The Church of St Mary’s in Sheering.

I moved to Sheering just over 2 years ago, one of my little quirks in being near to a graveyard not that I am fascinated by the dead or morbid or any such thing, its just I find these places quite clean and peaceful.

I’m a thinker I think about most things; during my dog walking and my companion Oberon likes being able to sniff around one of the traits of a Tibetan terrier.

I do love ghost stories and since an early incident coming from school one day with Charles Taylor we climbed the fence at Woodside Cemetery, it was a few weeks before Halloween and the evening was getting quite dark for the time of the day a thunder storm came we played dare all the time, the dare was to see who could get to the other side of the fence before the other.

(picture from the great Google maps) We raced as fast as our little hands could grapple the wrote Iron gates massive to us, we got over we claimed it a draw since we looked like we both hit the ground about the same time, we kept daring each other to go deeper and thither in to the cemetery, what felt like miles was in fact only a short way we came upon a crypt, its door so big, the clouds were getting darker and darker a distant rumble of thunder echoes in the trees as the looming crypt eats our shadows the door like a long gnarled finger beckoning us closer and closer into the shadow of the crypt.

(the picture above if you look up you can see the actual crypt, we saw this every day we walked from Ferguslie Ave) We stop 10ft shy of the door, its black metal sheeting covered in matted dust, the upturned torch indicating a life snuffed out, we dare and keep daring each other who going to look thru the key hole into the crypt first? It was Charles turn, but we agreed we would both try and look thru the keyhole at the same time, edging ever so close the old lock hole, a rumble of one long yawning thunder comes closer a flash of sheet lighting illuminates the whole cemetery, trees look twisted as if reaching for the 7 year old school boys attempting a foolish dare.

(The side most people see of the place its always well manicured and neat, but the other side is a different kettle of fish, its bloody spooky) No more than a few inches from the lock, we both peer into the inky darkness of the crypt, Charles catches sight of something and starts to run as fast as his legs could, I peered into the part that Charles looked at and I saw it, I was hot on his heels as we both dashed as fast as we could run, as we reach the gate, a massive clap of thunder, as if god himself was affronted by our daring with the unknown, Charles falls to the ground a few feet from the gates I almost run over him as we both reach the gate and clime as if the very devil himself was hot on our tails, I was over so fast Charles was still trying to climb up the damn thing, screaming hurry up its coming he let out a yelp and threw himself over the edge falling to the cobble stones cracking open his knee.

(the black love heart makes the spot where the crypt is located, funny its still there wonder if the green face is still there, gives me shivers just thinking about it lol) We ran all the way back to Ferguslie, not stopping not looking back till we were home in the comfort of our family homes. Its just something I have done all my life, I am a believer of the unknown or known as I see it, I go looking for it, and before you ask do I get scared? Well sometimes it depends on what frame of mind thought I don’t fear the dead what I do fear is walking into some axe wielding lunatic.

As the years have progressed my choice of church has be come more and more rural, in Brighton it was St Peters church in Preston Pk, a very historic church and very haunted, I did see a ghost during the day there, and have done a few night vigils over the 14 years we stayed there.

Well we moved back to Essex, the church is only a short walk across the fields, a rather peaceful place even in total darkness, there is illumination from a few well-placed lampposts, which bathes the place an eerie glow. My first night there I was with Zak a Tibby the dog I had just before Obi came into my life Zak was a rescue dog and a golden Oldie nearly 14 years old, we I first found the place.

One thing I love about the graveyard is the amount of benches there is you can sit almost 8 spots front middle and back of the cemetery, depending on if anything is going on at the church or church hall which is next door. My least favourite time to visit the Church is a Wednesday evening the girl guides are on in the church hall, and I don’t want to be pre judged by nervous and anxious mothers and dads taking there kids to a place that’s supposed to be safe from all, even dog walkers lol particularly when it’s the dark winter months.

During the summer I took obi out for a rather late walk it was nearly 11pm we walked around the field then up and around which brings you to the back of the church graveyard the solemn stones a testament of past life looking towards the East, the birth of the sun each morning. I love just walking around sometimes just pondering the universe but most of the time just having my tea and biscuits being a diabetic I’m so aware of my health and sugar levels, this way I’m energized by the time I get back home.

Some times not all the time I will take my digital recorder and ask questions in the cemetery and see if I get a response to date no one has come forward not like St Peters in Brighton which was very active day as well as night.

But poor old St Mary had a bit of bad luck in 11th January 2010 on the morning a fair bit of the church was damaged by fire it was put down to faulty electrics, the repairs were carried out and are still being carried out but its been in use since 4th Of September 2011 It’s a church of England property under the Diocese of Chelmsford the village church has a long history going back to the 12th Century Norman times, yet there are not that many gravestones going back as far as 18th Century.

It’s not the original building but subsequent building built up over time and the graveyard extended as the years have worn on the last plot purchased for the church was 1970. But lights out and this place has a mystic all of it’s own, I would not say its dripping in atmosphere, and you expect a spook to jump out at you from every corner or hidden behind over grown grave stones. I would say it’s one of those place that will surprise you when you least expect it, well that’s what I am hoping for anyway.