Jason Churchill, 38, and partner Susan Preece, 48, have traveled from the midlands to view the UK’s most haunted house in East Drive, Pontefract. (Lee McLean via SWNS)
By Talker
By Izzy Hawksworth via SWNS
The owner of Europe’s most haunted house says he is “too scared” to ever stay the night in the property – after seeing a ghost.
Bil Bungay, 60, owns 30 East Drive in Pontefract, West Yorks., which is thought to be home to a violent poltergeist.
He said: “I’ve never spent the night out in the house, it terrifies me.
“I think this thing is not just terrifying, but it’s also intelligent and playful – it sort of shows off. That intrigues me the most about whatever is in that house.
“When I go, I always make a point of saying hello and asking how it is and I always say “please don’t freak me out, I don’t know if my heart can take it.”
The strange happenings in the three-bedroom house started in 1966 when Jean and Joe Pritchard moved in with their two children Phillip, then 15, and Diane, then 12.
The family then experienced years of unexplainable events, such as lights being switched off, green foam appearing from tops and photographs being slashed.
Family members were even slapped and shoved down the stairs and plants were spotted jumping out of their pots and landing on the stairs.
After the Pritchard family moved out, it was uncovered that a Tudor monk was buried under the house and that’s who people believe haunt it.
‘Emma’ taken in the door of the upstairs bathroom with full spectrum camera. (Amanda McIntyre via SWNS)
After producing a horror movie based on the house, filmmaker Bil purchased the property for $155,000.
Bil lets horror film fanatics stay in the house for around £75 a night and people from all over the UK have visited.
Bil, of Isle of Dogs, East London, said: “People have to sign a waiver to go into the house, because I don’t want to be responsible for anything that happens to them.
“We are probably the only commercial property where the owners persuade you not to come – our advice is, don’t come to our house.
“That doesn’t stop people though.
“I once had four lads come to visit and the next day I got a call from Carol, who manages the property for me.
“She said she didn’t want me to ever let them back into the house, as they were a nightmare and were screaming and banging about all night.
“I rang one of the lads and he said it wasn’t what they was expecting and that it was a lot more scarier than what they thought.
“When they arrived, they had been scouting the house and noticed they was a blanket on top of the telly, so took it off and decided to watch my film in here.
“They then went upstairs and the blanket was back on the TV so they put a white polystyrene ball in the middle of the living room and a doll and a necklace on a shelf.
“They left and when they came back to the front room, the white ball had gone and they never found it again.
This candle was thrown onto a sofa. (Bil Bungay via SWNS)
By Talker
“The doll was now wearing the necklace as well – the ghost is so teasing and they spent the night witnessing these extraordinary things.”
Despite never going into the property at night, Bil says he’s witnessed several things in the daytime and he once had a domino thrown at him.
He said: “I’ve seen loads of things. You don’t have to be there at night. I know that’s a bit of a cliche, but things happen all the time at 30 East Drive.
“One one occasion, I was at the sink and I was alone in the house and I heard proper footsteps coming down the stairs.
“They then came down the corridor and I was thinking ‘who is in the house?’ and then I heard a tapping on the cupboard.
“I tried to dismiss that but then there was another occasion where I was at the sink again and got the urge to turn.
“An object materialized above the dining room table and it came shooting at my face, then went around my head and bounced off the window behind me.
“It landed near my feet and I realized it was a number nine domino – I spent the rest of the afternoon being bombarded by objects.”
Despite being too scared to actually sleep in the house overnight, Bil is unsure if he will ever sell the property.
He said: “Even though I own the house, I actually view it as a Pontefract and West Yorkshire heirloom. I may own it, I don’t really view it as mine.
“I did actually try to give it to the council when I first bought it, but they wasn’t interested.
“There are so many people visiting the house, it’s booked up for the next two years so it does bring a surprising amount of visitors to the area.”
Bil has written a book about the house called The Black Monk of Pontefract: The World’s Most Violent and Relentless Poltergeist which you can purchase online.