Wyrd Wessex

Craig Brooks

Dive into the weird, spooky and supernatural with Wyrd Wessex, a podcast hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens. These self-proclaimed "wyrdo's" delve into the mysteries, myths, and legends of the world, focusing on the UK, but sometimes straying further afield. Expect to hear chilling ghost stories, explorations of unexplained phenomena, and even dabbles into true crime. Whether you're fascinated by hauntings, folklore, Ufology or cryptids, Wyrd Wessex has something for you. So, if you're ready to unravel the hidden weirdness of the world, "Stay Wyrd" and tune in! www.wyrdwessex.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 6d ago

    Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot

    Andy and Craig dive deep into the explosive history of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. From the religious turmoil of the English Reformation to a secret cellar beneath Parliament packed with 36 barrels of gunpowder, we unpack how a Protestant lawyer's son from York became "Guido" Fawkes—a mercenary, explosives expert, and the most infamous figure in British history. The Wyrdos pull back the curtain on the tragic local story of Margaret Clitherow and her brutal crushing in York, tracing how her death became the catalyst for Fawkes's radicalisation. They also unravel the mysterious warning letter delivered to Lord Monteagle, the undercover guise of "John Johnson," the tense search of the vault, the horrific tortures of the Rack and the Little Ease in the Tower of London, the final shootout at Holbech House, the gruesome executions, and how a failed 17th-century coup birthed modern traditions from "Penny for the Guy" to V for Vendetta. Stay Wyrd. Explore the Wyrd Wessex Map: Every local UFO encounter, ghost story, cryptid sighting, and ancient earthwork featured on the show is plotted directly onto our custom interactive Google Map. Head to our Instagram bio or join our Discord to explore the locations! Send Us Your Stories: Have you experienced high-strangeness, seen something unexplained in the skies, or have local folklore to share? Fill out our form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10MVzaWqJXVbLonxf1WiwM4n41-R2fiDMqDN3WKQzYMA/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=100798326189189740063 Join the Wyrdo Community: Buy Me a Coffee (Ad-Free Episodes, Discord & Bonus Shows): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessex Instagram: @Wyrd_Wessex (Make sure to include the underscore!) Shop our merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=u Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens Edited by Craig Brooks Intro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - Remix Outro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. Oct 31

    Dowsing, Randonautica, and the New Forest quest

    In this episode—exploring the crossover between ancient divining practices and modern technology—Craig and Andy tackle the history, pseudoscience, and dark real-world fallout of dowsing and quantum-generated coordinates. From 16th-century German mining texts, Martin Luther’s warnings of demonic witchcraft, and modern UK water utilities using hazel twigs to the rise of Randonautica during lockdown, we dive into how intention, mind-matter interaction, and confirmation bias shape our search for the unexplained. We discuss the terrifying true cases linked to the app—including the Seattle Alki Beach suitcase murders—before heading out into the field. Armed with the app and an intention set strictly for "beer", Craig and Andy venture into the darkening woods near Ashurst in the New Forest, navigating sketchy log crossings, abandoned woodland camps, and a race against the clock to catch a train. Explore the Wyrd Wessex Map: Every local UFO encounter, ghost story, cryptid sighting, and ancient earthwork featured on the show is plotted directly onto our custom interactive Google Map. Head to our Instagram bio or join our Discord to explore the locations! Send Us Your Stories: Have you experienced high-strangeness, seen something unexplained in the skies, or have local folklore to share? Fill out our form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10MVzaWqJXVbLonxf1WiwM4n41-R2fiDMqDN3WKQzYMA/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=100798326189189740063 Join the Wyrdo Community: Buy Me a Coffee (Ad-Free Episodes, Discord & Bonus Shows): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessex Instagram: @Wyrd_Wessex (Make sure to include the underscore!) Shop our merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=u Stay Wyrd! Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens Edited by Craig Brooks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Oct 31

