My next game Incubus* will be on hold, until the New Year. In a crazy twist, the house that inspired the game (alongside Enfield Poltergeist) is our next work gig. The idea of using 360 captures in real locations and adding realistic phenomena kind of generated a lot of interest in certain circles, which both me and Shadow Tor are pleased about. I won’t lie, it’s a really nifty idea. We have been doing it for a big Ghost TV team too, so it’s all kind of snowballing. Interest in the paranormal is up, globally.
So, a likely freezing 24 hours will be spent at the home of the Pontefract Poltergeist, the dreaded 30 East Drive, known also for the ‘Black Monk of Pontefract’.
Worth a Google, or watch the movie ‘When the lights go out’, link below.
Having researched the place for the last week, it strikes me as an obvious case, in terms of rational explanations. Very much like Enfield. But I’m keeping an open mind. The phenomena at the house is physical, with thrown objects and clear responses during seances. We’re not filming a YouTube ghost hunting series, we’re there on a job, so anything genuinely weird will be cool, but I’m not really expecting it. We shall see.
The current owner, our employer, does not live in the house. Instead Bil likes to see the entire location as one larger question, why here? The house has been restored back to how it looked, garish furnishings a plenty, and a few items returned by previous long term tenants. It’s basically a ‘time trap’ and perfect for conducting paranormal experiments, like trigger objects (keys, especially, in this house!).
It’s also the site of a significant Civil War Battle, Chequer Field 1645, but not a lot else, except a few springs and field boundaries. Until they built the social housing estate on the old gallows hill, recorded from medieval times. There’s much to intrigue!
Some theories suggest a water course runs somewhere, deep beneath the house, with one book stating a 'Priests Bridge' was once in the open landscape, on this spot, as Pontefract had various factions of Christians orders, since the 11thC.Pontefract Priory was a Cluniac stronghold, controversial religious order, very self funded and autonomous, fervent fanatics too. So, if the Black Monk does exist, in any sense, the area and history are there to back up the presence of such a figure.
Pontefract Priory was a Cluniac monastery dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, founded about 1090 by Robert de Lacy, 2nd Baron of Pontefract, and located in Yorkshire, England. It existed until the dissolution of the monasteries.The Church and buildings have been completely destroyed, but the site is still indicated by the name of Monk-hill.
Here’s an article in The Guardian that covers a surprising amount about the incident.
* Incubus - a ghost hunters tale got a significant amount of new gameplay added, this last month, which I'm very excited about. It's a proper full length adventure now.
See you soon hunters!
Jonathan