pungent smell coming and going. Jim had the spirit of an Irish person going in and out of him but the spirit wont stay. Every now and then Jim would speak with an Irish accent. Mandy and had a tightening around their chest. Jim is hearing the sound of stones being dropped at the same time. Whilst this was happening one of the lamp post lights went out. There is a lot of rustling from inside a near bush the whole team heard it.
Jim calls out to spirit and his hands go cold, then he feels giddy and sick A flash of light went over our hands; Jim stumbles and nearly falls over. He wants to cry for some reason and is very cold. TB dying, Jim now swaying and is being held up by Mandy and Jim (Simon’s Dad), Jim now on his knees and out of breath, he is being taken over. Jim speaking in a child’s voice saying “they left us alone”. Spirit left Jim to early due to girls screaming Jim said there are lots of children left to die. We call the other team on walkie talkie. When they arrive Jim is still out of breath and said “died of TB and much worse”. Mandy’s chest is very tight. Group hold a séance in a circle. Steen started to talk to Kelly but Kelly was not there. Jim now asks his guide to assist him, he senses a worse WW11. Emma feels her jumper being tugged. Jim falls to his knees on own accord, a child is in the circle and is telling the spirit to be taken into the light by angels. Jim assisted in this and the child was taken into the light.

Group

Vigil 3 Far end of the Cemetery
Jim sensed that someone from the war was here an American from the Army; Val was getting some good light anomalies on camera. Jim was drawn to a spot, got a strong smell, saw an image as he turned round, there were shadows all around. We all walked further to the end of the Cemetery where the grass was long and here we held a séance. All joining hands in a circle, Val began calling out to spirit but there was no response to the request. Jim thought there were two little boys playing hide and seek, dressed in fifties style clothes, flat caps and shirts, he asked them to come into the circle, then something pushed Jim. Again he asked the boys to come forward into the circle, we all knelt down to be the same height and Jim asked them what their illness was, but again all was quiet. Val saw movement in the distance, whitish/grey, and then Steen saw the movement in the distance. Mandy sensed that there was a lot of pain. No other occurrences so closed the séance.

Personal Reports

Valerie Butler

Ken Taylor

Vigil 1 Left side of Cemetery
I felt quite calm walking around this beautiful church and captured many orbs on my camera. Further round I noticed a strong breeze although the trees remained quite still. I felt very itchy then noticed Steen was scratching as well. There seemed to be a strong presence in the left corner and I went to have a look, I heard a few sounds but on investigating further found nothing.

Vigil 2 Right side of Cemetery
Walking down the pathway I had the urge to look back on doing so I could see a young boy following us but keeping his distance, I called to him to come closer to me but he held back. I strongly felt this young lad was with me the whole time I walked around but always holding back. I felt uneasy in this part of the Cemetery for some reason. Suddenly Val was called upon the walkie talkie for immediate help from the other team so this vigil came to an abrupt end.

Vigil 3 Far end of Cemetery
This was the very old part of the cemetery and it felt quite eerie. All members gathered here and we joined hand for a séance. Although we took turns in calling to spirit no occurrences happened.
This night had been most unusual investigation, my first full night in a Cemetery with mixed emotions running through me. A return for me is a must as I feel there is so much more than what I had experienced on the night.

Jim Arnold

Vigil 1 Right side of Cemetery
I had been looking forward to tonight, and we started on the right hand side of this fair size cemetery. I asked for the EMF, and Temp to be done, and after a while suggested to the team that we form a circle.
We all had the feeling of being watched, but it could have just been the place we were in.
I called out for anyone to make themselves known to us, there was some scuffling going on around us, and heard by the team. I was unable to find a reason for this, and it could have been a number of things.
I asked if any spirit or astral being could touch one of us, Julie suddenly spoke out; she said something had touched her on the forehead.
I thanked who ever had done this.
I called out again, this time I become very cold and this was noticed by Jim (Simon’s dad). I told the team that had a man that had come to the circle, he told me his name was Charles, I asked him to touch one of us, he said no, but his wife would.
Then a lady came forward who said her name was Mary, again I asked Mary to touch one of us. She responded by telling me she liked Julie’s hair, she seemed fascinated by it, I asked her to touch Julie, and again she responded by touching her on the cheek.
I asked Julie if she was ok, and she said that one side of her face was very cold.
I asked a number of questions to Mary, but got no further response from her, and I brought the circle to an end.
As we finished Simon who had just started to have a look around told me that the grave very close to us had the name of Mary on the stone.

