Ghost
The Shrieking Pits
She goes from pit to pit, looking for something.
Stand where it happened
- What's there
- Wooded heath with scattered shallow hollows
- Legend from
- Local tradition recorded by Dutt (1901)
- Best time
- Night
- Tone
- Chilling
On Aylmerton heath, something white goes from hollow to hollow at night, wringing its hands and screaming.
On the heath near Aylmerton are dozens of round hollows. They were once thought to be ancient pit dwellings, and Norfolk Heritage Explorer now records them as iron-working pits, many since destroyed. Dutt says the people of Aylmerton call them the Shrieking Pits, because a white figure is seen there at night. It moves from pit to pit, looking down into each one, wringing its hands and shrieking. Nobody knew what it was searching for. There is a similar group of hollows at nearby Northrepps, and Norfolk Heritage Explorer notes they carry the same name.