Best Vampire Historian Podcasts (2025)

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Bonus Episode 23 - The Edinburgh Dungeon (Lost Audio Special) 3:07:59

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4d ago3:07:59

3:07:59

Originally released for Patreon supporters in July 2024 I hope you enjoy this very special episode. In the 23rd Patreon bonus podcast we're doing something a little bit special. In April I found a hard drive containing audio from four investigations that I conducted in 2011 and 2012. Dozens of hours of audio that I lost around a decade ago, and I t…

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Ep 116 - Haunted Dolls with Fiona Dodwell 45:15

11d ago45:15

45:15

In episode 116 we’re revisiting what some might consider the scariest aspect of the paranormal – haunted dolls. Those, supposedly innocent, inanimate, companions of young children the world over, which may well be, in some cases, vessels for the dead. I am joined by Fiona Dodwell to discuss her new book - A Cursed Collection of Haunted Dolls: From …

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A Spooky Season Announcement 4:59

13d ago4:59

4:59

October is coming and this is going to be the biggest, scariest, most content-filled episode of the podcast to date. Listeners will get EIGHT episodes - Five Monster Month specials, two spooky conversations, and a three-hour-long ghost hunt. Patreon supporters will get two extra bonus episodes too. If you want to make sure you don't miss out on thi…

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September Patreon Teaser - Royalty Theatre Part 2 9:00

18d ago9:00

9:00

In the 37th Patreon bonus podcast you rejoin me and fellow Newcastle-based folklore podcaster Icy Sedgwick at a building in Sunderland which dates back to the 1800s and was formerly a hospital during World War 1 providing care and treatment for the wounded and today is a theatre. But what would Icy and I experience, alongside our team of Ghost Nort…

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How I Got These Scars 33:32

19d ago33:32

33:32

As a young student, Thelyphron took on what sounded like an easy job to make some money, but it turned out to be a lot more dangerous than he thought… Adapted from the comedic story of Thelyphron in Apuleius’ novel Metamorphoses (also known as The Golden Ass), this re-telling gives the story a slightly darker tone, leaning into the horror just a li…

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Ep 115 - Rufford Old Hall 1:08:10

25d ago1:08:10

1:08:10

In episode 115 we find ourselves in Lancashire at a building dating back to the early 16th century that was a location that a listener requested that I cover, and what a location it is. Considered by some to be one of the most haunted places in the county, and some would even consider it amongst the most active places in all of Britain. But is this…

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The Cottingley Fairies 24:01

26d ago24:01

24:01

A return to the Fortean and the supernatural, and to the eminently gullible world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as Bunkum & Ballyhoo explores the story of fairies photographed in a Yorkshire garden, and how one of England's most famous authors made them a media sensation. Selected Bibliography & Sources The Coming Of The Fairies by Arthur Conan Doyle …

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Bonus Episode 22 - Middlethorpe Hall Hotel (Lost Audio Special) 2:01:09

1M ago2:01:09

2:01:09

Originally released for Patreons in June 2024 I hope you enjoy this very special episode. In the 22st Patreon bonus podcast we're doing something a little bit special. In April I found a hard drive containing audio from four investigations that I conducted in 2011 and 2012. Dozens of hours of audio that I lost around a decade ago, and I thought was…

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Ep 114 - Eerie Edinburgh Part 3: Edinburgh Castle's Ghosts 45:02

1M ago45:02

45:02

Episode 114 brings our trilogy of episodes from Edinburgh to a close. Last episode I told you all about the long, bloody, history of Edinburgh Castle, and this time out I am joined by Wayne from the Eerie Edinburgh podcast to discuss the spirits that are believed by some to be found here. So join Wayne and I and let us ask, just how haunted is Edin…

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August Patreon Teaser - Royalty Theatre Part 1 12:00

2M ago12:00

12:00

In the 36th Patreon bonus podcast you join me and a fellow Geordie podcaster on location at a theatre in Sunderland which, beneath the curtain calls and festival accolades, hides a tangled past of war, transformation, and in more recent times chilling paranormal encounters. But what would Icy Sedgwick and I experience on this summer’s night when th…

