It is no secret that my new novel – The Stones of Landane – is inspired by the prehistoric landscape of Avebury in Wiltshire, with its impressive stone circles dating back thousands of years. Legends abound in the small village and the place is so full of ghosts, they almost crowd out the many thousands of tourists who arrive curious and leave shaking their heads in wonder.
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Avebury has been a place of habitation for millennia so it is no surprise that one of the most haunted locations is the village pub - The Red Lion - which used to be residential but, sadly, is no more. These days it is very much a place to meet, drink and eat in its cosy surroundings and has become much busier than I remember from my first acquaintance some forty or more years ago. There are always gains and losses when a traditional pub undergoes radical renovation in order to accommodate the changing preferences of its target market and I do wonder what its plethora of ghosts make of it all. It would appear that, by and large, they have emerged unscathed and unruffled and continue to go about their daily business.
So who are they,
this merry (or not so merry) band of haunters?
Then there’s Florrie. Oh, she’s a tragic lady. Back in the days of the English Civil War, her husband returned home unexpectedly from the fighting to discover her in the arms of another man. Angered beyond reason, he killed her lover, slit Florrie’s throat and dragged her body off to the well. This well, by the way is still there, now illuminated, covered by glass and serving as a fascinating drinks table in the restaurant.
In one of the
bedrooms, two ghost children cower in the corner while a woman sits writing at
a table busy with her task and appearing unconcerned by their distress. Maybe
they are hauntings existing on two distinct plains and are unaware of each
other. Certainly their origins are unclear.
Want to visit? Here’s the Website
Meanwhile…
As in her stone she reigns supreme…’
When Jonathan agrees to accompany his girlfriend,
Nadia, on a trip to Landane, he imagines a short relaxing break in the
countryside. But he quickly discovers
that Nadia isn’t just drawn to the ancient Neolithic stone circle, she is
obsessed by the megaliths. One in particular. Within hours, her personality begins
to change and it isn’t long before Jonathan starts to fear for her sanity.
Reaching far back into the past and up to the present
day, those same stones have demonstrated powers beyond reason and, as
Jonathan’s girlfriend becomes increasingly distant from reality, some of the
ghosts of the past begin to reappear. Now it isn’t only Nadia who is in danger.
What is the secret of the prehistoric standing stones
of Landane? What lies within them? And why does an ancient piece of folklore
ring so true?
Images:
Flame Tree Press
Shutterstock
