Ok, I fully appreciate there is already a thread on haunted barracks, but I wanted to seperate this one out for a few reasons.

Madhouse Plantation, STANTA in Norfolk.

As many of you will know there is a fairly large swampy plantation on the east of the area. I used the stanta alot over the years but it was only about 8 years ago that I first had call to go there. Glad I never have had to go since but I have always been interested to find out more about its history. Maybe some folks here can help.

Anyway, we were all set to storm into Eastmere village at dawn the next day and the OC innocently picked madhouse platantion as a harbour. As we first moved in the first thing that struck me was how deathly quiet, dark and miserable it was. No birds singing despite being early autumn (sept I think). The ground is generally swampy with a few causeway paths which we used to get to the ruined cottage that give the the woods its name. Still hadnt given that too much thought at this point, concentrating on job in hand etc... Anyway, we set the platoons up in a wide perimeter around the house and Coy HQ set up in the building itself. Our grizzled old CSM then set the scene with the first story.

He told us that after WW2 a unit had been training in the area and one night a guy on stag was approached by an officer who the guy didnt recognise. Hazy on whether was challenged or not etc... but he was friendly in the usual old officerly way "boots fit? mail getting through? etc..." and then strolled off. Only afterwards did it occur to him that the officer was dressed in WWI style uniform.

Not being a believer in religion, ghosts or any supernatural stuff I laughed it off and got back to battle prep. Anyway, later that evening I did the rounds of my platoon before climbing into my pit for a couple of zeds. As said it was prob sept and not particularly cold weather and had a decent chariot but I woke later with a start feeling unnaturally cold, chilled to the bone and had a very real feeling of something present very close by. Weird as crap and I dont mind admitting it was pretty freaky. Grabbed my IWS and scanned but nothing nearby. The cold chill did pass but I'll admit that when I cut along to Coy HQ for O group soon after I didnt stroll!

Anyway, got on with the job and it was only after endex I was speaking to some of the seniors (risking endless abuse obviously...) and then some more stories starting coming out. Sgt X had been a tom in recce years ago and they were tasked with a CTR on Madhouse planation. They reported back seeing 1 x Pax moving around the cottage only to be told later that the enemy was in another loc and no other units on training area.

From digging a bit further it seems the basic history behind the cottage is that during WW1 it was used to house officers with shell shock to recuperate. But this is not like the Redeption film with a nice country mansion with doctors, nurses, therapy and poetry. This is a cottage miles from anyway in the middle of a dark swampy wood. Small wonder that apparently some of the poor guys topped themselves. RIP. I still am skeptical on the whole ghost thing but if ever there was a place where a tortured spirit might not be ready to move on it would be a place like this.

As we left Eastmere in company snake all those years ago I remember vowing to myself that one day I would try to find out a bit more about the history behind the place. What can I say? Its been a busy few years... however it occured to me to make a half-arrsed start through this thread.

If anybody has any other tales / rumours / facts about madhouse plantation then please share them. Also if anybody has any tips on where might be able to find records relating to this then interested to hear. I suspect that would be a tough one though, its a pretty dark chapter and unfortunately I am sure many of the secrets have gone to the grave.

Fell in the swamp up to my chest once in that area. Wasn't impressed! Not sure on the records but i do know what you mean about it being a strange sort of place!

Madhouse is not a nice place to be at all! You are right in saying it is always cold, no birds singing etc. I did an op in Madhouse house about 11 years ago. We couldn't wait to get out of there, it just felt creepy.

vague stories of someone being hanged near there once? or hanging themsleves? something like that.

cant find anything on google about it, only a Norfolk place names list and a citation for designation of Madhaouse Plantation as a site of special scientific interest

I was harboured up there a few years ago. As I slept fitfully between stags I was violently awoken by a ghostly figure wearing WW1 battle dress. He dragged me from my gonker and took me deeper into the woods where we encountered several other aparitions.

My ordeal lasted for several hours as I was violently sexually assaulted with everything from a Lee Enfield cleaning kit to a huge ghostly penis.

At some point I must have passed out as I was later woken for my next stag, back in my dossbag but covered in some sort of ectoplasm and feeling strangely fulfilled.

Dug in there as part of a def ex on my JNCO cadre in '74. Some of the old 'n' bold toid me the same kind of stories. The OC told us it was a hospital for shell shock victims during WW1 and was then an isolation hosp for those who could'nt be cured and were though to violent or mad for such places as Netley. Feckin wierd place all the same.

"Madhouse Plantation" was/is part of the Thetford training area. It was so named because it was the sight of a Victorian asylum, which during WW1 was taken over by the Military and used to house shell-shocked Officers, out of the way of the public. When the War Office took over the area in 1938 the asylum was demolished, but the foundations were still visible.

The story goes that a patrol on exercise went into "Madhouse" one night, leaving one guy behind. Whilst he was sitting there this Officer appeared and started talking to him. The guy then realised that the Officer was dressed strangely, in riding boots and breeches. The Officer walked off saying "I'll send someone for you" and disappeared. This guy was going frantic when the patrol got back

http://www.wwiireenacting.co.uk/foru...11252&p=146669
as posted by RedCapSarge

A quick check of Google Earth reveals that one of the places where I froze my backside off during a Regimental E&E ex a few years ago was Madhouse - to no ill effects. I do remember some rubble and foundations though.

However, STANTA is a pretty spooky training area through and through...

And remember the bloke allegedly crucified upside down in the church on the trg area. Spooky.