Norfolk Folklore Society

It's the end of the year so we have a classic review of the year episode for your listening pleasure. Thank you all for sticking with for another year. We promise to get back to sharing podcasts every month. We've even got the January 2026 episode in the bag!

Finally, our live recording at the Bungay Black Shuck Festival 2025! We share an intriguing photo taken recently in Norfolk and we welcome special guests Anne and Tom. They share their absolutely amazing encounter with Black Shuck. Their storytelling and scene setting is just wonderful and it was an honour to have them on the podcast.

Recorded in the basement of The Holloway in Norwich, hidden beneath St Benedict’s Street, this episode was captured before a live audience, though we can’t promise it was only the living who joined us. We explore the rich history of the area and share eerie tales from the neighbouring street, including paranormal encounter on Exchange Street and Pottergate.

In this episode we explore the history and haunting of St Stephen's church in central Norwich. Expect dramatic music, Siofra saying "like" a lot (sorry about that) and what appears to be a pretty rare type of haunting.

Good morning from the Norfolk Folklore Society! This month, we’re handing the microphone over to you—our lovely loyal followers! That’s right, our latest podcast is dedicated entirely to your questions, and you had so many that we’ve had to split them into two – or maybe even three! - episodes. Your curiosity knows no bounds, and we love you for it. In this first part, we tackle some truly excellent queries, including: What is the spookiest place we’ve ever been, and was it too spooky to return? Who would win in a fight—the Gildencroft Bogey or the Hikey Sprite? (A grudge match for the ages.) Have we ever visited somewhere, heard a strange story about it, and then felt the place change when we returned? What are our top recommendations for books about folklore, fiction and non-fiction? What’s your favourite fictional supernatural tale, and why would it have been better if it was set in Norfolk? And much, much more. If you don’t hear your question this time, fear not—it’s coming up in next month’s episode! Want to get involved? You can send us your folklore musings, eerie inquiries, and very specific battles between legendary beings by: Emailing us: norfolkfolkloresociety@gmail.com Sliding into our DMs Commenting on our posts on Instagram or Facebook Now, settle in and let’s get weird. With spectral handshakes and cryptid cuddles, Siofra and Stacia  💚x

Today’s podcast stars FAN OF THE PODCAST author Rob Parker, who has written an astonishing 25 books and has just released the first in a new series of crime novels set right here in Shuck’s Own County. If you buy The Troubled Deep, we suggest you head to the very end of the book, not to solve the mystery, but to read the effusive credit to the Norfolk Folklore Society. Rob contacted us several years ago to ask if we minded him taking the concept of our podcast, changing it and creating brand new podcasters based on what we do (loosely based, we are far less thorough and thankfully no longer work at a local newspaper!) and we were agreeable, potentially for the first time in our lives. The Troubled Deep is perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Peter James, and Elly Griffiths (who also credited us in her books, JUST SAYING) - a propulsive crime thriller and a love letter to Norfolk. It follows Cam Killick, an ex-SBS diver whose PTSD finds solace underwater. When he discovers a submerged car tied to a 30-year-old mystery, he’s drawn into a dangerous web of secrets that some would kill to keep buried. It’s thrilling, atmospheric, and undeniably NORFOLK. If you know the county, you will recognise SO many places in the book. Rob was such an easy interviewee and is, joyfully, as in love with Norfolk and our folklore and general weirdness as we are. A twin soul. Find out: what Rob’s favourite NFS story is, why he loves Norfolk and, most importantly, what he thinks is more terrifying: a dog-headed monk or a monk-headed dog. We hope you enjoy, lots of love, Stacia and Siofra Rob Parker’s website is here: https://robparkerauthor.com/books/

This month we have a good old chat about Twelfth Night and the Whittlesey Straw Bear. Mainly because they are both nice events coming up which we think you might like to go to. Stacia manages to make Siofra laugh at a joke and Siofra says "interesting" a lot.

