The 16th-century house known as St Aubyns in Chapel Street has long been rumoured to be haunted. Its ghostly reputation was confirmed by a former tenant, and a series of strange occurrences continued for decades after.

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In 1951, a guest of the new owner, Mr. Richman, was lying in bed alone when she was certain someone was in the room watching her. She initially assumed it was Mr. Richman’s mother, but when she turned to look, the room was completely empty.

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Years later, two former residents of St Aubyns, who had lived there at different times, met and discovered they had experienced the same chilling phenomenon. Both women reported hearing the distinct sound of dragging footsteps in the main passage, as if someone were using the wall for support. The steps would turn at a right angle, head towards the kitchen, and then suddenly stop.

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The Richman family also had their own encounters, often hearing footsteps coming from the front door, which would then proceed up the stairs to the first floor. On several occasions, Mr. Richman and his friends would investigate, but no one was ever there.

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Perhaps the most curious event was an evening in 1956 when Mr. Richman came home to find his mother watching the kitchen wall intently. She told him, “I’m just watching the shadow of a ghost!” Together, they watched as a hasty flash of a shadow—like a puff of steam—flitted across the walls, a phenomenon Mr. Richman then realised he had seen before without taking notice. The fleeting shadow repeated its journey across all four walls of the room, leaving no explanation in its wake.

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