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Lodge Park

Brief history of Lodge Park
Situated on the picturesque Sherborne Estate in the Cotswolds between Cheltenham and Burford, Lodge Park was created in 1634 by John 'Crump' Dutton. Inspired by his passion for gambling and banqueting, it is a unique survival of what would have been called a grandstand, with its deer course and park. It was the home of Charles Dutton, 7th Lord of Sherborne, until 1983, when he bequeathed his family's estate to the National Trust.

Long Barrow at Lodge Park

In the grounds of the property is a long barrow burial mound. O.G.S. Crawford notes about the Lodge Park barrow "This is the finest Long Barrow I have ever seen; it is certainly the most perfect specimen in Gloucestershire, and should be left exactly as it is and never be excavated. Its length is 180 feet, and the breadth at the east end 120 feet. The orientation is N.W. – S.E. (magnetic)" (1). Grinsell notes that there is a story of an underground passage associated with the barrow (2).

Ghosts of Lodge Park Estate
The main ghost associated with Lodge Park not surprisingly is John 'Crump' Dutton, who is seen driving a coach and horses up the drive to the Lodge (3). According to Laura Moran, 'Crump' is also said to haunt the Lodge, with reports of a male apparition being seen in the cellar as recently as early 2005. The lack of spectral activity in the Lodge itself is put down to the renovation work undertaken by the National Trust in restoring the property to its former glory. Laura also informs me that several years ago during the restoration, workmen in the cellar were disturbed by having their tools moved. Apart from 'Crump', the Lodge is said to be haunted by a witch who is buried in the cellar.

The long barrow itself, apart from having an underground passage, is said, by Laura Moran, to be haunted by a phantom black dog.

Lodge Park Map

All of these elements in a relatively small area are intriguing, and may suggest elements of an archaic landscape.

The location of the Long Barrow is central to the hauntings associated with the Lodge. Let us consider each element separately:

Underground Passage
Underground passages, usually constructed over unfeasibly long stretches of land, often with no obvious purpose, are a classic element of regional folklore. Often, such passages are said to exist between a local manor house and another historic feature (usually a church or a pub). As with most such folklore, elements of this tradition may have their origins in the seventeenth/eighteenth century. The usual explanation for underground tunnels is that they were constructed so that the lord of the manor could flee during the Civil War period. There is very little evidence for such tunnels ever having been used for such purposes. This is not to say that such tunnels do not exist. However, the logistical problems, not to mention great feats of engineering mean that such tunnels would have been rare indeed. In the case of Lodge Park, the seventeenth century lodge is said to connect with a much earlier (Bronze Age) burial mound. This makes no sense at all. Except if we view these stories as a distorted folk memory concerning 'archaic' landscapes. It has been suggested to me that 'ley lines' play an important part in understanding the ghosts at Lodge Park.

The term 'ley lines' is loaded with social and cultural meaning today, so much so as to render the term meaningless in any structurally useful sense. Current research suggests that what may once have been termed 'ley lines' are in fact 'pathways' (for want of a better term!) often associated with journeys to the underworld/realm of the dead. There are many mediaeval examples still visible today of what are called in Britain 'Church Ways' and 'Ghost Roads' in certain parts of Europe. These 'Ghost Roads' are ceremonial routes used for the transportation of the dead, and they may have there origins in pagan pre-history. That churches, standing stones, holy wells and burial mounds (to name a few!) are classic 'markers' on such alignments is well known. Could it be that folk stories of an underground tunnel (presumably a straight one!) are a folk memory of just such an archaic ghost road/burial route? What is interesting is that when viewed in this light, the underground tunnel as folk memory of chthonic pathway begins to look interesting, especially when you consider...

Black Dog
The burial mound in the grounds of Lodge Park is said to be haunted by a phantom black dog. Such supernatural creatures are legion in the annals of folklore, and are known by a variety of regional names, including Black Shuck, Barguest and Skriker (4). They are often encountered by lone travellers at night, their supernatural pedigree reinforced by their glowing red eyes and their ability to vanish without a trace. Reports of black dogs are often associated with liminal areas - county boundaries, green lanes, rivers and burial grounds. There is considerable evidence, thanks mainly to the academics Theo Brown and Hilda Ellis-Davidson, that the dog was always been associated with death in many cultures, and was seen as a psychopomp, a guide to the soul in the journey to the underworld. "We are told that dog guardians are one of several characteristic features of the otherworld journey. Maybe we should regard the dog as the guardian, and symbol of the liminal status of the barrow" (5). It is therefore not surprising to find a phantom black dog associated with the burial mound at Lodge Park. The link with death, ghosts and a (symbolic?) otherworld journey is becoming stronger.

Phantom Coach & Horses
Lodge Park is said to be haunted by the spectral form of 'Crump' Dutton riding a phantom coach and horses up the driveway (3). Reports of phantom coach & horses have to be the classic ghost archetype. Often such ghost stories make very little sense. Take the ghost of Anne Bolyn at Blinking Hall in Norfolk. On a certain date it is said that her headless ghost rides into the Hall in a carriage pulled by headless horses and a headless coach driver! How they see where they are going is anyone's guess! The ghost of Lady Howard is said to travel between Tavistock and Okehampton Castle in a carriage made from the bones of her dead husbands. At Okehampton Castle she stops to pluck a single blade of grass. Only when the hill has been plucked bare can she rest in peace! Utter nonsense of course! But is it? Research into this classic ghost motif suggests that stories of phantom horse and carriages are a folk memory connected to mediaeval and pre-Christian burial routes. Modern stories of spectral carriages begin the make sense when viewed in this light, as they are a folk memory of heares. It has also been suggested that such modern reports are linked to pre-Christan practices involving the Northern European godess Nerthus, who was transported around the country in a carriage/wagon.(6).

Ghosts at the Lodge
Apart from the ghost of 'Crump' and his phantom carriage, the Lodge is said to have a haunted cellar. Reports of paranormal activity have quietened down considerably at the Lodge over the years once the renovation work had stopped. It was believed that 'Crump' was happy with the work done. But the Lodge is also said to be haunted by a witch who is buried in the cellar. Considering the age of the building it seems highly unlikely that a witch is buried in the foundations of the building. What may be more logical is that the witch is a left over of a regional folk memory about the area being 'magical'. Not surprisingly, after all we have seen so far, black dogs and pre-Christian practices were often associated with witches!

Folk Memory
What is meant by the term folk memory? It has cropped up a considerable amount of times in this brief report to warrent further explanation. In the context of of this report, I have used the term 'folk memory' to mean the regional stories that have been told and repeated over many years as 'fact'. As with all such stories, especially the modern 'Urban Legend', these stories possibly contain a grain of truth, but as the story has been repeated, that truth has become distorted as details are changed, added and taken away. This means that the longer a story has been told, and the more fantastical/supernatural elements are added to it, the more difficult it becomes to unravel it.

References
(1) CRAWFORD, O.G.S. 'The Long Barrows of the Cotswolds' (John Bellows 1925)
(2) GRINSELL, L.V. 'The Ancient Burial Mounds of England' (Methuen 1936)
(3) CLARKE, Keith 'The Ghosts of Gloucestershire' (Redcliffe 1993)
(4) TRUBSHAW, Bob (Ed) 'Explore Phantom Black Dogs' (Heart of Albion Press, 2005)
(5) TRUBSHAW, Bob 'Black Dogs: Guardians of the Corpse Way' (Mercian Mysteries 20, 1994)
(6) STONE, Alby 'The Road That Makes Things Disappear' (Fortean Studies Vo. 5, 1998)

© David Taylor 2005