The Lairs/Pipers Vale
The Lairs/Pipers Vale is a valley of natural beauty that is located in Suffolk, England. Strange balls of light and dancing over the River Orwell are often seen. The Orwell bridge has seen the sight of several suicides since it was built in 1982. In one particular area of the valley, people have reported seeing a white figure, having the feeling of being watched, and have felt cold spots. The sound of a horse’s hooves have also been heard pounding against the ground, with a white apparition riding this ghost horse.
Margaret Catchpole was the name of a famous thief and jail breaker. She was born in Suffolk, England in 1732. By the time she was in her 30s, she was working in service for the Cobbold family in Ipswich. She became famous for riding horseback from Nacton to Ipswich for a doctor to help her mistress who had fallen ill. The route that Margaret traveled with the horse that night has been related to the sightings of the ghostly figure on a horse. The spot where people have reported the cold spots and the feeling of being watched was where Margaret used to tie her horses to the Oak tree that stands there.
(Source: Belanger, Jeff. Encyclopedia of Haunted Places. 2005.)
