Grovely Wood

Like all good forests, Grovely Wood in Wiltshire is a wonderful place to visit for a walk and a good dose of fresh air. Full of various flora and fauna, Grovely, which is one of the largest woods in Southern Wiltshire, attracts many visitors every day, all whom enjoy spending some leisurely time here. However, the deeper you descend into the woods, the stranger things begin to feel. Somehow, the air grows colder, the bird song gets quieter, and the feeling of being watched grows stronger. Grovely Wood is well known amongst locals for it's fascinating history, and with that, some very dark tales. It's clear from archaeological research, that Grovely Wood was well used during the Iron Age and Roman eras. A Roman road runs through the centre of the woods and just to the north of the woods lie the remains of two Iron Age Hillforts. During World War II, the woods were used to provide cover for munitions storage. Several of these storage bunkers still remain in the woods today. Some visitors have reported the eerie sound of marching up and down the Roman road. Furthermore, strange lights have been witnessed darting across the many paths within Grovely, with no obvious cause. The disused munitions bunkers have also become a point of interest to paranormal explorers. Unidentifiable taps and bangs have been heard on multiple occasions from within the bunkers. But, it's the grim tale of the Handsel sisters that really draws the visitors to Grovely. Local legend tells us that in 1737, a deadly outbreak of smallpox arrived in the area killing 132 people. Looking for someone to blame in their grief, the local people accused four sisters, the Handsel sisters, of witchcraft. The sisters had just moved to the area from Denmark, and seemingly, were never accepted by the local people. Accused without trial of hexing the village, the women were taken to Grovely Wood and brutally bludgeoned to death. Four gnarly beech trees, known as The Witches Tress, are today standing where the sisters are thought to be buried. People visiting Grovely like to tie ribbons and trinkets to the trees in memory of the poor Handsel sisters and their grisly fate.