Episode 339 - The Black Monk of Pontefract: a Poltergeist Haunting

Welcome to Britain’s most haunted house — 30 East Drive in Pontefract — where a seemingly ordinary family home turned into a prison of nightmares. What started with mysterious puddles, floating dust clouds, and furniture that moved on its own quickly escalated into full-blown poltergeist chaos. Known by the Pritchard family as Fred, the Black Monk of Pontefract wasn’t just mischievous — it was terrifying, violent, and maybe even hungry (yes, this spirit snacked on sandwiches). From eggs exploding mid-air to priests fleeing after failed exorcisms, the Pritchard family lived through a haunting so wild it inspired an actual horror film. But in between the chills, there are moments so bizarre they’re almost funny — like disembodied fur gloves conducting a hymn sing-along. Still, the poltergeist’s obsession with teenage Diane, culminating in a nightmarish attempt to drag her away, proved this was no harmless prankster. Links to photos and video mentioned: 30 East Drive Recent Happenings Untaken photo Shadow in corridor video - appears at 21:43 Book Mentioned: Poltergeist: A Classic Study in Destructive Hauntings by Colin Wilson Watch the video version here. Have ghost stories of your own? E-mail them to us at [email protected] New Episodes are released every Thursday and Sunday at 12am PST/3am EST (the witching hour, of course). Corinne and Sabrina hand select a couple of paranormal encounters from our inbox to read in each episode, from demons, to cryptids, to aliens, to creepy kids... the list goes on and on. If you have a story of your own that you'd like us to share on an upcoming episode, we invite you to email them to us! If you enjoy our show, please consider joining our Patreon, rating and reviewing on iTunes & Spotify and following us on social media! Youtube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Discord. Edited by Jaimi Ryan and produced by Emma Leventer and Jaimi Ryan, original music by Arms Akimbo! Disclaimer: the use of white sage and smudging is a closed practice. If you’re looking to cleanse your space, here are some great alternatives! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices