History Features

They were only visiting to pass away a damp weekend afternoon, but as the middle aged couple emerged from Bisley church in late 2003 they were faced with a disconcerting sight.

Emerging from the low branches of a tree directly ahead of them was an ''oversized dog with ragged black coat and dark, burnt red eyes."

Agitated by the couple, the dog took an aggressive stance and began to bark; but an already worrying situation turned to terror once the visitors realised the barks were silent.

Retreating back inside the church the couple were relieved the dog had chosen to not only keep its distance but disappear. It was then the questioning began...how could the animal have disappeared so quickly? And why were the barks silent?

While some may argue that the couple had merely encountered an exceptionally swift territorial dog, others will suggest this was an encounter with a 'black dog' - a ghostly apparition long associated with the churchyards and byways of England.

Undoubtedly the most famous of these terrifying creatures is Black Shuck, said to roam a wide geographical area in the the south east of the country. It is supposed that Shuck has the ability to change his physical form, yet Gloucestershire's black dogs are always individually consistent in appearance and seem tied to specific locations.

Carters passing through Woefuldane Bottom, near Minchinhampton, are said to have blinkered or blindfolded their horses to avoid coming into contact with a canine apparition that supposedly guards the spot.

Headless

Just a few hundred yards away at the Hampton Fields entrance to the Gatcombe estate, a headless dog has been sighted. Speaking to the Daily Express in 1976, local Joe Hattersall stated: "I've seen it four times. It moves fast and silently, then brushes up against you, and one doesn't hang about when it happens." Another local witness was Fred Webb, who claimed to have seen the headless dog whilst driving.

If the prospect of encountering a black dog is not terrifying enough in itself, the old adage that 'a ghost never hurt anyone' may not be strictly true - especially to those who do not believe in coincidence.

A ghostly dog (possibly the favourite hunting companion of Prince Rupert) is said to appear in the remains of the banqueting hall at Sudeley Castle shortly before some major misfortune befalls the owner of the property.

Sightings of a similar creature near Woodchester foretold the deaths of monks at the now demolished Dominican priory at Inchbrook.

Inside Woodchester Mansion itself, two separate sightings of a black dog in February 2004 and September 2005 were reported, apparently coinciding with the deaths of individuals linked closely to the estate.

Fortunately not all of the county's spectral dogs are malevolent. A number of travellers on Birdlip Hill, prior to the construction of the A417, became aware of a dog briefly padding along beside them, disappearing as suddenly as it arrived. A similar tale relates to the Horsley Road near Nailsworth.

Unfortunately, for as many black dog sightings that are well documented there are numerous others for which only the smallest details are available, or which have only hearsay as their foundation.

As such it is difficult to make much sense of these anecdotes; for example, do all of these creatures genuinely have anything in common?

Many of the stories are linked to specific stretches of road; one suggestion is that the likes of the Woefuldane Bottom apparition were convenient excuses invented by the guilty parties in wayfaring accidents.

Others may have also been "old wives' tales" invented to deter children, potential criminals and other unwelcome visitors from specific locations.

Of course there is also the possibility that witnesses had mistaken a real dog for something much more unusual, and, in recent years, a significant body of evidence has grown to suggest that certain magnetic frequencies can cause the human brain to hallucinate.

On the other side of the debate there is the obvious suggestion that these apparitions are real, whether as spirits or some kind of recording that is played back under certain conditions.

As for those black dogs that foretell an untimely demise, some folklorists have noted that dogs have been portrayed in some ancient cultures as guardians of the dead; this could perhaps also fit in with the Bisley case.

Whatever the truth of the black dog enigma, their relevance in folklore is unquestionable, as these stories continue to inspire songs, literature and artwork.

Have you encountered a demonic crimson-eyed dog on a rural Gloucestershire lane? Share your tale with us using the form below.

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