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Ep 113 - Eerie Edinburgh Part 2: Edinburgh Castle's History 32:32

2M ago32:32

32:32

Episode 113 sees us continue our time in Edinburgh and we go deep into the history of a structure that has seen it all. Built on volcanic rock, it’s been a royal residence, a military garrison, and a prison. It has held both noble prisoners and common criminals. It’s been a site of public hangings, military sieges, and brutal interrogations. From m…

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Ep 112 - Eerie Edinburgh Part 1: Blacket Place and Parliament Square 1:05:07

2M ago1:05:07

1:05:07

Episode 112 sees us visit a wonderful city in Scotland, as historic as it is haunted. And I’ll not be alone, as I welcome Wayne from the Eerie Edinburgh podcast to join me and in this episode you’ll hear him tell us all about two of his favourite hauntings in the city. So join Wayne and I and let us ask, just how haunted is Edinburgh? Enormous than…

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The Psychic Mafia 24:23

2M ago24:23

24:23

Bunkum and Ballyhoo returns for its third series, as author and historian Patrick W. Reed looks at the phenomenon of True Believer Syndrome, through the story of the spiritualist medium M. Lamar Keene, his stranger than fiction true life story, and his fears of being stalked by who he called "The Psychic Mafia". Selected Bibliography The Psychic Ma…

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July Patreon Teaser - Scaffold Hill Hospital EXTENDED EDITION Part 2 12:02

2M ago12:02

12:02

In the 35th Patreon bonus podcast you join me for the second part of a paranormal investigation deep within a vast, dark, forest. Our focus is the site of a former isolation hospital that held those with infectious diseases such as scarlet fever and tuberculosis. We pick up our paranormal investigation as Tom, John and I enter a building that was o…

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Bonus Episode - In Conversation with the Three Raven Podcast 53:44

3M ago53:44

53:44

In this bonus episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with the lovely Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux about their fantastic Three Ravens Podcast, and their brand new book, Three Ravens Folk Tales. We covered all sorts of topics, as you'll hear, including how you could win your very own signed copy of this glorious new 320-page hardback. Quite simply…

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Ep 111 - Bodmin Jail Part 2: Witness Accounts 57:07

3M ago57:07

57:07

In episode 111 we continue our time in this former jail in the south west of England, in part-one you heard the detailed history of this site as well as the stories of those phantoms who are said to still be here, forever stalking these corridors and cells, long after their sentences would have ended. This time I will talk with two ladies who have …

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Robin Hood's Death 37:20

3M ago37:20

37:20

A middle-aged Robin Hood is convinced a blood-letting will be the perfect cure for a chronic illness, but a mysterious old woman he meets in the woods suggests he may be about to lose too much blood… This story is based on the ballad Robin Hood’s Death and other Robin Hood ballads, and is followed by a discussion of medieval monks and blood-letting…

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Ep 110 - Bodmin Jail Part 1: History and Hauntings 41:08

3M ago41:08

41:08

In episode 110 we head to Cornwall, and turn our attention to an infamous building, which is by far the location I’ve had the most requests to cover on the podcast. As a result this will be the first of a two-part special. In this episode I will tell you all about this former prison on the edge of Bodmin Moor, why it was built, the terrible conditi…

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June Patreon Teaser - Scaffold Hill Hospital EXTENDED EDITION Part 1 12:49

3M ago12:49

12:49

In the 34th Patreon bonus podcast you join me at the site of a former infectious diseases hospital, which is today the countryside centre for the vast country park in which it is located. But what would happen when John, Tom and I joined Spiritus Paranormal for a night which none of us would forget in a hurry. Tonight, let us together ask the quest…

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Bonus Episode 21 - Grays Court 1:46:55

3M ago1:46:55

1:46:55

Originally released for Patreon supporters in May 2024 I hope you enjoy this very special episode. In the 21st Patreon bonus podcast you join me once again in the incredible city of York, and this time we spend a night at the original Treasurer’s House. A building dating back to 1080, built on the site of a roman fort. But what would happen when my…

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Ep 109 - Scaffold Hill Hospital BIG SUMMER GHOST HUNT 1:45:44

4M ago1:45:44

1:45:44

In episode 109 we are doing something a bit different as I'm taking you along on a big summer ghost hunt. You join me at the site of a former infectious diseases hospital, which is today the countryside centre for the vast country park in which it is located. My small team and I will be part of an organised paranormal investigation and you'll hear …

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Ep 108 - Bramshill House 33:36

4M ago33:36

33:36

In episode 108 we head to a mansion in Hampshire built in the early 17th century. I will tell you all about this building which was the home of aristocracy, and kings and queens for almost 400 years, but now stands silent, empty and abandoned whilst currently up to sale. This grand house is infamous as it is believed to be haunted by at least 14 se…

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May Patreon Teaser - Berwick-upon-Tweed After Dark 9:20

4M ago9:20

9:20

In the 33rd Patreon bonus podcast I’m back in the Scottish borders, spending some time in the most northerly English town. This is a place that I have a huge fondness for, so much so, that this is a place I took you on a ghost walk last Halloween. You join me spending time here on a bit of a break, but despite this supposedly being a bit of rest an…

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Ep 107 - Glasgow Necropolis 39:26

5M ago39:26

39:26

In episode 107 I head north of the border to a stunning cemetery in Scotland’s largest city. This city of the dead overlooks the city of the living, and its most prominent monument celebrates it’s 200th birthday this year, predating the first burial here. With 50,000 of the city’s dead buried here, it comes as no surprise that this place has long b…

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Bonus Episode 20 - Preston Tower 43:31

5M ago43:31

43:31

Originally released for Patreon supporters in April 2024 I hope you enjoy this very special episode. In the 20th Patreon bonus podcast you join me on location at a 14th century pele tower in Northumberland, constructed during uncertain times when England was at war with Scotland, and being so close to the border required this tower to be fortified.…

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Ep 106 - The Ghosts of Salem Part 3 1:10:39

5M ago1:10:39

1:10:39

In episode 106 we bring our time in an incredible, yet horrifying city in Massachusetts to a close. The impact of the 1692 witch trials is evident at every turn for anyone fortunate enough to visit, especially around Halloween, as one listener took the time to tell me about, as you’ll hear. This might be the final part of a trilogy of episodes, but…

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April Patreon Teaser - Middlesbrough Town Hall 12:12

5M ago12:12

12:12

In the 32nd Patreon bonus podcast you join me in Teesside at a location which has served the town of Middlesbrough since 1889. An impressive building which has rose to infamy in recent years for its ghostly inhabitants, most famously that of a man who committed suicide while being held prisoner here. But what would happen when John, Tom and I dared…

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Ep 105 - The Ghosts of Salem Part 2 1:07:46

6M ago1:07:46

1:07:46

In episode 105 we continue our time across the pond in a city known the world over for the witch trials that occurred here in 1692. Fourteen women and five men were hanged, at least five people died while in disease infested prison while awaiting trial for witchcraft, and an 81 year old man was crushed to death. All of them were completely innocent…

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Orpheus and Eurydice 33:37

6M ago33:37

33:37

When a little boy isn’t listening to his grown-ups, Nanny decides to tell him a story about what happens if you don’t listen and remember instructions that have been given to you… Inspired by Virgil, Georgics, 4.453-527 and Ovid, Metamorphoses, 10.1-85, this is a re-telling of the classic Greek myth, followed by a discussion of ancient Greek weddin…

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Bonus Episode 19 - The Lit & Phil 1:15:42

6M ago1:15:42

1:15:42

Originally released for Patreons in March 2024 I hope you enjoy this very special episode. In the 19th Patreon bonus podcast you join me as I investigate a building dating from 1825, which is today the largest independent library outside of London. This was the first public building lit by an electric lightbulb and in 1830 a mummy from Egypt was un…

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The Afterlife Of The Highgate Vampire - The Secret Ingredient Is Nazis! (The Highgate Vampire, Part 2) 33:21

