The Victorian novelist and poet Thomas Hardy wrote of Cornwall "The place is pre-eminently the region of dream and mystery". This mystical county exerts a strange feeling over those who come to visit its legendary sites, it's beautiful coastline and rock-strewn beaches. One is never more than 20 miles from the sea in Cornwall...and never more than a short walk from it's haunting history.We have heard the famous Cornish folklore...Jack the Giant killer, the Lady of the Lake, the Cornish Witches, etc. As well, ghosts and wandering spirits are a daily occurrence in Cornwall, considered by some as the most haunted county in all the British Isles. The following are excerpts and links to investigations of two of the most haunted forests in southwest England.
The Giants Hedge, legends of witches and strange nocturnal inhuman screams drew us to Kilminorth Woods one late winters night. A pleasant moonlit stroll in the woods was expected, but we found Kilminorth had something nasty hidden among the birches and beeches.
I have upmost respect for the woods, and Caradon Council, and mean no disrespect with the following investigation and findings, but I do need to be utterly honest, and open in my findings. I have had many agreeable rambles along the well signposted walks, and waters edge. Daytime, the woods present a pretty backdrop for the Looe Valley, and West Looe River. Bolder walkers can wander from the paths, and marvel at how wild this small area remains, given that a major tourist town (and a 750 space carpark at its base!) surrounds it. Perhaps there is something about the woods, which deters the less confident visitor, as you can quickly find your self utterly alone within minutes of entering by the main gate.
In terms of history, the hillsides have been wooded from before 1600AD, and features include the pretty ford based Hamlet of Watergate, a plethora of birdlife (including peregrines and buzzards) and otters. Continue at Kilminorth Woods, Southeast Cornwall
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The Blackentrack Woods are well known to the people of South-East Cornwall, forming part of a much larger ancient woodland. The area boasts legends both enchanting and terrifying; from tales of white witches seeking ingredients for charms, to malicious wood sprites and murderous moss men (literally, men made of mud, twig and moss). I am always more than happy to stroll through the woodlands of Cornwall, but Blackentrack's reputation was formidable, to say the least. Lorraine (a self proclaimed 'medium') had wanted to visit the woods, after dark, for many, many years, so who was I to refuse, and admit my own fears of that dense, dark and ancient forest - Continued at Blackentrack Woods, CornwallClick for EVP video
You may want to check the following links as well: Cornish Folklore, Cornish Folklore index and Cornish Folklore and Legend
Haunted Cornish Woods: Kilminorth and Blackentrack