From Exorcist’s House to Devil’s Alley: Ghost tour takes guests on spooky journey though town

From sailors and smugglers to witchcraft and the devil – how many spooky stories about Lynn do you know?Well, you might be surprised to hear that there are dozens of terrifying tales about our town – and you can find out lots more about them on The Original King’s Lynn Ghost Tour run by Nicky Proctor.Nicky, who started the tour back in July 2021, has taken thousands of people on a 1.8-mile walk around Lynn over the three years, starting at the Saturday Market Place and concluding at the Tuesday Market Place.

With Halloween just around the corner, I joined one of the weekly Thursday night events earlier in the month – and heard multiple mysterious myths and legends, some of which I’d heard before but most of which were new to me.Judging by the group’s reactions, the same could be said for them too.The ghost tour, which is hosted by Nicky and her assistant ‘Mad Alice’ (Nicky’s friend Janice Brooks) in full costume and exuding a good dollop of drama, features 26 stops – including the Minster, Devil’s Alley and The Exorcist’s House.

Nicky and Alice usually take a maximum of 24 people per event – with all regular Thursday outings now sold out this month. So what made Nicky decide to start the ghost tour?“I came up with the idea in lockdown basically – it’s three years old now,” she said. Nicky, who has worked as a nail technician for 18 years, was unable to work during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

As someone who has “always been into ghosts and the paranormal” – and who had enjoyed ghost tours in cities such as York – she remembers saying to her husband: “Why doesn’t King’s Lynn have a regular ghost tour?”She says his reply that “it’ll never work in King’s Lynn” spurred her on to prove him wrong.Since its launch in 2021, almost 3,000 people have accompanied Nicky and Alice on the 90-minute tour, which hears not just ghost stories but also interesting historical facts about Lynn.

“There’s still a lot of people who have never heard of the tour – that’s good as that means there’s more people to come,” Nicky said. “Sometimes I think everyone in King’s Lynn has done it, but of course they haven’t.”While the route hasn’t altered in three years, some new content has been added.

“It has changed since I started but the structure is still the same, it’s the same route,” Nicky said.How does Nicky source the tales she tells?“Some stories I just knew about, I’ve got various books, I’ve also found stories online, and then word of mouth as well.

“For example, one story about St Margaret’s Priory was told to me by the lady who lives there. “Another about Marriott’s Warehouse was told to me by the girls who worked there.“Some of it I have sourced by myself – it’s totally unique.”

On the night I attended, some of the members of the crowd were happy to share their own spooky experiences with the group.And Nicky has her own tales to tell too.“With one of the stories about The Exorcist’s House, it was a first-hand experience. “Everybody knows the witch’s heart or a variation of it. I love The Exorcist’s House, it’s my favourite bit.”

Nicky added: “There are some nice surprises.“Every week, people say ‘I have lived here all my life and didn’t know about this’. There’s something new for everyone.”Who is the ghost tour suitable for?People of different abilities and a huge range of ages have enjoyed the ghostly experience over the years – including wheelchair users.

“It’s good because some people can’t walk that far, we have so many people of different abilities. “We walk a bit and stop. On some tours, there are only a few stops and you’re standing there for 10 or 15 minutes – if it’s of no interest then that’s not great.“In this tour, you get little snippets of information on each stop.”

As for ages, Nicky tends to say it’s for those aged 12 and over as some content may not be appropriate for a younger audience – but does leave it up to parents’ discretion.“I usually say children from 12 plus are welcome but it depends on the child and what the family is happy with.“You can have an older or younger 12-year-old – it’s a recommended 12 plus, it’s a guide.”

“For example, we do walk through a graveyard – some children might like it, others might not.” It’s not just for those seeking out the paranormal either – people who enjoy finding out more about the past will hear interesting facts too.“People come on the tour and say ‘I’m not a ghosty person’ but we include history as well,” Nicky said.What does Nicky enjoy the most about the tour?“I like it when people are quite shocked about what King’s Lynn has to offer,” she said.

“Some people are too quick to run King’s Lynn down. If you actually go out to look, it’s quite amazing really.” Nicky, who also runs the Into The Shadows Paranormal Investigations King’s Lynn group, added: “I have to say that the enjoyment that people get from it is one of my favourite parts of it – and the interaction you get within the groups as well.“It’s a bit of a shock really. It’s something I have always been interested in, that’s why I’m so enthusiastic.“It’s amazing how many people go to the tour and then come on a paranormal investigation.”Some people even bring their own paranormal equipment with them on the tour, including K2 meters which seek out changes in electromagnetic energy.“We have had some activity at the Medieval Merchant’s House [on King Street], we have had that before.” Interaction within the group is also encouraged.

“It’s nice when people talk. Some people ask history questions and it’s nice when we get different groups and they interact as well.“It’s like taking one group instead of five different ones.”What else should people know before they book on to a tour?The Original King’s Lynn Ghost Tour is held on Thursday nights all year round – although Nicky does have the odd week off.“Sometimes we only have 10 people – but unless the weather is awful, I won’t cancel it,” she said.Nicky also offers private tours of 10 or more people on other evenings.Recently, she has been teaming up with independent businesses for special events.Tonight, she is joining forces with Liquor and Loaded for a sold-out ticket-only event, which will see guests dine at the Tower Street restaurant before completing the tour.They will then finish at Liquor and Loaded’s new sister business on the Saturday Market Place, The Experiment dessert shop, to round off the evening.And she’ll also be hosting a tour as part of the Fear in the Fens Festival on Sunday.Nicky said she hopes to do more special events in the future – with the Liquor and Loaded one selling out in just an hour.And she said the tour has only had positive feedback in its three years.“The reviews have been unbelievable – I have never had a negative comment.”Some previous guests have even been known to return to experience the walk more than once in a different setting.“You do see different things in summer and winter. A lot of people do come in the summer and come back in the winter as well.“We’ve had one lady who’s been back three times!”The tour – which costs £10 per person – can be booked by messaging The Original King’s Lynn Ghost Tour on Facebook or by calling Nicky on 07796 411563.

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