6M ago33:21

33:21

Part two of a double-header on the story of The Highgate Vampire takes a closer look at the principle players - David Farrant, and Reverend Sean Manchester - to explore the background of two extraordinary characters, the unsavoury and unsettling beliefs that so often lurk behind the irrational and the conspiratorial world-view, and asks why Bunkum …

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Ep 104 - The Ghosts of Salem Part 1 1:10:24

6M ago1:10:24

1:10:24

In episode 104 we begin a very, very special trilogy of episodes in which we’ll head to the USA, to somewhere synonymous with all things creepy, ghostly, and witchy. This place was the scene of unease, irrational panic, and mass hysteria in the late 17th century, and what followed has left a stain on this town In this episode I will speak to an exp…

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Does A Vampyre Walk In Highgate? (The Highgate Vampire, Part 1) 33:00

6M ago33:00

33:00

Series two of Bunkum & Ballyhoo closes out with the extraordinary story of the Highgate Vampire - a supposed supernatural phenomenon that haunted one of London's great cemeteries in the 1970s, and the ongoing feud between the two duelling occultists and vampire hunters at its heart. Are we ever really that far from the irrational beliefs and moral …

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March Patreon Teaser - Weetslade Country Park 12:11

6M ago12:11

12:11

In the 31st Patreon bonus podcast you join me on location very, very close to where I grew up. I am at a beautiful country park, which was built upon the wasteland of a colliery which had been abandoned, entirely, 26 years earlier. What would happen when I visited this site after dark, all alone. A site you won’t find in any books, YouTube videos, …

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Ep 103 - The Odstock Curse 46:18

6M ago46:18

46:18

In episode 103 we welcome Emma from the Weird Wiltshire blog to the podcast to tell us all about a curse dating back over 200 years, which would see anyone who should lock the door of a church drop down dead. So join Emma and I, and let us together find out all about the Odstock Curse. Thanks so much to Emma for joining me once again, be sure to ch…

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Grey Owl Is Not What He Seems 13:04

7M ago13:04

13:04

Bunkum & Ballyhoo explores the life and complicated legacy of the voice of the Canadian wilderness, an early vocal spokesman for conservation, environmentalism, and native rights; Grey Owl, and the thorny issue of cultural appropriation. NOTE:This episode contains historical quotations which some listeners may find offensive. Selected Sources: The …

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Bonus Episode 18 - Dean Court Hotel 1:30:05

7M ago1:30:05

1:30:05

Originally released for Patreons in February 2024 I hope you enjoy this very special episode. In the 18th Patreon bonus podcast we return once more to York, and in particular to a hotel in the shadow of York Minster which was originally built between 1864 and 1865 as three separate dwellings for the Dean of York Minster, to house the Clergy. But wh…

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Ep 102 - Cairndhu House 35:15

7M ago35:15

35:15

In episode 102 we go to Northern Ireland and visit a once great house just a short 30 minute drive from Belfast. Built in the mid 1870s as a summer retreat, this mansion has been a home, a hospital, it aided the war effort during World War 2, and now it is sadly a ruined, vandalised, shadow of its former grandeur, facing an uncertain future. And it…

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The Life & Times Of The Great Antonio 14:42

7M ago14:42

14:42

Bunkum & Ballyhoo host Patrick W. Reed returns to the familiar territory of professional wrestling history to uncover the true story behind one of wrestling's most infamous matches, and to shed light on the story of the wrestler, strongman, and legendary Montreal eccentric, The Great Antonio, and asks what we might find when we look behind a meme o…

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February Patreon Teaser - Seven Nights in a 15th Century Castle Part 2 14:09

7M ago14:09

14:09

In the 30th Patreon bonus podcast we continue our adventure in North Yorkshire, back in the late summer of 2024, when I lived in a haunted castle for seven days and nights. Last time out we had a sample of what this 15th century castle had to offer, but in the final four nights of my time here, things are about to get far more scary. Tonight, let u…

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Timarchus in the Underworld 44:45

