Historical Data

The Church, Village & Parish
The village, east of Southam near the Warwickshire-Northamptonshire border, boasts a view of seven counties from the top of the hill. The Church, according to local folklore, was going to be built where the current village green is today. It seems that the stones, which lay awaiting the builders to perform their art, were magically taken to the top of the hill overnight. The builders agreed that it was best to build the church according to the dictates of the "Spirits" (fairies or goblins), the "Almighty" or "pranksters" had dictated. As it happens, the Church is now in a prominent position and "stands as a reminder to us that man lives 'under the shadow of the Almighty'" (2). There is another legend associated with this church "If you take to your heels and run rapidly all around the church three times at midnight the Devil would appear" (3). Anyone want to have a go?!

The village of Napton-on-the Hill gains its name from two Anglo-Saxon words 'cnaepp' meaning 'the top of a hill' and 'tun', 'village'. Therefore. being the village on the hilltop, which was also recorded in the Doomsday Book as 'Neptone'. it was clearly an important Middle Age settlement ranking high in the country. The church, village and hill are at the centre of a 3,672-acre parish and the hill raises up to 452ft. The Naptons' population in 1086 was 155 inhabitants, and by 1665 it was 597. In 1730, it had reached 500 individuals, increasing to 787 in 1801 and 885 in 1881. Today, it is well over 1,000.

Little is known about Napton before the Norman Conquest, however it has been found that the Count of Meulan owned a large estate in the area around 1086. This was then taken up by Honor of Leicester in 1204, followed by Honor of Winchester, who then passed it on in 1411 to William Shuckburgh. It seems that the local tenants of this land took their name from the village - Adam de Napton was the first recorded in 1200. In 1321, his great grandson Robert de Napton, who married Lucy, the Earl of Warwick's daughter, received from Edward II a grant of free warren (a right to enclosure a piece of land in order to preserve rabbits, hares and partridges, which could only be obtained by royal approval). He was also granted a Thursday market and an annual fair to be taken around the feast of Assumption. In the 14th Century, the Rector of Napton Church was the Prior of Coventry, whose role was to receive the tithes and it seemed he needed an assistant a 'Vicar' to carry out many of his priestly duties. John Odams was licensed in 1392 to hear divine service in a Chapel at the southern end of Napton. The name 'Chapel Green' remains as evidence for this Chapel.

Currently Napton consists of many stone cottages made of an ochre-coloured stone. There is evidence that many were once thatched, but they have been lost in time and clearly substituted by conventional and more contemporary roofs. It is worth saying that there is a windmill within a few hundred yards of the rear of the Church, and its predecessors can be traced back to 1543. To the north is Napton Reservoir, built in order to maintain the water levels of the Oxford and Grand Union Canals.

Research into legends & paranormal activity
A search of the literature threw up a chapter called 'The Elizabethan Ladies of Napton' in 'Ghosts of Warwickshire' (3), which states that the church is haunted, but admits that the 'identity' of the two ghosts remain a mystery. It seems that the apparition is that of two ladies, always appearing together, and described as being dressed in clothing reminiscent of the Elizabethan Era. It seems that these ladies were sisters, according to local lore, and their graves exist somewhere in the churchyard but have disappeared. It is thought they are related in some way to John Shuckburgh. Apparently they are 'seen' in "finery and grey woollen cloaks, kneeling down deep in prayer in the front pew of the church" (3). There are often long gaps between each materialisation but the 'ladies' have been 'seen' over many generations, and many locals are anxious about encountering them. One of the clergy, who was filling in for the incumbent, happened across the two in 1820 and got quite a scare.

Smith (3) also describes one other ghost that used to haunt the attic of the now-demolished vicarage, which was heralded by an intense cold. It seems that a maidservant who found herself pregnant threw herself from the attic window and died as a result. Unfortunately the full story is lost.

Investigation 1999-2001

March 1999

I visited the Church which, in the main it was quiet and peaceful. I carried out the following tests undisturbed over a two-hour period:

1. EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena)
2. Low Frequency Radio (0-14 Mhz)
3. Tri-Field Meter (electric/magnetic/microwaves/radio)
4. Ultrasonic Detector
5. Laser Thermometer
6. EMF (electromagnetic field) detector
7. Compass
8. Polaroid Instamatic Camera

None of the tests revealed anything of any significance.

After about an hour or so a feeling of being watched began. I could not stand it for more than another half-hour and decided to pack up and go. I engaged a passer by in conversation. Although the man did not spend much time in the Church, he claimed that the previous incumbent had felt the 'presence' of Rev. Norman V.Howes (incumbent 1966-1972) in the office.

July 1999
This was not a formal visit but nevertheless myself, S.G. (an ASSAP member) and S. (aged 3) arrived with a tape recorder in an attempt to 'see' what was happening and leave some contact literature for anyone who had witnessed anything unusual. I turned to set up a tape recorder and had the distinct impression that 'someone' had appeared/disappeared in an instant within the peripheral vision of my left eye. There was a subjective feeling of a fall in temperature. This was too quick to record or react to. Later, near the pulpit, S.G. was warning S. to be careful in case she fell over. A few minutes later (this was recorded on audio tape), S. was admonishing some invisible individual who she seemed to perceive standing in the pulpit.

A week later, the information that I had left in the Church bore fruit. A resident from the village rang. She had not only recently seen the two Elizabethan ladies, but had also seen a gentleman standing near the pulpit staring towards the altar as if 'deep in thought'. Within a few days, S.G. and I returned to Napton and interviewed the witness at her home in the village. We carried out further tests and managed to interview two ladies who had attended the church all their lives and had not experienced anything paranormal.

August 1999
Myself and H.D. (a professional colleague) carried out a vigil in the Church from 6pm-6am. A full range of tests were carried out (as above) except that we didn't have a video recorder. Nothing too dramatic took place, but nevertheless the building was very noisy making creaking, clacking and settling noises. H.D. noticed that, when I told one of my dirty jokes, the building seemed to clack with 'disapproval'! An area near the pews where the ladies were said to appear seemed to glow faintly. This was in all probability an optical illusion. In all honesty, this building appears to be more 'active' during the day.

January 2000
I returned with a video camera borrowed from a local university. There did not seem to be much activity in the Church except for some 'cold' sensations.

February 2001
Myself and R.G. (ASSAP member) visited the Church and carried out a range of tests, including video with a Sony Nightcam. R.G. deployed a hand-held noise amplifier (brings sound closer). He has some expertise in building behaviour and did notice some odd sounds, but nothing conclusive. Strangely, however, I thought I saw someone when we initially entered the building but (as before) disappeared before rational identification could take place. Both R.G. and I felt a feeling of being 'watched'. In fact the feeling was like playing peek-a-boo. There seem to be moving 'pockets' of air or 'cold' spots that do not have an obvious temperature or electrical origin.

Conclusion

Despite every effort to quantify the experiences in this case, ultimately the phenomena remain elusive. One has the feeling that something is happening and eyewitness reports are compelling at times. There are features about these 'ghosts' that suggest they may be a lingering 'crisis type' apparition, or a 'trace' borne out of habit/repetitive devotional behaviour. If it is the remnant of a crisis, the signal is far too weak to make sense out of it. Is it possible that the intended recipient did not get the message for some reason? There is no way of knowing about whom they are or that they are sisters at all. Some locals do seem nervous about going there (3). It would be worthy of a 24-hour vigil by a full team of investigators at some stage to gain further insights.