Nothe Fort

November 2015

For November’s investigation, we were all very excited to be going to Nothe Fort in Weymouth. I was particularly excited, as, we had visited the Fort back in the summer for a day out and I could not wait to go back and investigate this unique and interesting location.

Upon arrival, we were given a tour and then got straight into the job of seeking the ghosts of Nothe Fort. For our first area, we found ourselves on the lower floor, not far from the ghost passage. We were just getting our bearings and deciding on what area we were going to start in when we heard a pebble or small stone clatter to the ground. We all stopped and listened for a few moments. I called out and asked “If that was a spirit person trying to get our attention, please do that again”. We didn’t get a response but we could all feel that the atmosphere had changed. We spent roughly 15 minutes in this area and could hear various sounds, however, it was very hard to decide if this was paranormal activity or naturally occurring sounds, as there was a huge storm raging above us who was causing the wind to whistle and howl down the corridors.

Dave and I moved to another room. In this room, just down from where we were standing, there was a hanging scene being re-enacted by manikins. This in itself was very eerie. Dave was using his sonic ear device and could hear a murmured conversation under the conversation that some team members where having in the room next door. We both took turns listening; however, we could not make out what was being said. It is such a shame that we cannot find a way of recording what we hear with the sonic ear device. The rest of the team came into this room and a few had a go at listening with the sonic ears. We decided to move on down to the corridor and try a different room.

As we started to walk down the corridor, my camera suddenly decided to go wrong. Matt offered to have a look at it, however, it refused to co-operate. It is here that Tracy and Dan also find that their camera also goes wrong. I say an off the cuff remark something like “this is typical”. Maria asks me “Jacs, did you laugh then?” I replied that I hadn’t, but I couldn’t be sure. Maybe I had but hadn’t realised it? Viewing this back on video, I can hear a female laugh. I have listened back over this bit of footage, and can confirm this was not me! It is a very sinister sounding laugh which I will edit and put onto a film clip which can be viewed on our Facebook page.

We move location to the ground level of the Fort. We decide to concentrate on an area where there are various exhibits. We had to be careful as the other team had set up trigger objects in this area. We stood around near where some of the guns are displayed and started to call out. After about 5 minutes, Lesley said she could hear tapping coming from the gun that was stood just behind her. We all went over to where she was standing and continued to call out. Her K2 meter sprang into life. None of us had our mobile phones on so we could discount this as a trigger for the K2. Lesley was stood under a light fitting. It was switched off however, and if she moved the K2 closer to the light, the K2 did not react at all. Lesley started to ask questions. We could hear tapping coming from the gun as it to answer Lesley. This was very odd as the gun wasn’t even a real gun, it was a replica. This continued for approximately 10 minutes and then the tapping and the K2 stopped. We decided to move on. We walked on towards where there is a replica of a bar scene. We could not enter the room as it was locked. While here, we decided that it might be a nice area for new a team photo. We all agreed and Matt went about setting the scene up for our new team shot. After a few hilarious fails, we finally managed to get our team photo and felt it was a good time for a team break.

