284 Green Street

The Enfield Haunting, also known as the Enfield Poltergeist case, unfolded in a modest council house at 284 Green Street, Enfield, North London, between 1977 and 1979. It quickly became one of the most well-documented and hotly debated paranormal cases in history, attracting researchers, journalists, and sceptics alike. The haunting began in August 1977, when single mother Peggy Hodgson reported strange disturbances in her home, where she lived with her four children — Margaret, Janet, Johnny, and Billy. Initially, the activity appeared as small disruptions: knocking sounds, furniture moving, and toys being thrown without explanation. Soon, the events escalated, with furniture sliding across the room, loud bangs emanating from the walls, and the children reporting objects levitating or being hurled through the air. The focus of the activity soon appeared to be 11-year-old Janet Hodgson, who experienced the most intense phenomena. Witnesses claimed she was levitated from her bed, spoken through in a gravelly male voice attributed to the entity, and subjected to physical attacks including being flung across the room. Her sister Margaret also reported being targeted, though Janet remained the central figure. As the disturbances worsened, the case drew the attention of the media, particularly the Daily Mirror, which published sensational reports. The Society for Psychical Research (SPR) dispatched investigators Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair, who documented the case extensively. Over the course of 18 months, the pair recorded hundreds of hours of audio, collected eyewitness testimonies, and witnessed phenomena firsthand — from furniture moving violently to Janet speaking in what appeared to be a disembodied male voice. The voice, often identifying itself as “Bill,” was said to belong to a man who had died in the house years before. The recordings of Janet’s guttural, dual-toned speech remain some of the most striking and controversial evidence associated with the case. Not everyone was convinced. Some investigators, including fellow SPR members, believed at least part of the haunting was exaggerated or fabricated by the children, citing moments when Janet was caught bending spoons or deliberately throwing objects. Critics labelled the case a hoax, suggesting that a combination of childhood mischief, family stress, and media pressure amplified the events. Yet others insisted that while some incidents may have been staged, the sheer volume and consistency of the phenomena pointed to something genuinely unexplainable. The haunting gradually subsided in 1979, though occasional reports of activity persisted. For the Hodgson family, the ordeal left a deep mark. Janet later acknowledged that she and her siblings sometimes played tricks but maintained that much of what occurred was real, describing her experiences as terrifying and life-changing. The Enfield case remains one of the most iconic in paranormal history, inspiring books, documentaries, and fictionalised accounts. Guy Lyon Playfair’s This House Is Haunted offered a detailed insider’s account, while later portrayals, such as the Sky Living drama The Enfield Haunting and the blockbuster film The Conjuring 2, cemented its place in popular culture. To this day, debate continues. Sceptics cite evidence of trickery, while believers point to the breadth of eyewitness testimony, recordings, and phenomena observed by respected investigators. Whether hoax, psychological manifestation, or genuine poltergeist activity, the Enfield Haunting remains a landmark case, illustrating both the fascination and controversy that surround the paranormal.