A PARANORMAL Investigator has been researching historic ghostly goings-on at Warwick Castle.
In the late 1800s Aleister Crowley, the notorious Leamington-born occultist, and 4th Countess of Warwick, Anne Greville, held seances in the castle.
In sealed letters which were not closely examined until last year – despite being discovered in 1978 – transcripts of conversations held between the countess and a spirit were discovered.
Henley-based investigator MJ Dickson was sent copies of the papers held at the Warwickshire County Record Office.
The 34-year-old – who investigates things that go bump in the night and regularly appears on tv shows about haunted locations – says she was amazed to discover the papers mentioned a spirit she had previously contacted at the castle.
The transcripts – found in two wax sealed envelopes – discuss ‘castle secrets’ and someone who had stolen something from it. One of the papers had been written using a spirit or ‘automatic writing’ technique’.
She told the Observer: “When I read the transcripts of the seances I was so blown away I could have burst into tears. Reading those scribbles from so long ago and the history, it was just incredible and overwhelming.
“I held investigations to find out more about the letters and believe the seances had been held in the Kenilworth bedroom.
“There could be a few people Anne Greville and Aleister Crowley made contact with. The name Richard came up in the letters and also during my investigations. I believe he is a former servant who made contact with myself and also them back in 1890, which is just amazing.”
MJ also believes it could potentially be Archdeacon Colley, a South African spiritualist believed to have raised a girl from the dead.
MJ Dickson – who is also South African – says she previously made contact with the archdeacon, even possibly captured him on camera.
Two years ago she took a snap of an information board in the Kenilworth bedroom, but when she looked back at the picture she saw a ghostly reflection in the image.
When going to investigate the recently-discovered transcripts she said it was not until she began speaking in her native language of Afrikaans that something happened and her ghost-hunting equipment began to go ‘crazy’.
Despite the ghostly-goings-on at Warwick Castle, MJ says her scariest experience to date has been at Bodmin Jail in Cornwall.
She recently visited the site as part of research and stopped overnight. While in the basement carrying out investigations she felt a huge hand run its fingers through her hair and grasp it – but admits the experience did not put her off and she continued with her work.
Currently she is in America where she has a tv series being shown on Travel Channel called ‘Most Terrifying Places’.
Warwick Castle features as one of the most terrifying places along with Drakelowe Tunnels in Kidderminster, the Haunted Museum in Nottingham and MJ’s self-confessed scariest place – Bodmin Jail.
In the UK she is most well known for her role as one of the lead investigators on Sky Pick TV show ‘Paranormal Captured’.
MJ is also set to hosting a Paranormal Convention at Coombe Abbey Hotel near Coventry. It will include an investigation of the building, medieval banquet and paranormal lectures from internationally recognised speakers. The convention has previously been held at Warwick Castle.
The event will take place between November 7 to 10. Visit www.sageparacon.co.uk to find out more.
