Paranormal researcher Urzula Wolski is investigating whether garden allotments might hold ghostly secrets beneath the soil
Most of us have heard ghost stories tied to crumbling castles, empty hospitals or lonely old pubs.
We talk of haunted dolls and cursed antiques.
But what about something closer to the soil — something as everyday as a humble garden allotment?
That’s exactly the question paranormal researcher Urszula Wolski is now asking.
Can ghosts grow where cabbages thrive? Read on.
What is a Garden Allotment, anyway?
For readers outside the UK, a garden allotment is a small plot of land rented by individuals, usually from the local council, for the purpose of growing food.
These community growing spaces are woven into the fabric of British life, offering peace, produce and, in some cases, perhaps the paranormal.
While garden allotments are known for carrots and compost, few have considered whether ghostly goings-on might also take root there.
Urszula, who has both a personal plot and a longstanding interest in the paranormal, is turning over new ground — quite literally.
“I’ve had an interest since childhood,” Urszula explains, “but really got into it when I attended a conference called Exploring the Extraordinary at York University, back in around 2008.”
It was there she realised the world of the paranormal wasn’t just for thrill-seekers and ghost hunters, but also a topic of serious academic research.
Her journey led her to become involved with major British organisations like ASSAP, the SPR and the Ghost Club.
More recently, she has been finishing a research project titled Researching the Researchers: The beliefs and experiences of investigators of paranormal phenomena.
It wasn’t a chilling encounter or whispered rumour that sparked Urszula’s curiosity about haunted garden allotments.
Instead, the idea came to her quite naturally while tending her own.
“I have an allotment, and with my interest in the paranormal, I was curious to find any literature about people’s experiences specifically on allotments,” she says.
She found only one mention — an account of the Bromley Poltergeist by Manfred Cassirer.
“That’s it,” she adds. “So I decided to set up a Facebook page in order for people to post their experiences, or if they prefer, they can email them to me.”
So far, Urszula hasn’t received any ghostly reports from fellow gardeners.
“Not yet,” she admits, “but this is what I am hoping for.”
She’s started with a basic literature review and the creation of an online space to gather accounts.
Like many researchers in the early stages, she knows that gathering data takes time and patience.
But she’s convinced the fertile ground is there — metaphorically and literally.
“I expect there to be a range of activity and this would likely be linked to what there was before the allotment or close by,” Urszula says. “So not necessarily being an allotment.”
From former cemeteries to bombed-out streets, many urban garden allotments are built on land with a murky past.
That history could hold the key to any unexplained activity.
“Don’t know yet,” Urszula admits when asked what she hopes to discover.
For now, she’s focused on collecting stories and raising awareness.
Perhaps that odd cold patch near the compost heap or the unexplained rustle in the bean rows will take on new meaning.
And with pumpkins ripening under moody skies and scarecrows watching in silence, who’s to say these quiet patches of earth aren’t haunted after all?
Have you seen or experienced paranormal activity on a garden allotment? Please contact Urszula via her Facebook page here or email [email protected].
