Basildon, Berkshire, England
The Red Lion, Basildon
The Ghost of 'Old Nobes'
The village is reputedly haunted by the ghost known as 'Old Nobes'. In life, Thomas Nobes (1619-1699) lived at what is now called Tomb Farm. Sources state that he was a farmer and wheelwright. It was his religious beliefs that prompted him to construct his own mausoleum, which bears the date of 1692 over the doorway. Both Thomas and his wife were interred here. Sadly, the building is now a ruin, as thieves stole the lead used in its construction.
According to Poole, following the theft of lead from the mausoleum, his ghost began to be seen around the countryside. There is even one account of a villager who said his ghost spoke to her on a number of occasions as he rode his horse.
Pictured left is Tomb Farm courtesy of Graham Horn.
Unconfirmed
For further information, please read Britain's Haunted Heritage by Keith B. Poole and Haunted Berkshire by Roger Long.
Location
Visitor Information
Basildon is a civil parish in Berkshire, England.
It comprises the small villages of Upper Basildon and Lower Basildon, named for their respective heights above the River Thames. Basildon is 7 miles from Reading.
Pictured above left is the Red Lion in Basildon courtesy of Pam Brophy. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
