Roche Abbey Ghost Monk Investigation

Date: 2010
Location: Maltby
Investigators: Lee S, Nick, Lee M, Carole, Ozzie, Rachez, Simon
Equipment: 2 Dictaphones, 1 HD camcorders with night shot, 1 EMF meter. Yukon Boom Mic.
Experiments: NON
Video Investigation: Yes

Roche Abbey Ghost Monk Investigation

Roche Abbey

Roche Abbey was founded in 1147 by the Cistercian monks at the height of their mass monastic building projects across the North of England. Although in ruins now thanks to Henry VIII and not as large as some of its cousins like Fountains Abbey it is still set in beautiful surroundings and steeped in myths and legends.

Roche Abbey is situated in the valley of the Maltby Beck, around nine miles from Doncaster and thirteen miles from modern Sheffield. The site was enclosed by steep limestone cliffs and bordered on Bruneswald, later known as Sherwood Forest. This was a choice location for the monks: it provided privacy and solitude, as well as vital natural resources - water, woodland and stone. Whilst the setting was solitary, it was not remote.

So why Investigate the abbey?

Well there have been reported sightings going back as far as May 1236 when the locals of Roche were startled when troops of knights, riding on horses and fully armed with shields, standards, helmets and coats of mail suddenly appeared out of thin air. They had never before seen such a sight, and were terrified, yet drawn to the scene, and watched from a distance. They remained transfixed, observing these splendidly armed knights who rode in organised lines, and then engaged in fighting, with a tremendous clash of swords. After several days the vision vanished just as suddenly and mysteriously as it had appeared. (Matthew Paris, a monk of the Benedictine abbey of St Albans, Hertfordshire, wrote an extensive chronicle in which he mentions ghostly apparitions that occurred near Roche in 1236. Matthew did not himself witness these events, and shows little knowledge of Roche or the north of England, but reports what he has heard from reliable witnesses. These include Richard, earl of Gloucester, a leading magnate of the day.)
A monk wearing the white robes of the Cistercian order supposedly flits across the grounds has been reported by many witnesses as well as chanting, although not substantiated.

The Investigation.

We have investigated the abbey on a number of occasions now as it is on our doorstep, Lee Steer has a photo of which some believe is the white robed monk. Ozzie our psychic believed throughout the night that he had picked up on a number of different spirits which he believed were that of several monks.

Although the conditions were damp and chilly we managed to gather as much footage via our equipment but as on many occasions when we visit here there was nothing much to report, however, we will still return at least once a year I think to hopefully capture something else on camera.