    Halloween Special:Listener Stories

    In this Halloween special and anniversary episode of Wyrd Wessex, Craig and Andy dive deep into a chilling collection of spooky listener-submitted stories. The wyrdos tackle everything from terrifying childhood hauntings and mystery man voices to self-knocking doors and the delicate line between real-world truth and individual perception. The conversation expands into high-strangeness territory with a detailed submission from Dr. P, exploring potential abduction events in North Wales, surreal owl encounters, and the deep-rooted UFO lore surrounding Pembrokeshire, Stacks Rocks, the Coombs family farm, and the famous Welsh Triangle. Moving closer to home, Craig reads a local Devizes story set in Albion Place, cross-referencing the location with rare ghost tour guidebooks by local historian John Gervin. To top it all off, Andy sneaks in a private last-minute submission about late-night supermarket apparitions, nun-like Bluecoat robes, local convents, and a quick nod to the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini's death Timestamps: 00:00 - Halloween Anniversary Intro & Smoke Machine Scares 01:04 - Story 1: Abandoned to a Poltergeist 03:20 - Story 2: Squirrel Halloween cross 05:55 - Story 3 The old women's feet above the floor 08:35 - Story 4: Dr. P's Abduction Event & The Staring Barn Owl 15:24 - Story 5: The Albion Place Haunting (Devizes) 19:53 - Story 6: Hostile Household Spirit & Escalating Activity 30:00 - Story 7: The Supermarket Nun 38:14 - Wrap Up, Houdini Centenary & Happy Halloween Explore the Wyrd Wessex Map: Every local UFO encounter, ghost story, cryptid sighting, and ancient earthwork featured on the show is plotted directly onto our custom interactive Google Map. Head to our Instagram bio or join our Discord to explore the locations! Send Us Your Stories: Have you experienced high-strangeness, seen something unexplained in the skies, or have local folklore to share? Fill out our form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10MVzaWqJXVbLonxf1WiwM4n41-R2fiDMqDN3WKQzYMA/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=100798326189189740063 Join the Wyrdo Community: Buy Me a Coffee (Ad-Free Episodes, Discord & Bonus Shows): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessex Instagram: @Wyrd_Wessex (Make sure to include the underscore!) Shop our merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=u Stay Wyrd! Written and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens Edited by Craig Brooks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Oct 28

    Unearthing the Forest Folklore, Fake Lore, and Fiery Fates with Brice Stratford

    In this episode of Wyrd Wessex, Andy and Craig head to Lyndhurst in the heart of the New Forest to sit down with author, folklorist, and storyteller Brice Stratford. Over a series of pints at historic local spots, the conversation dives deep into what it truly means for folklore to be anchored to a specific landscape, contrasting genuine rooted community traditions with modern "fake lore" and commercialised New Age myths. Brice pulls back the curtain on why he takes issue with the ubiquitous New Forest witch Sybil Leek, championing instead real historical figures like Mary Dore—an 18th-century woman whose legacy of shape-shifting, stick-gathering, and feuding with the Duke of Montague remains etched into local memory. The trio also unpacks the oral endurance of the William Rufus legend, the legendary Cobb's arrows, the mechanics of dragon-slaying motifs, the fiery ghost stories of the Fox and Hounds, the whispered panels of St. Michael and All Angels Church, the shadowy history of the Hawkhurst smuggling gang at the Crown Hotel, and local cryptids like the Stratford Lion. Explore the Wyrd Wessex Map:Every local UFO encounter, ghost story, cryptid sighting, and ancient earthwork featured on the show is plotted directly onto our custom interactive Google Map. Head to our Instagram bio or join our Discord to explore the locations! Send Us Your Stories: Have you experienced high-strangeness, seen something unexplained in the skies, or have local folklore to share? Fill out our form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10MVzaWqJXVbLonxf1WiwM4n41-R2fiDMqDN3WKQzYMA/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=100798326189189740063 Join the Wyrdo Community: Buy Me a Coffee (Ad-Free Episodes, Discord & Bonus Shows): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessex Instagram: @Wyrd_Wessex (Make sure to include the underscore!) Shop our merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=u Stay Wyrd! Written and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens Edited by Craig Brooks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Oct 21

    Borley Rectory: part 2

    In this episode—part two of our deep dive into Borley Rectory—Craig and Andy pick up the story as the chaos enters its most turbulent and heavily documented chapters. Moving past the early years, we tackle both the infamous Marianne Foyster residency and the dramatic 1937 investigation scheme led by Harry Price. From violent poltergeist phenomena, wall scrawlings, and flying objects to Price's ambitious recruitment of independent observers to spend time in the haunted ruins, we explore how the legend cemented its place in history. We break down the accounts, the investigators, and the lingering mysteries of Britain's most notorious rectory. Explore the Wyrd Wessex Map: Every local UFO encounter, ghost story, cryptid sighting, and ancient earthwork featured on the show is plotted directly onto our custom interactive Google Map. Head to our Instagram bio or join our Discord to explore the locations! Send Us Your Stories: Have you experienced high-strangeness, seen something unexplained in the skies, or have local folklore to share? Fill out our form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10MVzaWqJXVbLonxf1WiwM4n41-R2fiDMqDN3WKQzYMA/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=100798326189189740063 Join the Wyrdo Community: Buy Me a Coffee (Ad-Free Episodes, Discord & Bonus Shows): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessex Instagram: @Wyrd_Wessex (Make sure to include the underscore!) Shop our merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=u Stay Wyrd! Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens Edited by Craig Brooks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Oct 14