Good morning from the Norfolk Folklore Society! Today we are (b)ringing you a feast of folklore all about BELLS. From the ghostly chime of drowned bells beneath the sea to the eerie toll of phantom bells in Norfolk bogs, we’ve jingled and jangled through history to unearth the most enchanting bell lore (basically, Siofra bought a book on bells and they appear to be folklore MAGNETS). It’s an ap-peal-ing episode. Sorry. Bells have long been a part of Norfolk’s cultural landscape, from church towers to folklore. Whether marking joyous celebrations or mysterious warnings, they are a timeless connection to history, superstition and sound. And then there’s that Christmas song by The Darkness to contend with. So grab a cup of tea, settle into your cosiest chair, and let the Norfolk Folklore Society take you on a magical journey through the echoes of bell lore. Here’s what’s tolling in today’s episode: Drowned Bells Beneath the Sea: Discover the eerie echoes of Norfolk’s lost village of Shipden, where legend says the church bells still ring from beneath the waves and more drowned bells around our coastline. The Devil and the Tunstall Bells: A devilishly good tale of bells that caught the attention of Old Nick himself. The Bell as Protector and Summoner: Learn how bells have been used to ward off storms, summon spirits, and mark the thin boundary between this world and the next. Witch bells. Not which, witch. But also, which bells. The Haunting Chime: Explore the fascinating duality of bells as symbols of celebration and omens of doom. Lots of love from Stacia and Siofra  xxx

Today we are talking about a particularly sinister apparition that stalks the Norfolk countryside, namely the Old Man of Hopton, who haunts a section of road close to the coast. In the Winter edition of Lantern (the wonderful publication from the brilliant Lowestoft- based Borderline Science Investigation Group) in 1980, the tale of a Lowestoft man on the new A12 Hopton Bypass was reported.

In this episode we collect more accounts of Black Shuck encounters in Norfolk and Suffolk. The episode was recorded as part of Charlie Cooper's Myth Country, so welcome if you came across us from the Black Shuck episode. We hope you all enjoy this behind the scenes recording.  We wanted to add a special thank you to everyone who shared their stories with us. We loved having you on the show.

Today’s podcast is the NFS’s own version of the General Election and, as such, we get to the heart of a very pressing issue: whether a dog-headed monk or a monk-headed dog would be more terrifying to meet down a dark alley? For many years, the dog-headed monk/monk-headed dog conundrum has been our very own personal litmus test…but for the first time ever, our conviction that we knew the correct answer has been rocked. So, this episode is all about putting this issue to bed for once and all. Let it be said that we are in our monk/dog era.

In the atmospheric setting of England’s largest and most elaborate provincial medieval city hall, wonderful tales were woven about Norwich’s dark past. We joined forces with performer Laura Cannell to create a magical night filled with tales of ghosts and witchcraft, secret tunnels and dreadful murders linked to this distinctive building in the heart of Norwich. We had a lot of fun that night and we hope you enjoy listening to the show!

In this episode Siofra and Stacia explore the tale of Melvena Spinks, and alleged witch from East Dereham. 

Join the Norfolk Folklore Society as we introduce author, illustrator and folklorist Helen JR Bruce who will be diving into the rich folklore and mythology surrounding Black Dogs. Cover illustration - Shuck Zine / Matt Willis

This month we have a chat about a very haunted house in Thorpe Marriott. Inspired by the new BBC documentary about the Amityville Horror house, we searched our archives and dug out one of our creepiest stories to discuss.

We were absolutely delighted to welcome Lucy Spirit and Rachel Duffield as our January speakers the Norfolk Heritage Centre at the Norwich Millennium Library. Rachel, who is an artist and costume marker, a historical reenactor and an incredible painter who spent years working for Norfolk Museums Service will be presenting the talk written by Lucy, a researcher, writer, open-minded sceptic and spooky expert. Those attending will discover a brief history of Raynham Hall and the life of its infamous ‘Brown Lady’ ghost and how she became a worldwide phenomenon, the history of spirit photography, its controversial reputation and the photographer and sceptic who battled in court over its authenticity and the legacy of spirit photography. The talk will be the third in a series of Norfolk Folklore Society events for The British Library’s Living Knowledge Network’s Fantasy: Realms of Imagination exhibition which has been funded by Anguish’s Educational Foundation and Arts Council England.