Vigil 2 Church and left side of Cemetery
We started again after a short break, and the first thing I found that along with the others I could not take a photo of the clock tower of the church. It was lit to a degree, but each photo except one showed nothing.
I had a look round and felt drawn to one part of the grave yard, and asked the team to form a circle in this area.
Again I called out again, and again the team felt that we were being watched, and that someone or something was creeping up around us.
I called out again. This time as I started to speak I started to speak in what I was later told to be an American Irish accent.
I stopped speaking, and tried again, this happened several times each time this happened I stopped, and in the end I closed the circle, as I felt it was getting no where. I was also being drawn to another area, I started to feel a little funny, and it was hard to explain why.
Once moved I asked the team to again form a circle Mandy told me she was feeling tight feeling across her chest, this was how I had been feeling.
I felt this area was full of sickness, as the circle continued I felt that the children were left to die, it was a feeling that their parents had been afraid they might catch what they had, I also had the feeling of TB, and much worse diseases from this place.
During the circle I started to reach as if I was about to be sick, this happened twice and I closed the circle.
I felt that there were children near by, and I began to feel very upset and started crying , I allowed spirit to enter my body and my knees became weak causing other them team members to assist me.
I’m not sure what happened next, but Mandy told me that she had been commutating with a spirit that was possessing, I remember very little of this, other than I was very upset, and still crying.
Then two of the team members screamed out, this caused me to break contact very suddenly, and this felt what could only be described as a feeling of having a massive heart attack, not that I have had one, but the pain to my chest was almost unbearably as I stood up.
I could hardly breathe, and still in a great deal of pain, and thought it best to call for assistance of the other team.
Mandy helped me away from the area, and after a while I started to recover.
With the energy of both teams I felt I needed to go back and try again. I just knew that I had to go back.
I asked for us to form a circle once again I was becoming upset, I felt that there were children were again near by.
Mandy and I moved apart to allow a child to enter, and I told the team that I was going to kneel down, I felt what I can only describe as a young girl of no older than eight, with long blond hair. She came to me and it felt like she put her arms around me. I felt that she was very upset, enough to again upset me.
I asked for her to go into the light, which she did, once this happened I began to feel much better.
I have to say a big thank you to Mandy for helping me through this.

Vigil 3 Far end of Cemetery
Everywhere I looked I felt I was being watched, and I kept being drawn to parts of the cemetery, but nothing came to me.
Val called us over for a circle, we took turns in calling out, but nothing came to me here, other than seeing two boys dressed in clothes which I would describe as form the 1940/1950’s. They didn’t seem to be interested in us, and seemed to be playing.
Once Val closed the circle I was drawn to the area behind me, I walked over to this point, and saw something move, but was unable to find out what.
One of the best nights I have had.

Emma Macdonald

Vigil 1 Church and left side of Cemetery
This area was relatively quiet for us, it was very calm and not at all what I was expecting.
I heard rustling sounds but this could have been down to the breeze and dead leaves from the trees. I felt calm and relaxed here.

Vigil 2 Right hand side of Cemetery
This was a very interesting part for me, as soon as we entered the area I felt like we were being watched and had that feeling with me for the rest of the night. Val did some calling out and the name William popped into my head, I have no idea why but as we were walking up the path I was drawn to a grave off the path and the name on the gravestone was William. I was a little spooked by this, as I have never had an experience like that before. I thought maybe because William was a common name but very coincidental that I walked straight to it. While sitting by this grave I felt an overwhelming sadness, I wanted to cry it was so sad.
Also as we walked through the graves I had a severe neck pain in a certain area, I walked away from the area and the pain went. I went back and the pain was there again. It was then that I realised I was standing on the gravestone of a woman who had died at a very old age. I have no idea why I was getting the pains.
All in all this was a very interesting area for me, during our time here we had a distress call from the other team and we ran over to them to discover that they had had an experience. I, Steen and Ken went to where they had the experience and we could find no logical explanation for anything. After Jim had recovered we held hands and called out and I felt a tugging on the back of my jumper and I could feel someone standing behind me.

