Hallowe’en...horror in Sussex’s spookiest town

But these goosebump inducing stories are said to have unfolded right on our doorstep.

Not convinced? Paranormal researcher Malcolm Campbell explains why ‘Horsham has the most blood-thirsty history across any town in the whole of Sussex’, starting with the haunting of the old King and Barnes brewery in the Bishopric.

“The brewery no longer exists, but when it was in full swing a poltergeist became quite active.

“On one occasion the workers noticed a water bucket fall over on its own accord, and that was enough to frighten the staff and make them all leave work early.

“Another member of staff used to walk past a worker regularly and say good morning, only to turn around and see nothing there.”

The brewery was sold off for housing in 2000 by Hall and Woodhouse, and sightings of such entities have since become less common.

But a place supposedly still riddled with spirits is the Causeway - one of Horsham’s most historic streets.

“Towards the top end of the Causeway there have been sightings of a man in a Victorian coat,” said Malcolm, “he’s said to be holding a quill and was seen at the window of home.

“And towards the end of the street, figures have been seen in St Mary’s Church.

“Often described as a hooded monk - sometimes headless, sometimes faceless - who emerge from the grave yard and walk through the area.

“Apparitions are very common in this part of town.”

Over time, 60-year-old Malcolm, from Brighton, has gathered stories from Horsham locals and ‘collected a mass of books on hauntings across Britain’.

“It’s something I’ve been interested in since I was a child.

“Many years ago my mother had an eccentric friend who had a group that studied UFOs. The paranormal is not just about things that go bump in the night, it’s much wider and all that cannot be explained by scientific reason.

“We have enough evidence in and around Horsham to say that the town is significantly haunted. And local hauntings will be described in detail and thought-provoking explanations given.

“I also want to explore the origins of Hallowe’en because people think it’s a night of witches and witchcraft but it’s not, it’s part of a month of celebrating the dead.

“It’s goes back to an old Celtic tradition where the vale between the living and the dead is said to be the thinnest this time of year - making it the most likely time of contacting the dead.”