Today’s podcast is about the Magical Sword of Winfarthing, the Excalibur of Norfolk which helped women rid themselves of terrible husbands (and find their lost horses) from the safety of their village church. We have plenty of sword play with a range of topics which see us discuss witchcraft, famous magical swords and why we can’t pronounce most of them, why the sword is associated with supernatural and magical powers and why making swords was so revered. (Something I forgot to mention in the podcast is what some of those secrets were, such as “the virtues of certain liquids for quenching the hot iron, varying from the water of certain rivers to the urine of a red-haired boy or the juice of radishes mixed with earthworms.” Bear this in mind the next time you make a sword). Find out why folk magic in a church might not have been the no-no it later became, why women felt the need to ask a sword for help if their husband was a wrong ‘un, a real example of a sword in a stone and how to use a sword for toothache (useful in these days of no NHS dentists). Siofra also offers an alternative title to the five-series-long Merlin TV series which would have made it a whole lot better and Stacia wonders what excuse you’d need to come up with in order to go and ask a sword to murder your husband once a week for a year. Both members of the Norfolk Folklore Society would like to make it very clear that they love their husbands very much and have not been visiting (a) Winfarthing or (b) a sword. We hope you enjoy!  Love from Siofra and Stacia

Our December 2023 talk was given by the wonderful Val Thomas. Val, a good friend of the Norfolk Folklore Society (she was the first ever speaker the NFS had at our monthly talks!), shared some recommendations for a magical Yule or Christmas dinner  with our guests. About Val: Val Thomas is a witch, a craftsperson, herbalist and a teacher. For more than a quarter of a century she has lived in Norwich, working with the magic of the land – its plants and creatures, its gods and its spirits – and exploring the ways of Norfolk’s Nameless Tradition of witchcraft and magic. During this time, Val has played a prominent role in the magical and Pagan community in Norfolk, helping to run public events, workshops and rituals and guiding many seekers upon the winding paths of the Quest. Val wrote her first book, A Witch’s Kitchen, in 2001. Since then, she has written articles for The Cauldron, has a regular column about Norfolk magic in Quest, and another about magical herbalism in Pagan Dawn. Her most recent books are Of Chalk and Flint: A Way of Norfolk Magic and Bounded in a Nutshell: Lockdown, Magic and Infinite Space. Her newest book, Hallowtide: A Dark Devotional, is available on pre-order at www.troybooks.co.uk. You can also support Val via her Patreon, which we can highly recommend - Val Thomas | creating a tapestry of magic: books, spells, charms and herbs. | Patreon

We were delighted to welcome the wonderful Laura Cannell to our November at The Louis Marchesi in the pub’s 15th century undercroft. Laura spoke about her new project, MARSHLORE, which has so far seen the publication of two zines, each of which include a miscellany of stories, original artwork, folklore and more, inspired by the East Anglian marshes, ancient folklore and living traditions. She calls it: “A mix of thoroughly researched folklore and thoroughly made-up stories.”

This month’s podcast is all about ghosts – or rather, the ghosts we’d all draw if anyone asked us to mock up a quick doodle. You know the one: looks like a floating bedsheet with eyes.  Round on top, wiggly on the bottom, with a couple of eyes holes – it’s the image that always pops to mind when thinking of ghosts: but why? This very specific image of ghosts as white sheets has been engrained in our culture for centuries and, until fairly recently, was considered genuinely terrifying. We look into the history of the bedsheet ghost, find our own example in Norfolk and recent examples further afield in 2020: the bedsheet ghost, it seems, is still alive and well (dead and well?) even today.