7M ago44:45

44:45

Timarchus gets more than he bargained for when he consults a mysterious oracle and finds himself in the afterlife. Inspired by Plutarch, On the Daimonion of Socrates, and followed by a discussion of ancient near death experiences and mystery cults. Buy Creepy Classics: Ghost Stories from Ancient Rome (UK): https://amzn.eu/d/b6Y4JzR Buy Creepy Class…

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Ep 101 - Bellver Castle 36:36

7M ago36:36

36:36

In episode 101 we head overseas to the beautiful Balearic island of Mallorca. And just 3km from Palma, the capital of Mallorca, we find a castle as well preserved as it is haunted. Let us escape the British winter and head to sunny Spain, and let’s ask together how haunted is Bellver Castle? Support How Haunted? by subscribing and leaving a review.…

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Carlos Kaiser, Brazil's Phantom Footballer 12:38

8M ago12:38

12:38

Bunkum & Ballyhoo explores the highs and lows of the footballing career of Brazilian soccer superstar Carlos Kaiser - 13 years, 10 teams, and zero goals. In fact, he never even made it on to the pitch. Selected Sources: Kaiser: The Greatest Footballer Never To Play Footballby Rob Smyth Kaiser: The Greatest Footballer Never To Play Football, directe…

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Bonus Episode 17 - 48 Hours Alone With a Haunted Doll 2:07:38

8M ago2:07:38

2:07:38

Originally released for Patreons in January 2024 I hope you enjoy this very special episode. In the 17th Patreon bonus podcast I do something a little different. Following on from episode 69 and 70, in which we looked at some of the most haunted dolls in the world, I buy a haunted doll of my very own and spend some time after dark all alone with no…

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Ep 100 - The Haunted Coastline of North Tyneside 1:13:21

8M ago1:13:21

1:13:21

In episode 100 you join me on location here in the north east as I give you a tour along a beautiful stretch of coast visited by around 6 million people each year, but what almost all of those visitors won’t know is just how many supposedly haunted spots there are here just waiting to be explored. Wrapped up against the British winter I will brave …

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PURO #14: (1963, Part 1) Gorillas, Haystacks, & Killers... OH MY! 1:49:43

8M ago1:49:43

1:49:43

The Puro Wrestling Academy returns for the Season Finale episode, as Professor Dan Ginnetty covers the first 8 months of 1963 in Japan. Giant Baba returns from his 2 -Year North American excursion, the 5th Annual World League is upon us, Rikidozan married for a 4th time, even in losing Antonio Inoki continues to generate much-needed experience, "Ma…

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Frank Searle, Monster Hunter Extraordinaire 15:04

8M ago15:04

15:04

Bunkum & Ballyhoo takes its first cautious steps into the murky waters of Cryptozoology as it visits the shores of Loch Ness, and the caravan of its most notorious monster hunter Frank Searle to learn whether the camera truly never lies. Selected Sources Loch Ness: They Created A Monster, directed by John MacLaverty Loch Ness Investigation - What R…

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Ep 99 - The Ghost Trail of Teesside 48:05

8M ago48:05

48:05

In episode 99 we spend some more time in the north east of England, and look at a region known for it’s industrial heritage, and perhaps not known quite so much for the plethora of phantoms that lurk within this region. So, let us ask together, just how haunted is Teesside? Support How Haunted? by subscribing and leaving a review. Find out more abo…

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The Deadliest Man Alive & The Secret Of The Dim Mak 16:06

8M ago16:06

16:06

Bunkum & Ballyhoo returns for Series 2 and Episode 1 takes a look at a legend of comic book ad pages - this is the story of the wild claims and even wilder life of the self-proclaimed Deadliest Man Alive, the Master Of The Dim Mak and the Dance Of Death, Count Dante, and his Black Dragon Fighting Society. Selected Sources: The Deadliest Man Alive: …

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January Patreon Teaser - Seven Nights in a 15th Century Castle Part 1 12:53

9M ago12:53

12:53

In the 29th Patreon bonus podcast you join me for the first of a two part special. Let us investigate a castle which dates from some point between 1425 and 1430. With almost 600 years of history, this was once the home of royalty, but for a week at the end of the summer of 2024 is was home to me. Let’s find out what happened on my first three night…