Category: History

The Major Oak – Britain’s Greatest Living Legend

The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest has captivated hearts for centuries, intertwining history and folklore. As it nears the end of its life, the deep connection people feel for this ancient tree reflects not just its grandeur but also the profound role it has played in our collective imagination. Saying goodbye feels like parting with an old friend.

Lady Killers – The Black Widow Who May Have Got Away With Murder

Wherever Belle Gunness went, people had an alarming tendency to die. Children. Husbands. Suitors. Farmhands. And then, just when the authorities finally closed in… Belle herself apparently died.

Throwback Thursday – ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’

Sometimes there is no motive. No reason. Just the mundane made monstrous.

Lady Killers: The Baby Farmer Who Betrayed Victorian Britain

Some stories are hard to tell.. Not because the facts have been lost to time or because history has become tangled with folklore and legend. But because every page reminds us that the greatest horrors are often committed not by mythical monsters, but by ordinary people living ordinary lives.

Lady Killers: The Patron Saint of Unhappy Wives.

Every Legend needs its patron saint and the story of Giulia Tofana is no exception. Over 600 men allegedly succumbed to her concoctions – but how much of her story is truth and how much is fiction? Pull up a chair….

The Mysterious Disappearance of Richey Edwards

On February 1, 1995, Richey Edwards, the guitarist and lyricist for Manic Street Preachers, disappeared without a trace. Despite numerous searches and investigations, his fate remains a mystery, turning Edwards into a haunting legend in rock history.

Death on Vintém Hill

Unsolved Mysteries.
The Lead Mask Mysteries

The Tale of the Hartlepool Monkey.

The tale of the Hartlepool Monkey is a bizarre legend from the Napoleonic Wars. It tells how the people of Hartlepool supposedly captured, tried, and hanged a monkey, believing it to be a French spy. Whether fact or folklore, the story has become a source of local pride, inspiring everything from football mascots to a mayoral election victory.

The Woman Who Left No Name

Unsolved Mysteries –

The tale of the Isdale Woman

Thursday Throwback – The Highgate Vampire – An Exercise In Deception?

  • July 2, 2026
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Another classic from the Mysterious Times mahoosive vault 🧛‍♂️

The Three Lions

The Medieval Beast That Still Roars

When the Final Whistle Never Blows

The Ghosts of Britain’s Football Grounds.

Lord Flame and the Last Jester

There are some people who slip quietly into history. Others kick the door down, throw glitter into the air and refuse to leave.

Did Harry Meet Sally?

My Grandad Harry was a great storyteller. Yet amongst the lions, crocodiles and other improbable adventures was a story that always intrigued me. Harry swore that, when he was a boy, there was a woman in Attercliffe who owned a cat with wings…

The Man Who Was Buried Twice

There are certain graves that seem determined to tell you their story.

Stocksbridge Bypass Revisited

Some stories refuse to stay buried…

The Headless Horseman of the Staffordshire Moorlands.

“Count the heads before you climb aboard…”

Steel & Spirits – The Forgotten Folklore of Yorkshire’s Furnaces

The steel industry shaped towns, communities and families. Yet, alongside the engineering, economics and industry there existed something else. Stories.

The Dragon of South Yorkshire – Hero, Hoax or Hidden History?

Iron scales, fiery eyes and a vulnerable spot beneath its tail. The Wantley Wyrm is one of Yorkshire’s greatest dragon legends, but was it ever meant to be taken seriously?

Farewell to the Major Oak – The Passing of England’s Greatest Folkloric Witness

The Major Oak of Sherwood Forest has stood for perhaps a thousand years, becoming one of Britain’s most beloved folkloric landmarks. With news that the ancient giant has finally died, we reflect on the life, legacy and enduring mythology of England’s greatest folkloric witness. 🌳💚

The Man Who Hunted Monsters

William Boyd Dawkins, a 19th-century Welsh scientist, transformed our understanding of prehistoric Britain by excavating caves and uncovering Ice Age creatures’ remains. A pioneering geologist and paleontologist, he contributed significantly to archaeology and challenged conventional beliefs. His legacy endures in the landscapes he explored, holding stories of lost worlds awaiting rediscovery.

Is Buxton Missing a Stone Circle?

So, why doesn’t Buxton have a stone circle when there’s so much prehistoric activity nearby? The area’s rich with ancient sites like Arbor Low and burial mounds, but modern development may have buried any potential sites. Maybe the real focus was the town’s thermal springs instead. Who knows what’s still hidden?

The Murder of the Scottish Pedlar

A murdered Scottish pedlar, a hidden cave, a haunted inn and a mystery that has endured for more than two centuries. We investigate the dark legend of Stoney Middleton’s Moon Inn and the ghost said to walk the dale to this day…

Hexing the Bomb

The Witches of Greenham Common and Britain’s Most Magical Protest