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Places you have visited with a strange vibe

963 replies

RevolvingPivot · 02/06/2021 21:59

Hi. I'm off to Saltburn (near Whitby) tomorrow and I feel sick. I visited last March. The weekend before the lockdown.

The place was so eerie. I was actually freaked out on the pier and had to run off it. I actually managed to sleep at night but I honestly didn't think I would.

The cottage was surrounded by cliffs and there was a Victorian lift and a small morgue by the beach. I'm not sure whether these have anything to do with it.

Has anyone else had this feeling from a place they have visited?

OP posts:
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FishyFriday · 03/06/2021 09:25

I visited a former slave fort in Ghana. It was just awful. The atmosphere was really oppressive, like you could feel the weight of all the awful things that had been done there.

I was expecting it to be pretty horrible given what it was (it's a place you visit because it's important to recognise the dreadful things humans do to each other rather than because you're looking for a nice day out really) but the atmosphere was so palpable. I would imagine that visiting other sites of historical atrocities would be similarly affecting.

FedNlanders · 03/06/2021 09:25

Recently we took the backroads and if you go the coastal road behind sea Palling its loads of woodhuts that appear to be permanent houses. You are next to the sea but can not see it due to huge sand dunes. People sat out on verandas just staring at you driving past. Its like the end of the world place!

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 03/06/2021 09:27

Fascinated by India and its history, I visited Lucknow (where the famous siege took place during the Indian Mutiny). The site of untold horrors in the mid 19th Century. The site is now a memorial park (with some of the Victorian buildings still there, gently decaying in the hot and often humid climate). It just feels really peaceful now. I didn't feel any negative energy at all.

Lairymary · 03/06/2021 09:27

The Hellfire Caves in West Wycombe. The actual website won't tell you the extent of why it's so creepy but this link will, for anyone that's interested.... en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellfire_Caves

Streamingbannersofdawn · 03/06/2021 09:30

I love standing stones and stone circles but there is a single standing stone near my home that I really don't like...its not "friendly". I don't even know what I mean by that and I'm not generally superstitious but there it is.

TatianaBis · 03/06/2021 09:30

[quote Lairymary]The Hellfire Caves in West Wycombe. The actual website won't tell you the extent of why it's so creepy but this link will, for anyone that's interested.... en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellfire_Caves[/quote]
Wow, that’s fascinating.

MangosteenSoda · 03/06/2021 09:32

Sandakan memorial park in Borneo. Commemorates a POW death march, so not surprising I suppose. I’ve been to other places with grim histories, but this felt other level like all the energy and feelings had been sucked out. I was also chilly in there, even though Borneo was, unsurprisingly, hot.

Getawaywithit · 03/06/2021 09:33

Maybe the reason for all the unexplained unease is that something bad happened to us in these places in a previous life

Agreed. I have a thing about churches. Not all of them, but a majority. I have always felt something must have happened to me in a church/near a church. Perhaps as a child, but I love the idea of having lived before and carrying some of those past lives with us.

recklessgran · 03/06/2021 09:34

Ravenglass. Don't get me wrong - it's surrounded by beauty but gosh I was shocked by the creepy bleak nuclear feel. The railway journey from there however is another matter. Stunning.

lollipoprainbow · 03/06/2021 09:35

This thread is right up by street I've spent the whole morning looking up all the places and then going down a rabbit hole looking up the history of netley hospital !!

ElsieMc · 03/06/2021 09:37

York Minster. It does have a feeling of peace but the atmosphere can change quite suddenly. I went in to wait for dh after an afternoon's shopping and it had turned very dark and stormy. The choir were practising and I sat down to listen to them. Such a strange mixture of peace and trepidation hearing the wind whipping up with darkening skies. It reminded me of an episode of Inspector Morse.

I went down into the vaults area where they were working on certain areas. You could have your children dress up in religious/period clothing down there at one time. There was classical music playing and the workmen said they had often worked into the night to complete works on time and with the music echoing around they said it was one of the most creepy supernatural experiences of their lives.
I feel no fear there at all but I would not walk around there alone at night!

I saw the Reverend there who is often on TV walking around and I understand the late Peter Lawrence (Claudia's father) worked there as a volunteer. The search for the truth seems to have ended with his sad passing.

LookToTreblesGoingTreblesGone · 03/06/2021 09:37

Definitely Saltburn!!
DH and I went there about 30 years ago and still talk about that "spooky place".
As we walked about, people would stop and stare at us, and honestly we're just ordinary looking! It had a Royston Vasey vibe to it.
We stayed for about an hour and then legged it back to Whitby!

