I love doing general history walks of local cities – in particular touring through the streets of Winchester, Southampton and Salisbury.
But it’s also exciting to do themed-tours as well – such as the Halloween city walk in Winchester last night.
And Winchester is the perfect place for a spot of ghost-hunting, with its history going back to the Iron Age – and then Romans, Saxons, Normans along with citizens across the succeeding centuries having walked the paths and inhabited the historic buildings of the ancient city.
Stories of the ghostly sightings of nuns and monks from centuries back are unsurprising with Winchester having been home to two grand minsters, an abbey, a priory, and today’s 11th Century cathedral.
Plus, there are the gruesome tales of executions in the marketplace … What phantoms haunt the streets, recounting these tales?
And did the city’s nighttime visitors come creeping out to show their mysterious, shadowy forms last night?
You’ll have to join a Halloween walk next year to find out!
And with witch’s hat and cloak packed away for another year, I’m looking forward to taking people on some of my other themed tours, such as Jane Austen in Georgian Southampton on 16 December 2025 – the 250th anniversary of Jane’s birth in 1775 and recounting the years the famous author lived in Southampton – and Joy to the World on 14 December 2025 – the story of Christmas through the centuries as celebrated by the people of Southampton.
A huge thank you to everyone who braved the weather last night. The evening was wet – very wet – but lots of fun!
Caroline Wigley 