After our break, we went back to the area we had been in, but decided to check out a corridor that is normally closed to the public. I did not like it one bit. It was very narrow, dark and the floor was littered with pot holes. The corridor leads to some steps that are well lit but locked. While there, I was sure I heard footsteps. They sounded like somebodies feet scraping the gravel. Most of the team went back along the corridor and Maria, Dave and I hung back for a few minutes before joining the others. The next few minutes were littered by swear words and hilarity as we tried to make our way back without falling over and breaking our necks. I can see why this bit is closed to the public. When we got back to the gate, we found it closed! I was just about to call to the others when Matt jumped out at us. Talk about heart attack time!! After a few bleeps and curses, we joined the others. We decided to go back near to where we heard the tapping. It was in the same area, however, just up from there, there was a row of benches which we all sat on. We started to call out when we heard that familiar clattering sound of a pebble or stone hitting the floor. We all stopped and listened. Daniel went off with Andrew to look for the pebble. They soon found it and came back. We were just explaining to Daniel that this is called an Apport and does seem to happen to our team a lot. Daniel and Tracy are fairly new members to the team and have never experienced this happen before. As if to make a point, another pebble clatters to the floor. On the video footage, I can actually see this pebble come at us from near the manikins set up just across from where we are sat. Daniel goes to find this one and I ask him if the pebble is roughly the same size and colour as the other one. It is. We explain that they often are. Over the next 10-15 minutes, we experience several pebbles being thrown in our direction. At one point, I feel that they are aimed at me as they seemed to materialise near me just as I start to ask out. The pebbles seem to stop as we hear the other team approaching our area. We are then joined by one of the event organisers who are fascinated to hear what has been happening here. Apports are experienced in some areas of the Fort, however, not usually in this area. He goes on to join the other team and we decide to move to another area. Just as we are leaving, we hear another pebble clatter to the floor. We laugh and say goodbye.

We move to an area which is a mock-up of a Second World War trench. Just as we reach this area, we hear another pebble fall to the floor. Great! Our stone throwing spirit friend has followed us. We stay here for a few minutes and move on through the various rooms. It is fairly quiet. We do not experience any more stones being thrown at us and I do not see anything unusual on my video camera. We find ourselves back by the ghost passage. This area is notorious for the whistling gunner. The story is that there is a ghost which is heard whistling along this corridor. We all attempt to make contact by whistling, however, the whistling wind is raging down this corridor and making it very hard to hear anything. We move back to where we were at the beginning. Daniel is still fascinated by the stone throwing we experienced earlier and starts to ask out for more of that to happen. To our surprise, it does. He asks for a stone to be thrown at me. I say, “no, throw it at Dan and shut him up!” A small stone then clatters to his feet. The expression on his face was priceless.

We have another break and then decide to try the other side of the Fort which houses the nuclear bunker. Not much happens in this area. We walk back down the corridor and as we pass one of the rooms (which Dan, Dave and Lesley are in) one of the exhibits starts up. We understand that none of the exhibits are live and get confirmation on this. It is confirmed that all power to these attractions are disabled (or supposed to be). We find a small area which has some benches in. I had an idea to use the middle bench as a type of table and see if we can set up a table tipping exercise. It doesn’t quite work though as we are interrupted by the event organiser who was talking to us earlier about the stone Apports. Some of the members of our team decide to try and summon the whistling gunner with him and go off with the organiser. Before they go however, we learn from the organiser that a ghost has been seen in this room and he found it interesting that we had decided to try an experiment in that room (as opposed to the many other rooms we could of picked). Despite this fact, we didn’t experience anything out of the ordinary while there so we all decided to go and try and meet the whistling gunner. We all found ourselves stood at the top of this dark corridor, wind whistling and howling along the long walk ways which made it feel very eerie indeed. We all tried whistling. This is where we find none of us are very good at whistling. We did not get a response until Matt whistled some of the national anthem. To our amazement, we heard a whistle further on down the corridor which seemed to finish the verse of the anthem. I was not convinced that this was paranormal and suspected foul play. I went down the corridor to investigate. I was sure I was going to find some of the other team down there hiding. To my amazement, I did not find anyone. On reflection, I am still not sure that this was paranormal (and it could very well of been one of the other team members who managed to leave the area undetected before I got there to investigate). However, I can honestly say I did not see anybody and cannot explain for certain what whistled back at us.

We did go to other parts of the Fort after this; however, we did not experience anymore activity. As it was now nearing 2am in the morning, we decided this was a good time to call it a night.

*. We have since found out that Nothe Fort is no longer holding paranormal investigations for the foreseeable future. The reason we are not sure, however, we feel very luck and privileged to of been one of the last teams allowed to investigate this amazing location.