An overnight paranormal investigation at Buckingham Gaol took a chilling turn when one team member left a cell with unexplained scratches, writes EMMA SAUNDERS of Ghostly Gatherings
Within the first hour of being in Buckingham Gaol, one of my team walked out of a cell with three fresh scratches down his arm.
I’ve been doing this a long time and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen that happen. It’s rare – very, very rare – and when it does, it stays with you.
The Old Gaol has been in Buckingham since 1748. The council took it over in 1974, restored it, and by 1993 it was open as a museum.
It’s now a regular spot for paranormal investigations. People say they’ve seen shadows, heard footsteps and strange noises, and felt that heavy, pressing atmosphere in certain rooms. It’s one of those places where, the moment you walk in, you know it has something about it.
That first night in February 2020 was busy from the start. REM pods were going off in the main hall and in the far upstairs cell. The REM bear was lighting up at the bottom of the stairs, and the cat balls were responding in the small room downstairs.
Then I heard shouting from that far cell. Rob and Charlie – a couple on my team – were in there with a few guests. Rob was being told to get out on the spirit box. Every time he spoke, the room went quiet. As soon as he stepped into the corridor, the activity started again.
Rob’s six foot four. He’s a big bloke, soft as anything, but I reckon whatever’s in there didn’t like him.
Later, on the tea break, he came out for a cigarette and rolled up his sleeve. Three red scratches ran down his arm, hidden under his T-shirt. That was the only place he’d been in.
I always try to debunk scratches because there’s usually a natural explanation. But these were fresh, and I couldn’t explain them.
We went back in October 2021. No scratches that time, but we had one of the best table-tipping sessions I’ve ever seen. The table went up on one leg and stayed there.
I also picked up on a young girl called Helena – with an A on the end – who said she lived there with her family.
I asked my dad to check the census. He’s into ancestry, and he had to go page by page because the gaol was listed under another name. But he found her: Helena, the governor’s daughter, aged about seven or eight in 1891.
We also discovered that a nurse working there became pregnant. The governor and the prison doctor arranged an illegal abortion, were caught, and ended up as prisoners themselves. In a small place like Buckingham, you can imagine the scandal.
Both times we visited, that far upstairs cell had the same feel – dark, heavy, and unwelcoming. The equipment went off – EMFs, REM bears – but it was the atmosphere that hit you.
Maybe it’s the same thing that scratched Rob. Maybe it’s tied to that scandal. Or maybe Helena’s story has more to it than the records show.
It might be a bright, open museum now, but underneath it’s still the same place it’s always been. And if you step into the wrong cell, it might just let you know you’re not welcome.
I can count genuine scratches on one hand – and that night’s one of them.
Have you been to Buckingham Old Gaol? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