    Borley Rectory

    In this episode, Craig and Andy dive into the early, creeping hauntings of Borley Rectory—a location once dubbed "the most haunted house in England." Before the infamous Marianne Foyster era brought absolute chaos to the blue room, the Rectory spent decades quietly accumulating strangeness under the Bull family and the brief, chaotic tenure of Eric Smith. We explore how Britain's premier ghost hunter, Harry Price, first arrived at the scene with his kit of fingerprint powder and mercury gauges, and we chat about how our modern fear of ghosts compares to historical perspectives on the paranormal. Explore the Wyrd Wessex Map: Every local UFO encounter, ghost story, cryptid sighting, and ancient earthwork featured on the show is plotted directly onto our custom interactive Google Map. Head to our Instagram bio or join our Discord to explore the locations! Send Us Your Stories: Have you experienced high-strangeness, seen something unexplained in the skies, or have local folklore to share? Fill out our form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10MVzaWqJXVbLonxf1WiwM4n41-R2fiDMqDN3WKQzYMA/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=100798326189189740063 Join the Wyrdo Community: Buy Me a Coffee (Ad-Free Episodes, Discord & Bonus Shows): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessex Instagram: @Wyrd_Wessex (Make sure to include the underscore!) Shop our merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=u Stay Wyrd! Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens Edited by Craig Brooks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Oct 9

    Finding the Real Faye: Sam the Sandown Clown Update

    Andy and Craig return for a special edition of AfterWyrd to dissect a major development in one of the Isle of Wight’s most bizarre modern legends: Sam the Sandown Clown. Following up on their previous discussions and their recent interview with folklorist Paul A. T. Wilson at the Strange Days Festival, the Wyrdo co-hosts dive into new research sent in by a listener. They explore the findings from the debut episode of the Cease to Exist podcast, which uses newspaper archives, ancestry records, and investigation trails connected to BBC’s Uncanny to track down the real "Faye." Is Sam the Sandown Clown an elaborate hoax, a misremembered childhood event, or living folklore in action? Craig and Andy examine the paper trail, discuss whether the story holds up, and ask the lingering question: why has nobody ever tracked down the second child from the 1973 encounter? Explore the Wyrd Wessex Map: Every local UFO encounter, ghost story, cryptid sighting, and ancient earthwork featured on the show is plotted directly onto our custom interactive Google Map. HERE Send Us Your Stories: Have you experienced high-strangeness, seen something unexplained in the skies, or have local folklore to share? Fill out our form HERE Join the Wyrdo Community: Buy Me a Coffee (Ad-Free Episodes, Discord & Bonus Shows): HERE Instagram: @Wyrd_Wessex (Make sure to include the underscore!) Don't blame the Owls! Website: www.wyrdwessex.co.uk Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/explore Hosted by: Craig Brooks & Andy Stevens Edited by: Craig Brooks Intro music by: Universfield Dark 80s Sci-Fi Atmosphere Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Oct 8

    Bonus Tarot Card Draw

    Broadcasting live from the final night of Strange Days Festival, Craig and Andy are running on absolute empty, a questionable amount of coffee, and pure festival adrenaline. Between nonsensical theories on koalas, farts, and untrustworthy hippos. To mark the end of a wild weekend, they draw two tarot cards live on air to seal their fate: The Lovers (prompting a very necessary, very tired debate on unity and human centipedes) followed immediately by The Tower (symbolising chaos, dramatic collapses, or perhaps just their desperate desire to escape and go to sleep). Win Signed Tarot Cards: Every guest in this episode drew and signed a card from our Major Arcana tarot deck. Follow us on Instagram @Wyrd_Wessex for details on how to win these one-of-a-kind festival pieces! Explore the Wyrd Wessex Map: Every local UFO encounter, ghost story, cryptid sighting, and ancient earthwork featured on the show is plotted directly onto our custom interactive Google Map. Head to our Instagram bio or join our Discord to explore the locations! Send Us Your Stories: Have you experienced high-strangeness, seen something unexplained in the skies, or have local folklore to share? Send your encounter to: wyrdwessex@pm.me Join the Wyrdo Community: Buy Me a Coffee (Ad-Free Episodes, Discord & Bonus Shows): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessex Instagram: @Wyrd_Wessex (Make sure to include the underscore!) Shop our merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=u Stay Wyrd! Written and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens Edited by Craig Brooks Intro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - Remix Outro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About

Dive into the weird, spooky and supernatural with Wyrd Wessex, a podcast hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens. These self-proclaimed "wyrdo's" delve into the mysteries, myths, and legends of the world, focusing on the UK, but sometimes straying further afield. Expect to hear chilling ghost stories, explorations of unexplained phenomena, and even dabbles into true crime. Whether you're fascinated by hauntings, folklore, Ufology or cryptids, Wyrd Wessex has something for you. So, if you're ready to unravel the hidden weirdness of the world, "Stay Wyrd" and tune in! www.wyrdwessex.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Craig Brooks
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    195
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Wyrd Wessex
  • Show Website
    Wyrd Wessex

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