OP, have a lovely lovely time there!! Wink

Auntienumber8 · 03/06/2021 09:37

What some would consider a paranormal experience follows.

Cannock Chase, beautiful day. I was a student at the time visiting my boyfriend who was working that day so went for a country walk alone.

The feeling of utter dread about 15 mins in to walk was overwhelming, it’s something I have never felt at any other time of my life. It was on a sandy quite light coloured path with birch trees down one side. I have never ever been so scared and ran back to my car. I was shaking, felt sick and couldn’t actually drive till I calmed down.

Told BF but he was mystified, he hadn’t lived in Staffs long and had just moved away from Birmingham post graduation, I was still living there.

We had dinner the next day with some colleagues of his. The story was relayed. They told us about a series of murders of young girls that had taken place in I think the 1960’s and the murderer had buried their bodies on Cannock Chase.

I sometimes think people can wind themselves up when they know a place has a history. I had no idea and the place itself was very pretty. It was 25 years ago but just thinking about it even now feels awful.

SleepOhHowIMissYou · 03/06/2021 09:38

@Nodal

The Scientology place on the A22 is way outside of East Grinstead - but it is creepy to be fair. It has a real "wrongness" vibe to it (I often drive past). May just be because I know it's the European HQ of a weird organisation though I suppose, it's just very ..... Over-manicured.

San Francisco was the most depressing and scary place I've been recently, especially around the Tenderloin area.

I find a lot of coastal Kent very bleak and depressing.

That building on the A22 is the London Temple for Latter Day Saints. It's the Mormon HQ and nothing to do with Scientology (and is also in Surrey).

The actual Scientology HQ is in Saint Hill and consists of a Georgian mansion with a mock castle/conference centre behind it.

As an agnostic, I find it strange that people are so scared of any religion that differs from those of "The Book". Nature religions predate the Old Testament and took a battering in this country which is why 'alternative' places mentioned in this thread (like Glastonbury and East Grinstead) feel weird because they reject the prosecution and accept all. However, knee-jerk prejudice still equates the denial of monotheism with devil worship (which was the preferred method for squashing and suppressing Nature-based religions in the UK).

QueeniesCroft · 03/06/2021 09:39

@Doggitydog

Pendine, not Pembrey. The car was called Babs.
I went to primary school in Pendine and we all loved hearing that story (we did a lot of local history)- it was pretty gruesome!
ConstanceGracy · 03/06/2021 09:39

@CirqueDeMorgue

That makes me want to go there tbh. Never been myself but apparently people say similar about Glastonbury.
I was just about to say Glastonbury abbey. Really heavy and uncomfortable vibe. Tempted to go back all these years later to see if I feel the same but thinking it’ll be psychosomatic so probably pointless
Abhannmor · 03/06/2021 09:41

@Rosieposy89

Agree with Glastonbury. Once stayed at a campsite up by Blackpool and had weird vibes as soon as I got there. It just felt dead and heavy. Weirdly I had a paranormal experience 2 nights there
Tell us more !
WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 03/06/2021 09:43

Fascinating thread!

Saltburn is one of my most favourite places in the country. I don't personally see what's weird about the details in the OP, except maybe the morgue - but that end of the town was once notorious for smuggling, which was likely a high-risk pursuit (either being a smuggler or having smugglers as an enemy), so they went for practicality rather than tucking it away somewhere hidden - especially with those hills.

I've read the whole thread and I'm sure I must have missed it, but I can't yet find any mention of Totnes. Shurely shome mishtake?!?!

Whitby is definitely up there, but I suppose the whole Dracula thing was always going to give the place an atmosphere.

I also agree about Beddgelert; the only thing, though, is that all of these eerie-vibe places are the ones I love most - don't have me scarpering at all!!

I would also add:

Penmon Point (Anglesey)

Happisburgh (Norfolk) - just the lighthouse and caravans on the edge of the coast now, as obviously easy to move at short notice before the next chunk of cliff drops off. I think it also has one of those wartime 'pillbox' shelters too, doesn't it, as well as all of the previous barrier attempts (in vain) to try to keep the sea at bay?

Much as I dearly love the beautiful Peak District, a lot of it is a bit eerie and other-worldly - especially Bakewell, Castleton and Youlegrave (and Eyam, as has been said already). Every time I go there, as we drive into it, I automatically (totally subconsciously) find myself humming the League of Gentlemen theme music! Yes as well to Buxton, just over the PD boundary. In fact, if you look at a map of the PD, it's as if, rather than just not including Buxton in it, somebody has deliberately gone to the effort of excluding it, by drawing the map juuust around the town boundaries so as to say "No, you're very close, but you're still not one of us!"

