Bovey Tracey residents are invited to take a walk into the town’s shadowy past this Halloween week.

A new Ghost, History and Folklore Trail is offering a tour of buildings and locations associated with strange sightings and chilling encounters.

It’s been created by Eden Vesey of the Bovey Tracey Carnival committee, who spent weeks researching local ghost stories: traditional tales, family anecdotes and present-day accounts of paranormal phenomena. She was particularly keen to hear people’s real-life personal experiences, which they might never have revealed to anyone before.

She said: “From local legends and eerie tales to curious characters, strange happenings and chilling ghost stories, there are secrets waiting to be uncovered around every corner.

“As you explore, you’ll see Bovey Tracey from a whole new perspective and discover some of the stories that have lingered in the town’s history for generations.”

A few of the Ghost Trail’s stories may already be familiar to Bovey residents, such as the haunting of Cromwell’s Arch by a Cavalier who was executed there during the Civil War.

There’s also a very chilling tale associated with a gate near the mill. The story goes that in the 18th century a man named Elias Finch was convicted of smuggling brandy and lace across Dartmoor. As a cruel punishment he was chained to the iron gate for 10 days, eventually dying of exposure during a freezing cold night.

Eden said: “For decades afterwards, people would tell stories of walking home late at night, passing by the gate where Elias died, where they would be shocked by the sight of a man leaping out at them, screaming and shaking his chains.

“Sightings continued until the gate Elias had been chained to was removed, when his spirit seemed to be at rest. Except that some say that, on bitterly cold nights, you can still hear the clinking of chains echoing out of the fog.”

Other locations on the trail include the Jubilee Fountain, Longston Cross, The Front House pub, and the Bovey Paradiso which is linked to a fascinating story of witchcraft and folk magic.

There’s also a charming story about St Mary’s Well, which holds a little surprise for Ghost Trail explorers.

The trail is self-guided, so people can follow it at their own pace, taking a wander around Bovey Tracey’s hidden history with family and friends. From Friday, October 23, a map of the trail will be available to download from the Bovey Tracey Carnival website. https://boveytraceycarnival.org.uk/events.html

There will be a QR code to scan for each of the locations on the map, with a link to the story or legend associated with that site.

The Ghost Tour is part of a week of events organised by Bovey Tracey Carnival Committee during Halloween half term, Friday October 23 until Saturday 31. There’s also a Scary Scarecrow competition, with registration details to be posted on the Bovey Tracey Carnival Facebook page. A children’s fancy dress disco will be held at the Heathfield Community Centre on October 31; tickets are already sold out.