The Graveyard Werewolf

Every 3 months, or thereabouts, I do an article for New Page Books' "Creature of the Month" section of their blog.

And, there's a brand new one from me, this one on a weird series of sightings of werewolf-like beasts encountered in England's Cannock Chase woods, back in 2007.

Here's the link...

And it starts like this:

"It probably won’t surprise many to learn that the British Isles – which are steeped in legend, myth, and folklore - have traditions of full-blown lycanthropy in their midst that date back more than 1,000 years.

 

"One of the most famous of all such beasts has become known as the 'Flixton werewolf.' It was a marauding animal that prowled around the village of Flixton, North Yorkshire, around 940 AD. It struck terror into the hearts of the locals as it went on violent killing sprees, reportedly at the bidding of a sinister magician who was familiar with the black-arts."

The Black Eyed Children: New Report

Well, there's a new development in the saga of the Black Eyed Children: a creepy report from right in the heart of England's Cannock Chase, just a short drive from where I used to live. As some of you may know, the Cannock Chase has been a hotbed of all kinds of paranormal weirdness for decades.

Here's the link...

Going Underground

Thanks to Kithra for sharing this story with me this morning, of a planned excavation on one of the UK's most Fortean-filled places: The Cannock Chase.

The exact location is the small village of Brocton, a place I know very well.

As Kithra rightly points out, excavations around areas known for their paranormal qualities often provoke further weirdness. In view of that, it will be interesting to see if any new reports of high-strangeness surface in and around Brocton in the next few weeks...

The Truth Is Snout There!

England's Birmingham Mail newspaper gives great coverage to Lee Brickley's new book, UFOs, Werewolves & The Pig-Man: Exposing England's Strangest Location, Cannock Chase.

Much of the article focuses on the Pig-Man of the title, and what a weird tale it is, encompassing what might well be a bit of conspiracy...

Cannock Chase Weirdness: New Book

If you're interested in the mysteries of Britain's Cannock Chase (and there are a lot of them!) check out the forthcoming book from Lee Brickley: UFOs, Werewolves & The Pig-Man: Exposing England's Strangest Location: Cannock Chase.

Here's what Lee has to say:

"The last few months have been incredibly busy for me, I've written, edited and formatted my first book which I can now announce will be published on July 22^nd . So, I thought it was about time for me to release the eye-catching front cover, designed by my good friend David Reeves. I really can't thank David enough for his time and effort – cheers mate.

 "As one chapter of my life draws to it's inevitable close I feel endlessly optimistic about whatever the future holds. Writing a book is no easy task, but the entire process has been a total pleasure for me. I'd like to take some time out to thank all the people who have offered their help and support. So a massive thank you to Nick Redfern, Brad Steiger, Timothy Green Beckley, Tim Swartz, Colin Hall, and perhaps most importantly: the people of Cannock Chase for sharing their stories, without you this book would never have been written."

 

And here's the rest of Lee's post. As someone who has written about the Cannock Chase in my own books, this is a new release I'm definitely looking forward to reading!

The Cats of Cannock

"In 2009 the Express and Star newspaper reported that an expert, who had been advising the police about the existence of big cats in England’s woodland's, said that he believed Puma's have been breeding on Cannock Chase since the 1940's, and again dubbed the area a hotspot. The article went on to state that, only a few weeks previously a deer had been found dead, after having been dragged into a ditch, with two puncture holes to the neck – trademark signs of a big cat attack. Also, another man from the village of Norton Canes had stumbled upon, and subsequently taken photographs of, a huge paw-print within a week or two of the incident, which measured at an astonishing 5 by 6 inches."

 

The above-quote is taken from the latest article by Lee Brickley, who has a great blog: Paranormal Cannock Chase. 

Sightings of large cats on the Chase have been reported for decades, and here's where you can find Lee's complete post...

Savage Woods and a Sinister Cemetery

Another week, so it must be time for another Mysterious Universe post from me. And it is!

