Paranormal investigator Kristian Lander uncovers and preserves Nottinghamshire’s forgotten ghost stories, ensuring they are not lost, writes DAVID SAUNDERSON
Nottinghamshire is well known for its haunted history, with locations like Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem drawing paranormal enthusiasts from all over. Beyond these famous sites, investigator Kristian Lander has dedicated himself to uncovering and preserving the lesser-known ghost stories that form a hidden part of the city’s supernatural heritage.
For years, Kristian has been collecting first-hand accounts and historical records of paranormal activity across Nottingham. His mission is to ensure that these stories, often passed down in hushed whispers, do not fade into obscurity. Through his meticulous research, he has uncovered chilling cases that deserve a place in the city’s ghostly history.
The Laurie Close Poltergeist (1990s)
One of Kristian’s most intriguing cases involves a family in Laurie Close, Nottingham, who in the 1990s experienced a terrifying series of events. Among the most disturbing was a violent encounter in which a young girl was allegedly assaulted by an unseen force.
Kristian recalled, “The child, one of the girls who was like 12 at the time, her face got slapped. She was physically assaulted by this entity in the house.”
The haunting was accompanied by strange noises, sudden temperature drops, and the unsettling feeling of being watched. Neighbours also reported unusual disturbances, adding to the eerie mystery. Kristian explained, “The mother saw black wiry figures throughout the house and again banging on the walls. The neighbours knew about this… Lombardy Close is a locally famous case. Everyone in there close knows it.”
The Deanwood Crescent Ghost (1968)
Another case Kristian has documented took place in 1968, when a man living on Deanwood Crescent claimed to have encountered a ghostly figure in his bedroom. The apparition, dressed in white with a blue hat, was described as resembling a soldier from the French Foreign Legion.
Kristian described the case: “He wakes one night and he finds there’s a figure in his bedroom. This figure is dressed in white and has a blue hat on. He first describes it as looking like a foreign legion soldier with a kind of flap coming back from his neck from the nape of his neck.”
The man’s young daughter also reported seeing the figure standing silently on the stairs, leading to escalating fear within the household. The disturbances became so distressing that the family appealed to local authorities for help. In a rare move, the council agreed to rehouse them for the sake of the child’s mental well-being.
Further investigations revealed a tragic backstory. Kristian recounted, “Neighbours reported that 19 years prior to that, there was a young man who lived at that house and he was a painter decorator who thus therefore wore white overalls… He basically became injured or he’d suffered and I think he fell from a ladder and was then unable to work and the shame of that… the shame of not being able to work or provide for your family, he committed suicide in the upstairs bedroom and that’s they feel is that who that gentleman is.”
Kristian even spoke with a current resident who had their own chilling experience:
“I knocked on the door of this house and I was like hey do you… Are you aware of the history here? Would you like to tell me something?”
The resident responded, “Well, actually, something did happen here quite recently. I saw a person in white standing on the stairs just walking. And I looked up and I was like, whatever. I just saw someone turn the stairs at the top and they were wearing white overalls.”
Kristian then asked, “Well, are you aware of this story?” The resident replied, “No, but now it makes sense.”
Keeping Nottingham’s Paranormal Legacy Alive
Kristian’s dedication to documenting these lesser-known hauntings ensures that Nottingham’s paranormal history remains alive. His work through Phenomenon Nottinghamshire brings these eerie encounters back into the public eye.
Kristian highlighted his ongoing mission: “Nottingham has a number of famous ghost stories. The problem is, is that there’s actually a tapestry of cultural myths and kind of legends, ghost stories that kind of are more community-based of these kind of things that are happening out in the residential estates and stories that are kind of not that well known.”
Through his podcast and investigative work, Kristian is bringing Nottingham’s hidden hauntings to light, preserving a vital part of the city’s supernatural folklore for future generations.
Find out more by listening to Phenomenonal Nottinghamshire, Kristian Lander’s podcast, where he explores the city’s hidden hauntings. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean. You can also visit his website, www.kristianlander.com
Have you seen a ghost or something you can’t explain in Nottinghamshire? Tell us about it in the comments section!
