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Is Brunel's ship one of the most haunted?

Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 08:00

A captain who went to a watery grave is among a host of ghosts researchers say make the ss Great Britain one of the five most haunted places in Britain.

John Gray, who vanished from his cabin during a voyage from Australia in 1872, is said to be the owner of hobnail boots heard scratching on the ship's decks.

Brunel's pioneering steamship is to be the subject of an episode of cult TV programme Most Haunted, whose paranormal investigators visited to probe reports of ghostly goings-on. During the 24 hours the crew spent on board, they heard the scratching sound staff put down to Captain Gray, who disappeared one dark night in 1872, in third-class steerage.

They also encountered the ghoulish presence of a Victorian woman on the promenade deck, heard tappings and thuds and say they had things thrown at them. And as the crew began filming, presenter Yvette Fielding was struck down by a mysterious illness.

Karl Beattie, the show's executive producer and director, and Ms Fielding's husband, said: "The ss Great Britain is definitely one of the top five scariest places we have ever visited, and the entire crew, including our parapsychologist Dr Ciaran O'Keeffe, were very frightened by their experiences while on board."

There have been dozens of reports of eerie happenings and unexplained occurrences on board the ss Great Britain over the years, including the sound of boots climbing stairs, ghostly music, sightings of ethereal apparitions and a sense of a chilling presence.

It comes as no surprise that ghosts might call the ss Great Britain "home". The ship's rich story includes more than 30 years taking emigrants on the long haul to Australia, and more than 15,000 travelled on board in pursuit of a better life. Captain Gray vanished from his cabin during a voyage from Australia to England after being taken ill. A search of the ship found a stern porthole was open, although all had been locked down the previous night.

While most people think that his death was suicide after a period of depression, some have claimed he was murdered for the gold stored in his cabin.

Other tales of death on board include a 13-year-old crew member who fell to his death from the rigging in front of his father, and a 17-year-old bride who died just a few weeks after her wedding. She was pickled in vinegar by her husband so she could be transported home for burial.

Until Most Haunted picked up on the rumours, no one had carried out a formal investigation into the reports of paranormal activity.

In May, the show's team – including a historian and parapsychologist – set up in the ship's dockyard and set off filming a walk-around on the ship with the programme's medium, Brian Shepherd, to look for psychic activity.

Stuart Harrison, the location producer, said the findings were almost instant.

He said: "On the promenade deck Brian picked up a psychic sense of people moving about" almost immediately.

"There were tappings on the walls and floor boards were creaking.

"One of the things he found was the mystery of the captain who disappeared on the ship.

"As we moved around we felt a presence of a man, quite a big person, wearing hobnailed boots who was walking along the ship."

Bob Evans, a steward on the ss Great Britain for the past 23 years and the longest-serving member of staff, is no stranger to unexplained events on the ship.

He said: "One experience I had was during a wedding about two years ago.

"I was stood with a colleague next to the piano in the promenade deck while the couple were signing the register at the other end of the deck.

"A string quartet was playing for them, and suddenly the piano started playing. But its lid was down," he said. "My colleague and I heard it, and neither of us had any idea what it could have been. It went on for two minutes, accompanying the string quartet, but it was nothing to worry about."

Martin Williamson, who plays the character of Brunel on event days at the ship, has also experienced ghostly apparitions.

He said: "I am often on board ship on my own in the mornings and have heard footsteps behind me and doors opening and closing. But there is no one there at all.

"There is also the ghost of a woman and her child in the family cabin on the promenade deck, and about a month ago I saw a ghostly pair of legs walk through a door into the captain's state room and vanish. There was no one in there."

The director of the ss Great Britain Trust, Matthew Tanner, said he was intrigued to learn that the ship was within the top five most haunted places the TV programme had visited.

He said: "There have been stories over the years, and we are interested to learn more.

"We do not however want to frighten our visitors, especially children, and want to reassure them that staff members and volunteers are on site to provide extra safety in numbers if required."

The ss Great Britain episode of Most Haunted is expected to be screened in November as part of the 11th series on cable channel LIVING, when the ss Great Britain's ghostly past will be laid bare.

Have you had a ghostly experience aboard the ss Great Britain, heard any spooky sounds or felt a strange presence? If so, contact the Evening Post on 934 3333, or Sophina Jagot at the ss Great Britain on 926 0680.

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