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Walkers Set to Discover the Ghosts of Priddy’s Hard
Sightings of ghosts that have been reported over the years at the former Armaments Depot of Priddy’s Hard in Gosport where the award
winning Explosion!, Museum of Naval Firepower is now sited, have been under investigation by museum staff. The research has been undertaken to prepare for a series of Ghost Walks that have already
sold out at the museum in January and February. The research has uncovered 12 bloody deaths in the historic eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings at Priddy’s Hard.
Ian Proctor, Research Assistant said, “I have been amazed by the disturbing tales of death and disease that have happened over the
centuries here at Priddy’s Hard. The untimely deaths have happened as a result of accidental explosions and in one case an “unnatural” gust of wind, rumoured to be the evil spirit of a
convict labourer who died in the same spot”
“Sightings of many of the unfortunate souls have been rumoured by former workers of the Royal Navy Armaments Depot. It has been
reported that the stain of munitions worker Edward George Mc Bride who was killed in a blast on 30 November 1922 reappears on the wall of the room that stood directly over the site of the
explosion.”
Another of the uncovered fatal explosions is the story of eight men who on 26 July 1921 were moving unusable detonators from a nineteenth
century powder magazine when the direct sunlight erupted the pile of detonators into a “Ball of Fire” killing four local men from Gosport. The explosion was reported to be felt on the
Portsmouth side of the Harbour. The bodies of two of the men had been atomised by the force of the blast and after an extensive search none of the missing limbs were recovered. However
research has shown that a couple of months later a fisherman found in the gut of a locally caught Bass, the bones of a human finger.
The Ghost Walks at Explosion! have already sold out and more events are planned for the autumn. Explosion! is open every Thursday, Saturday and
Sunday during January. For more information visit www.explosion.org.uk or call 023 9250 5600.
For further information on ghost research & picture opportunities contact Bill Sainsbury on
023 9250 5603, email bsainsbury@explosion.org.uk or visit www.explosion.org.uk
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