Vigil 3 Far end of Cemetery
We held a group séance at the end of the evening, I felt fine during this séance and felt nothing. I did see a few shadows but this could have been due to the trees in the light.
All in all I had a great evening, experienced a lot and not really sure why as before the last investigation in the caves I never really picked up on anything, my senses seem to be getting stronger.

Mandy Firth

Vigil 1- Right side of Cemetery
I felt fine in this area, I called out and heard a shuffle behind me, and I sensed that we were being watched from afar, but they wouldn’t come closer, all through this vigil I felt fine.

Vigil 2- Church and left side of Cemetery
As soon as I got in this area my chest got tight, I heard a few noises, we then moved over to the far side and that’s when I started to feel really quite ill, going dizzy and feeling sick. I called out and Jim advised me to move away as the spirit didn’t like me, once we started a séance Jim went on his knees and let a little girl posses him, I then started to speak to her, she said that they left us, I asked who left them, she answered that there parents left them and that she was in a lot of pain, then it all ended. Once the séance got resumed I felt the little girl and her pain, just before she went quite.

Vigil 3 Far End of Cemetery
Once I started to get a tight chest in Vigil 2 it stayed there for the rest of the night, along with the dizziness and the feeling sick, I still sensed that we were being watched from afar, but I didn’t witness any movement.
Overall I really enjoyed the investigation and would love to visit the site again.

Steen Spencer

Vigil 1 Church and left side of Cemetery
I didn’t pick anything up until we got to the far corner, where I felt the presence of a small boy (five or six). I thought I could see him standing in the far corner, but wasn’t sure as it was dark and could have been a trick of the eye. I felt that something bad had happened here and believe it had something to do with the boy. I didn’t feel comfortable here at all!! When we held a séance around a tombstone I felt itchy. When I said that I felt itchy, Ken said that he was about to say the same!! This appeared to only affect the males in the group.

Vigil 2 Right side of Cemetery
This vigil was in a more open environment and was a lot darker than the previous. At one point I started to speak in a French accent for no reason?!?! We started walking down the darkest path under some trees when the group stopped and went back to investigate a grave. When I turned around to follow the others there was very loud shoe scuff on the path behind me; sounded like someone had kicked the ground in anger. We came back and held a séance in the area, but didn’t get anything!! We went back to the ‘Vigil 1’ area when the other team called for assistance. Jim had a problem in the same place that I thought I could see the boy. I was walking down the path and was talking to (who at the time thought was Kelly) a blond woman who didn’t respond or look at me (I thought that she was too into the investigation and didn’t hear me). The ‘new’ group held a séance and I felt that there were about six presences around us; mainly behind myself and Emma. When we finished, I asked where Kelly was as I couldn’t see her and was told that she had stayed with the other group (which she had). There was no one else I could have been speaking to earlier, SO WHO WAS IT?!?!

Vigil 3 Far end of Cemetery
This was the lightest area in the cemetery with the highest amount of graves. During the group séance I felt that there was a lot of activity moving all around us. This area felt like marsh land and I could see a battle happening in my minds eye (before it was a cemetery).

Conclusion
This was a very enjoyable investigation and interesting evening!! I would still like to know who I was talking to!!

Kelly Skimming

Vigil 1 Left side of Cemetery
After arriving at Reigate Cemetery, the group familiarised themselves with the layout of the graveyard and the decision was made to split up into two groups. My group consisted of Val, Ken, Emma, Steen and myself.
We made our way through the main entrance gate and around to the right side of the church. The church door was closed and locked. All of us took pictures randomly and captured a number of orbs at varying times. Feeling drawn to a particular gravestone, I knelt and took some pictures, capturing an orb close by on several of the pictures.
Steen captured an orb above my head, but apart from this, nothing further was recorded at this time.
We made our way across the damp grass and round to a remote spot, by the hedge surrounding the site. At this time, I recorded nothing, but Steen took a remarkable picture of many orbs all within a particularly eerie location, predominantly characterised by long, overgrown grasses and large trees.
We stopped to investigate a number of gravestones, in particular an impressive stone dating from the mid-Victorian era. We all stood around it and Val; and myself felt a definite drop in temperature and Steen and Ken started to feel a bit itchy. We all took a number of pictures, but other than this, nothing further was recorded.
We came across a large monumental gravestone of dated. 1857. There was a slight orifice at one corner of this grave and Emma took a number of pictures at this spot, in the hope of attracting and recording spirit presence. However, at this time, no occurrence took place.
After this, we made our way slowly from gravestone to gravestone, taking random pictures and letting each other know if we felt or saw anything out of the ordinary. By now, the moon was fully up, casting an eerie light across the graveyard. It had also begun to lightly rain.

