Saltwood ghostI am a past resident of Saltwood, Kent. I was twelve when I lived there in 1973. My parents and I moved from Oshawa, Ontario and resided in Saltwood for about a year. I lived at 'Restlands' on Sandling Road, in the next house from old Mrs. Clarke's General Store. My friends and I used to hang out after dinner on the green, in front of the hall and at the castle. There was one occurance while I was there that I will not forget.
One night when I was in the kitchen, at the back of the house, I sensed movement in my back yard.
I opened the back door and looked into the blackness. I stood there on the stoop but went back in quickly as I felt suddenly spooked. I sensed something large. My heart raced as I went upstairs to my bedroom, leaving the light off. I swung open my window and looked down into my dark yard.
I heard heavy breathing and the sound of large footsteps on the ground right before me. A bear came to my mind but I knew there were no bears in Saltwood! I continued to listen and scan for any sight of the intruder. Finally it was silent and I returned to the T.V. I told my parents and they said maybe it was a badger or something. A badger is about the size of a large racoon or small dog. The stature of this presence puzzled me. The house 'Slaybrook', further down on Sandling Road was undoubtedly haunted. I heard that a battle was fought there and the water ran with blood. Supposedly, a ghost of a man on his horse had been sighted there by residents.
Many years later, it was suggested to me that it was a ghost of a very large dog. Apparently, centuries ago, large dogs were used as beasts of burden for various things in that area. I tend to lean to this theory but having no concrete evidence, it still vexes me. I will not forget that night.
As a token of friendship and adoration for Saltwood, my father made a donation to the village. A maple tree was planted on Tanners Hill in memory of the Canadian soldiers that fought in Britain. We returned to Canada later that year. I'll never forget Saltwood, I miss it terribly and plan to visit someday.
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Sat 1 Nov 2003, 1:11,
archived)
One night when I was in the kitchen, at the back of the house, I sensed movement in my back yard.
I opened the back door and looked into the blackness. I stood there on the stoop but went back in quickly as I felt suddenly spooked. I sensed something large. My heart raced as I went upstairs to my bedroom, leaving the light off. I swung open my window and looked down into my dark yard.
I heard heavy breathing and the sound of large footsteps on the ground right before me. A bear came to my mind but I knew there were no bears in Saltwood! I continued to listen and scan for any sight of the intruder. Finally it was silent and I returned to the T.V. I told my parents and they said maybe it was a badger or something. A badger is about the size of a large racoon or small dog. The stature of this presence puzzled me. The house 'Slaybrook', further down on Sandling Road was undoubtedly haunted. I heard that a battle was fought there and the water ran with blood. Supposedly, a ghost of a man on his horse had been sighted there by residents.
Many years later, it was suggested to me that it was a ghost of a very large dog. Apparently, centuries ago, large dogs were used as beasts of burden for various things in that area. I tend to lean to this theory but having no concrete evidence, it still vexes me. I will not forget that night.
As a token of friendship and adoration for Saltwood, my father made a donation to the village. A maple tree was planted on Tanners Hill in memory of the Canadian soldiers that fought in Britain. We returned to Canada later that year. I'll never forget Saltwood, I miss it terribly and plan to visit someday.