Roundhay Park

Hauntings, spectres and other supernatural tales
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jim321
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri 29 Apr, 2011 4:42 pm

Post by jim321 »

I live quite close to Roundhay Park and go there more or less every day with the dog or with the kids (or both). Depending on my own schedule, I can be there any time during the day and don't think anything of walking the dog there after dark. The 'supernatural' apart, I concede after dusk or before dawn is a daft idea and I'm knocking it on the head. Now then, ghosts, the supernatural, etc., I just don't believe in it, but I want to share something that happened to me on Monday evening that has not left my mind since. I normally enter the park via the woods just up from the Upper Lake and skirting the golf course, the entrance to the woods is on Park Lane. On Monday night, dusk was falling, I took the dog around the Upper Lake and started for home through the aforementioned woods. By then it was getting dark but I could still see ahead of me and around me. As I was about 15-20 metres from the gate on Park Lane, I suddenly sensed something watching me. It was a curious feeling, not one I'd really felt before, but I perceived whatever it was, was watching me. Less than a second later after this initial feeling, I suddenly perceived that whatever was watching me was very close to me, examining me. Probably for the first time in my life, I felt real fear, spine-tingling, hair raising fear. My eyes even filled with tears. I didn't run, but I definitely quickened my step. I didn't see, feel, hear or smell anything, I was 'perceiving' something and this something was in close pursuit of me until I was out onto Park Lane.In short, I was completely spooked. I noticed the dog for a couple of days afterwards was not himself - reticent and jumpy. I'm quite a sceptic and normally laugh at stories like this. I've been back a few times since then during the day, walking the dog, with my family and no 'perceptions' at all, but I still cannot get that initial fright out of my mind, which is why I'm posting this. Has anyone else experienced anything similar in Roundhay Park?PS - I didn't grow up in Leeds, so I don't know if there are any stories about the park, other than the famous one about the evil monks chasing them lads. Also, the story I sketched above did not involve any prior consumption of alcohol or anything else!    
jim321

BLAKEY
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon 24 Mar, 2008 4:42 am

Post by BLAKEY »

An amazing experience jim321 and one that would have terrified me also. Now here's a strange thing - I've lived in Leeds for the greater part of my 75 years, but I don't think I've been in Roundhay Park above a couple of times, apart form a couple of "do's" in the Mansion long ago. I did live in a flat in Meanwood Towers (an old haunted type pile) for a while and had to go out and return home at all hours for work "on the buses" at Headingley. If I was a bit late getting up I would be obliged to go through the wood at the junction of Parkside Road and Stonegate Road and then through Meanwood Park and up the steep Hollin Road. Believe me, in the dark, I used to experience something very similar to your Roundhay "watching" - to such an extent that I achieved almost Olympic speeds in completing the mile plus trip. I'm not paranoid about these things, but I do truly believe that there is "something" that we don't fully understand !!
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

Chrism
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Joined: Sun 20 Jan, 2008 8:26 am

Post by Chrism »

Strange things can happen in your noggin in dark, quiet settings. It was probably your mind playing tricks. I remember a few years ago camping at Gordale Scar CS. Just as dusk was setting in we walked up to the scar and sat there (just 2 of us) listening to the waterfall. After about 20 minutes of sitting in silence me and my mate were looking all around us as we both thought we could hear a crowd of people chattering away. There was no other peeps about and it got very very spooky. Other peeps have said they've heard the same but I think it was the water, silence and our minds playing tricks.
Sit thissen dahn an' tell us abaht it.

jim321
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri 29 Apr, 2011 4:42 pm

Post by jim321 »

Thanks Blakey and Chrism, I think it was all in my head as well. Almost as if my brain was reconfiguring the 'fear' emotion in my head. As I said, I had been walking there habitually after dark and have noticed my fair share of weirdos near the upper lake after sun down. I do agree that there is so much we just don't yet understand and these kind of vibes and even experiencing apparitions will have logical explanations which at the moment are just a bit beyond our understanding.@ Blakey, I know that part of Meanwood really well. I used to jog around there a few times a week from Headingley and could manage that hill without any problems. Doubt I could do it now!
jim321

BLAKEY
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon 24 Mar, 2008 4:42 am

Post by BLAKEY »

jim321 wrote: Blakey, I know that part of Meanwood really well. I used to jog around there a few times a week from Headingley and could manage that hill without any problems. Doubt I could do it now! Join the Club Jim - I don't think I could put in a creditable performance even going down the hill now !! LOL LOL
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

simong
Posts: 722
Joined: Sat 08 Sep, 2007 6:17 am

Post by simong »

Chrism wrote: Strange things can happen in your noggin in dark, quiet settings. It was probably your mind playing tricks. I remember a few years ago camping at Gordale Scar CS. Just as dusk was setting in we walked up to the scar and sat there (just 2 of us) listening to the waterfall. After about 20 minutes of sitting in silence me and my mate were looking all around us as we both thought we could hear a crowd of people chattering away. There was no other peeps about and it got very very spooky. Other peeps have said they've heard the same but I think it was the water, silence and our minds playing tricks. I have an old Dalesman book that describes exactly this phenomenon. I haven't got it to hand but I think it was mentioned by either Wordsworth or Turner.

Chrism
Posts: 1828
Joined: Sun 20 Jan, 2008 8:26 am

Post by Chrism »

simong wrote: Chrism wrote: Strange things can happen in your noggin in dark, quiet settings. It was probably your mind playing tricks. I remember a few years ago camping at Gordale Scar CS. Just as dusk was setting in we walked up to the scar and sat there (just 2 of us) listening to the waterfall. After about 20 minutes of sitting in silence me and my mate were looking all around us as we both thought we could hear a crowd of people chattering away. There was no other peeps about and it got very very spooky. Other peeps have said they've heard the same but I think it was the water, silence and our minds playing tricks. I have an old Dalesman book that describes exactly this phenomenon. I haven't got it to hand but I think it was mentioned by either Wordsworth or Turner. Oooh I'd like to read that.
Sit thissen dahn an' tell us abaht it.

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