Vigil 2 Right side of Cemetery
This time, our group made our way into the graveyard via the right hand side of the church and down the winding path, by the public toilet and to the right of the Chapel. Almost immediately, I shrieked, as I was convinced I was seeing orbs with the naked eye. Emma came over and also confirmed that she could see “something”, but was not sure what. Steen explained it was highly likely what I was seeing were no more than spiders’ webs, catching the light and the group all laughed, as I was sure I had been “the chosen one”!! Shortly after this, Val caught something strange on camera, which was again, explained away, so Val was disappointed as she thought maybe she was!!
We made out way along the path, taking pictures randomly. Ken said he could feel that we were being followed by a small boy, possibly from the early 1920’s and felt that this entity was following us up the path. He asked the child to show us a sign of his presence, but nothing conclusive was revealed. Shortly after this, Emma felt drawn to a grave of a “William” who had died in early adulthood. This occurrence was of particular interest as she had sensed that a “William” was trying to communicate to her and had walked over to the grave at random, only to find that it was, indeed the grave of “William”. She knelt at the graveside and became quite emotional, sensing some trauma from him, but not sure what. We took a number of pictures at this spot, capturing a couple of orbs.
On progressing down the path, our walkie-talkie crackled into life and a member of the other team breathlessly asked us to meet them as quickly as we could. Steen, Emma and I ran as fast as we could to where the other team where. The group medium was in a state of shock and badly shaken. The other members of the group explained that while holding a séance, he had become possessed and while under possession, a black human-like form had emerged from behind a grave, frightening a number of members of the group. The identity for the apparition or the reason for its emergence remains unknown.

Vigil 3 Far end of the Cemetery
After another short break, both groups adjoined and I was given the task of writing the activity notes. We went back into the graveyard and, this time, made our way to the far end, where it was agreed we would hold a séance. I sat out and watched the others, so I could accurately record any events as they occurred. I found that my pen was running away with me, writing “speak” as “speake” and other minor grammatical discrepancies that appeared to be out of my control. From the séance, nothing conclusive was drawn. We were told by passers by the site has been active since at least the 15th century, during which the Black Death was a prevalent and constant threat on the local inhabitants of the town and surrounding. This we knew, but the whereabouts of these faceless graves was unknown to us. They told us we would find them at the front of the church, all marked with the customary skull and cross-bones. After making our way to the alleged spot, after much fruitless searching, we could not decide which graves these might be, nor indeed, if they were still visible and had not long since been buried after centuries of lying dormant and undisturbed.
Val and I made our way onto the lane, as legend has it; the lane is more haunted than the graveyard. We took a number of pictures, revealing several large orbs and on further investigation, revealed a war memorial, hidden behind a locked gate. We both took a number of pictures, but nothing remarkable was recorded. Dawn was upon us, casting the graveyard in a new, but equally eerie light. However, all of us sensed a new tranquillity that had not been present earlier. We held a séance at the spot of earlier activity, but all was calm and still as an afterthought, I returned the next afternoon and immediately came across a gravestone featuring the skull and cross-bone that had so eluded us the night before.

Simon Patterson

Vigil 1 Right side of Cemetery
As I walked toward the vigil area I walked into what I thought was a cob web but there were not any trees or lamps for a web to be spun on, that was very interesting for me.
I did experience anything else on this vigil.

Vigil 2 Church and left side of Cemetery
I felt fine in this area, I was writing the notes when thing began happening to another team member, this again I felt interesting. As I moved further down the cemetery I was feeling on edge, I don’t know why I should feel like this. Some very good unexplained things were happening to one of the team members.

Vigil 3 Far end of Cemetery
We all joined hands in a big circle at the far side of the Cemetery to hold a séance. Did not experience anything unusual here and felt quite relaxed even through the séance.