Curious Archive

Plague and Cannibalism at the Augustine Steward House, Norwich

Published date 23 July 2020 Categories Paranormal Encounters / Weird History

Visitors to Norwich have likely stumbled upon the eccentric Augustine Steward House, a former sixteenth-century merchant’s home that deceptively appears on the brink of collapse. A timber-framed Grade II listed building, the Augustine Steward House oozes a haunted house aesthetic, nearly manifesting itself from a Gothic novel. Luckily for the eager ghost hunter, the house is indeed reported to be...

Religious Heresy and Public Executions: The History of the Amersham Martyrs Memorial, Buckinghamshire

Published date 19 July 2020 Categories Offbeat Travel / Weird History

Tucked within the Chiltern Hills, the town of Amersham is filled with historic buildings, charming pubs, and beautiful footpaths leading deep into the countryside. While towns as old as Amersham are filled with captivating historical tales, some events from long ago inevitably shed light on the more sinister side of humanity, and Amersham’s history is no exception. Nearly 500 years...

The Magical Relics of John Dee at The British Museum

Published date 14 July 2020 Categories Weird History

London’s British Museum is one of the most revered institutions of it’s kind in the world. Originally founded in 1753, the museum’s current collection consists of an impressive eight million objects (though the ethical ownership of some items are up for debate). Among the collection are a number of curious artefacts belonging to sixteenth-century occultist and mathematician John Dee. Housed...

Devil Worship and a Ghostly Bride: The Confusing (and Eerie) History of the Hellfire Caves, West Wycombe

Published date 14 July 2020 Categories Offbeat Travel / Paranormal Encounters / Weird History

Located in the National Trust’s West Wycombe village in Buckinghamshire, the Hellfire Caves are a peculiar landmark alongside an otherwise idyllic high street. Extending a quarter of a mile into West Wycombe Hill, The Hellfire Caves were dug between 1748 and 1752 for two mundane reasons: the relief of local unemployment and to provide chalk for the construction of a...

Seashells and Big Dreams: How a Determined Monk Built One of the World’s Smallest Chapels on Guernsey

Published date 7 July 2020 Categories Offbeat Travel

The Little Chapel is one of Guernsey’s most popular and beloved visitor attractions. Located in Les Vauxbelets, the non-denominational structure measures a minute 16 x 9 feet and offers a look into the mind of a determined French monk who almost singlehandedly crafted one of the world’s smallest and ornate chapels. History and Construction The current Little Chapel at Les...