St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate - Bishopsgate, London, UK
N 51° 31.000 W 000° 04.881
30U E 702497 N 5711321
This is a story from 1982 when a ghost was caught on camera.
Waymark Code: WMDFQG
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/10/2012
Views: 9
My visit to the church was in daylight and, happily, the
church was still locked-up. So, I am pleased to say, I felt nothing strange or
saw anything that could be described as paranormal!
The story:
"In 1982 Chris Brackley took a famous photograph whilst he was in St
Botolph’s Church. The photograph was of the interior of the church, taking in
the aisle, altar and main stain glass window. In the upper right hand side of
picture there appears to be ghostly image of a figure dressed in period costume
in the Choir Loft. There were supposedly only three people in the church at the
time the photograph was taken and none were said to be in the Choir Loft.
According to an article entitled ‘Londons Most Haunted Venues’ by Niki Chesworth
in the London Evening Standard on 20 October 2009; "A builder contacted Chris
and told him that, while working on the crypt restoration, he accidentally
disturbed a pile of dusty old coffins, one of which came open. Gazing back at
him was a well preserved body whose face bore an uncanny resemblance to that of
the woman in Chris's picture."
Some sources mistakenly think this photograph was taken in the close by St
Botolphs, Aldgate, rather than St Botolphs without Bishopgate.
St Boltoph without Bishopgate is a Grade II listed building and sits on the
foundations of a much earlier Anglo-Saxon Church. It is even speculated that the
site may have been used for Christian worship from Roman times. The first
written mention of the church dates from 1212. The present church dates from
1725 and was built by George Dance the Elder. The previous church building
(who’s Parish Registers date back to 1558), having survived the Great Fireof
London in 1666 had fallen into disrepair and the decision was made to demolish
it.
During World War II it took minor damage from a German bomb during an air raid
and a window needed repairing. However at 10:25 am on 24 April 1993 it was
heavily damaged by a truck bomb detonated by the terrorist organisation known as
the IRA. One person died in this attack on the City of London and forty were
injured."
Source and on-line photo
Mysterious Britain website.
This article has a better photo of the ghost:
"In 1982, photographer Chris Brackley took a picture inside this historic old
church. The only people present were himself and his wife. When the photograph
was developed he was astonished to note that a woman in old-fashioned garb was
standing on the balcony to the right of the altar. The negative was subjected to
considerable expert analysis, which revealed that that there was no double
exposure to the film and it was also proved that none of Chris’s equipment was
faulty. The only explanation for the mysterious figure was that someone must
have actually been standing on the balcony when the picture was taken. A few
years later Chris was contacted by a builder who had been employed on
restoration work in St Botolph’s crypt. He explained that, in knocking down a
wall he had inadvertently disturbed a pile of old coffins. One had come open to
reveal a reasonably well-preserved body the face of which bore an uncanny
resemblance to the figure that had made an uninvited appearance in Chris’s
photograph."
Source London Ghost
Tour website.