The Pontefract Poltergeist, The Black Monk of 30 East Drive

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This is the story of the Black Monk of Pontyfract. A legendary poltergeist haunting that took place in the late 60s to early 70s at the Pritchard's family home 30 East Drive on the Checkerfield estate in Pontyfract England. It all started on a hot summer's day in 1966 when the Pritchard family Joe, his wife Jean, Jean's mother Sarah and their two children Diane 12 and Philip 15 moved into their new home at 30 East Drive Pontyfract.

From the outside the house looks just like any other 1950s built council house but little did the Pritchard's know that a very dark and very sinister side hid waiting within the walls of their new home. This is the story of the Pontyfract poltergeist. It was Philip and his grandmother who first witnessed the unsettling phenomena at the house.

A cascade of chalk like dust began falling almost in slow motion from below the ceiling but at the time Sarah thought nothing more of it. However this was merely the start of countless terrifying paranormal events that would terrorize the Pritchard family for many years to come. Lights would turn themselves on and off, cupboards would shake violently, vast temperature jobs were experienced, doors would slam shut then open then slam shut again.

Family photographs were slashed from corner to corner and countless objects were witnessed levitating or violently being thrown or would instantly disappear. But the paranormal activity at 30 East Drive soon escalate and become much more violent. On another occasion a large grandfather clock on the upstairs landing was violently chucked down the stairs narrowly missing Diane.

This was mild in comparison to what took place next. Shortly after the grandfather clock incident she recalls standing at the bottom of the stairs when suddenly she felt a strange sensation and her long hair started to stand on end then suddenly without any warning she was flung to the ground and dragged whilst kicking and screaming by a grunting and visible force up the stairs. Her parents came rushing from the other room to find her at the top of the stairs in her sterics.

After Diane had calmed down she told her parents what had happened to her and to their horror upon checking her for injuries red hand marks were now clearly visible on Diane's throat. The evil poltergeist behind these terrifying occurrences is said to be the ghost of a 16th century monk known as the black monk of Pontifract. Also known as father Michael or simply Fred as he was nicknamed by the Pritchard family.

It is said that father Michael raped and then murdered a young girl by the name of Emma and was subsequently convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for his heinous crime and the gallows where father Michael met his punishment are said to be located on the land that 30 East Drive sits on. In a terrifying twist the house is also said to be haunted by the ghost of father Michael's victim a little girl who answers to the name of Emma. Her spirit however is said to be much less violent than the black monk and reports often describe encounters with her as friendly and somewhat mischievous.

Foul smells constantly travel through the house and heavy breathing sounds were heard by the terrified Pritchard family especially at night when trying to fall asleep. Joan Jean were the first in the family to come face to face with a terrifying entity. Jean recalls whilst Joan myself were laid in bed reading one night the lamp suddenly switched off then we heard a strange shuffling noise I told you to switch the lamp back on but it would not work and we both thought the bulb had blown.

I then looked at the bottom of the bed and could not believe what I saw. There was a cloaked monk like figure just peering at us both. I completely froze it then rose up and floated over the top of the bed.

I just screamed so loud I woke the neighbors. Jo jumped up and switched the main light on and the cloaked figure had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. The same entity would soon be witnessed by the entire Pritchard family, paranormal investigators, the police, a local MP and even the local vicar.

Numerous exorcisms were attempted at the Pritchard's home and on each occasion they were met with indignation by the poltergeist often resulting in physical attacks against the priests attempting the exorcism. Nothing seemed to be successful in forcing the poltergeist to cease and leave. In fact all interventions seem to only enhance the poltergeist activity.

On another recorded incident Diane was found pinned by furniture heavy enough to crush her though she was fortunately and strangely unhurt. She claimed to have fallen asleep in her room several times only to find herself on the bedroom floor with her mattress on top of her. In 1969 the Pritchard family was advised to hang bulbs of garlic in every room of the house and shortly after doing so the poltergeist activity surprisingly ceased.

Or did it? Terrifying poltergeist activity had now been reported in the adjourning houses to the Pritchard's house. Neighbours reported seeing a dark figure lurking in the area and one such incident took place in December.

A Mrs. Mountain who lived in the adjourning property to the Pritchard's was at her kitchen sink washing the dishes when she suddenly felt someone standing behind her. She assumed that it was her nephew Ian who would often sneak in to make her jump.

She said, oh Ian give over and as she turned round she found herself staring not at Ian but at a tall misty figure dressed in what she describes as a black monk's habit with a cowl over its head. Its position prevented her from seeing any face. Oddly enough Mrs.

Mountain felt no fear or any curiosity then the figure just vanished into thin air. The disturbing incidents continued at the three-bedroom home of the Pritchard's. The house shook to the continued sound of banging doors and loud knocking and mighty thuds like kettle drums.

Sheets were continually torn off beds and on one particular disturbing incident as a pair of Grandma Sarah's sheepskin gloves were seen to conduct as Diane was singing Onward Christian Soldiers. The youngest child of the Pritchard's Diane who was 12 at the time of moving in became the main focus of the poltergeist activity and although considered incredibly rare for a poltergeist to cause physical harm to a person this was not the case regarding Diane and oddly as she grew older the attacks only intensified. The poltergeist violence towards Diane included face slapping, physically throwing her out of bed while she was sleeping, yanking at her hair, often leaving clumps of it on the floor and constantly whispering in her ear.

The hauntings came and went but during the last few years the Pritchard spent at the house they began to think the presence was demonic. Objects would randomly hurl themselves into the air thundering crashes came from the floorboards and in perhaps the most famous incident a series of upside-down crosses appeared on the walls. The family would regularly come home to a ransacked house and overturned furniture along with the fleeting sound of heavy breathing from an invisible force.

Things had now reached a tipping point for the Pritchard's and they could take no more. They were unable to withstand the paranormal terror at the house any longer and the family abandoned the house in early 1973 and 30 East Drive Pontifract has not been lived in ever since. Today 30 East Drive is advertised as a haunted house and is available to rent for those brave enough that is and if you are feeling really brave you can even sleep over.

In October 2016 paranormal investigator Claire Cowell was conducting a seance at the property when she took a chilling photograph. The photograph showed the arm of a monk's robe seemingly clutching rosary beads. Another paranormal group visiting the house in June 2017 took a selection of photographs and upon viewing them when they got home they were amazed at what they spotted in one of the pictures.

There was something that looks like a young girl sat on the stairs peering at them through the mirror. Another group of mediums visiting the property reported picking up the spirit of a mischievous young female in the small bedroom and this image was taken by the group during a disturbance in the early hours unnervingly in the small bedroom. I now understand why the local papers reported the following quote for several decades Borley Rectory held the title of being the most haunted house in Great Britain and perhaps it still would hold that unenviable title had it not burnt to the ground in 1939.

This unenviable title now belongs to 30 East Drive, Pontifract. My conclusion? I think what makes 30 East Drive so interesting is because it's not like a stereotypical haunted location.

It's not a Georgian manor or an old museum. It's not a stately home nor an ancient castle. The house known as 30 East Drive is a normal house on a normal street that housed normal people.

In fact the house on East Drive is a house probably just like yours. Thank you for joining me in our latest edition of Scary Stories. I do hope that you enjoyed and if you did enjoy I would ask that you like share and subscribe.

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As always be safe and sweet dreams.