It begins like this...

"Just over six years ago (almost to the very week) a deeply strange series of events kicked off in the woods of central England, just a stone’s throw from where I used to live. On April 26, 2007, the Stafford Post newspaper stated the following: 'A rash of sightings of a ‘werewolf’-type creature prowling around the outskirts of Stafford has prompted a respected Midlands paranormal group to investigate.'"

"The newspaper continued: 'West Midlands Ghost Club says they have been contacted by a number of shocked residents who saw what they claimed to be a ‘hairy wolf-type creature’ walking on its hind legs around the German War Cemetery, just off Camp Road, in between Stafford and Cannock. Several of them claim the creature sprang up on its hind legs and ran into the nearby bushes when it was spotted.'"

And here's the complete story on that monster of the cemetery...

Paranormal Cannock Chase

Here's some excellent news!

A new blog has been created by British paranormal researcher, Lee Brickley. The theme is the many and varied tales of paranormal activity, strange creatures, UFOs, and much more of England's Cannock Chase - an expansive and captivating area of very dense woodland and heath.

As you may know I've written extensively on the Fortean "things" of the Cannock Chase.

My book, There's Something in the Woods, has a chapter on the "Chase Werewolf of the German Cemetery" saga of 2007. Wildman includes a wealth of material on Bigfoot-type creatures seen on the Chase. One chapter of On the Trail of the Saucer Spies is devoted to a reported UFO crash somewhere on Cannock Chase in 1964. And Monster Diary delves into a strange saga filled with dark rituals and occult masses in the woods after sunset.

When, from the mid-80s to the early-90s, I worked as a van-driver and forklift driver for a local paint-and-wallpaper company, my daily deliveries often took me across the Chase, something which made me look at the place in a new light.

The reason being that every now and again I would hear tales of high-strangeness from some of the customers who knew of my paranormal interests. Sightings of big-cats, wallabies, and wild boar on the loose were typical topics of just a few of those tales.

In other words, the Cannock Chase is quite a place, which is why I'm very pleased that Lee has decided to create a blog solely devoted to studying, and reporting on, this particular locale - which is only a short journey from where I lived as a kid.

Lee already has three posts up at his blog (one on the werewolf controversy, a second on orbs and triangular-shaped UFOs, and the third being his introduction to the blog and its aims and goals).

If you are already familiar with the Cannock Chase, or are wondering what's really afoot, check out Lee's Paranormal Cannock Chase blog, which you can find right here...

 

All the photos above are from my own collection and show various places of paranormal interest on and around the Cannock Chase.

Circular Strangeness

My latest Mysterious Universe article deals with a near-magical place I know very well: Staffordshire's Castle Ring, a very old, historical site that sits upon the fringes of the Fortean-soaked Cannock Chase woods.

It's a place where Bigfoot-type beasts, ghosts, UFOs and more have been seen for decades.

Want to learn all about it? You can do exactly that right here...

Weird Woods...

In a new post at Mysterious Universe, I take a look at the many mysteries of the Fortean kind that can be found in and around England's Cannock Chase, only a ten-minute drive from where I grew up.

Here's the link...

The photo above (taken by me about 5 or 6 years ago) shows the Roman View Pond, a fairly large pool on the fringes of the town of Cannock where, in 2003, reports surfaced of a crocodile on the loose!

It's a weird story indeed, one investigated by the Center for Fortean Zoology at the time it surfaced.

Almost certainly, it was an exotic pet dumped into the pool by a stupid owner. But, it definitely adds to the strangeness of the Cannock Chase!

Something in the Sky...

My latest Lair of the Beasts column for Mania.com is now online, and it's a weird story of a strange flying man, creature, jet-packing soldier or, well, who the hell knows? Certainly not me!

But, it was seen, reported, and even caught the attention of the press a few years ago when it turned up in the skies above none other than the monster-infested Cannock Chase...