Scrabster and Dunnet Head - I don't know if it's partly the feeling of having crossed all the way through the bleak, misty Highlands and eventually reaching the edge of the world itself (well, Britain)!

Keswick

Corby

Burnham Beeches is well creepy, too (although the cafe is outstanding!). It's strangely owned by the City of London and has a strong police presence there. We received a letter in the post from the police about two weeks later, after visiting, telling us that our car had been seen with a bag on display that could have attracted thieves and warning us to be more careful and crime-aware next time. It was only a carrier bag with a coat in it, IIRC. It very much seemed like the warning wasn't about the bag at all - just to 'let us know' that we were being watched - like finding a horse's head in the bed! Maybe that's just me being paranoid.... There are lots of tales of mysterious goings-on there, some more plausible than others - involving UFOs and allegations involving a former Prime Minister.

I know what PP meant about Watchet in Somerset - I was irrationally freaked out by the existence of a museum dedicated to Bakelite (which is 'niche' in itself), but which was across a field right on the edge of the village. I'd have thought no more about it if the same museum had been in the middle of a town/city, but I just really can't see how much trade they would get. I might have to start another thread about weird, random museums! There's also a link with the Knights Templar in that area, which adds historical interest/intrigue.

As for Roy's of Wroxham, it does seem a strange stranglehold that they have on the whole town (Royxham?!). The first time we went there, we went on the boat tour of the Broads with our DN and I still remember the guide 'amazing' us with the startling revelation that the Roy's presence was actually in neighbouring Hoveton, not technically Wroxham, "So, it should actually be known as Roy's of HOVETON!!!!!!!!!" This seemed to amuse him no end and had him chuckling for a good few seconds like the Hooded Claw.

Villainelle77 · 03/06/2021 09:45

Lamorna Cove in Cornwall

I'm fairly local but can't recall going there before, we visited out of season on a lovely sunny day but as soon as we arrived I had a horrible feeling, the hairs on my neck stood up and I just wanted to leave.
We got a drink and sat by the beach for a while and DP suggested we go somewhere else, he said it had a strange vibe.

No idea what it was, it's a perfectly nice little harbour, just had a sinister feeling that day

Roomonb · 03/06/2021 09:46

Novotel in birmingham, I have never felt so “off” anywhere else. It’ probably sitting on the site of the hellmouth.

StopPokingTheRoyalTitDear · 03/06/2021 09:51

I’ve had when I visited Saltburn- sick sense of dread, a migraine, wishing I was somewhere else. But then again I only ever visited with my now ex in-laws so actually it was probably more to do with them. The morgue is creepy as fuck though and my toddler daughter loved the lift down the cliff.

ConstanceGracy · 03/06/2021 09:52

@GelfBride

Littlecote House in Wiltshire.

Walking around it makes you feel like someone that hates you has there face an inch from yours. Even the gardens feel like that until you get a fair distance from the house.

Used to go here for their medieval days but didn’t they turn the house into a hotel or something now? That was a shame.
Rayn · 03/06/2021 09:52

I love Saltburn -But I do get what you mean!

Claudiawinklemansfringe · 03/06/2021 09:52

Most of mine have already been mentioned: Kamloops in Canada...stopped off for a night when on the Rocky Mountaineer and couldn't wait to leave...In Australia: Townsville as so strange...Uluru really gave me some strange spaced out feeling of spiritual vibes and made me cry but actually I was getting over a break up at the time and felt quite a bit healed after visiting there if that doesn't sound too weird?!.

In UK: Christchurch Abbey freaked me as a child walking around on holiday there...and I'm also truly spooked by The Tower of London. I also went to a school founded in the 1830s and a couple of the buildings felt strange too...like you were being watched in both.

Lj8893 · 03/06/2021 09:55

Dover. It was so depressing and I couldn’t wait to get out of there.

I live close to Glastonbury and do love a day there wandering round the hippy shops but I’ve never been on my own (despite it being 20 mins away!!). I also used to have a recurring nightmare which in my dream was Camden but when awake I knew it was actually Glastonbury. So even though I love Camden and Glastonbury I would never go to either of those places alone.

I once went to view a flat in Poole (I was already living in Poole) and even though the flat was lovely I just had a real sense of dread. My friend who was with me said she was relieved I didn’t take the flat as she didn’t ever want to visit me there as she felt the same!