Several years ago a strange and wierd thing happened to myself and Karl a very good frind of mine and at the time we agreed not to talk about the incident ever for fear that no one would believe what we actually saw on that day,however I think it is about time that the story was told.
I have never believed in the suprnatural or ghosts and such like but strange things happened on this day to make me think again about such things.
On the day of the incident I was using my old series 1 land rover I had recently bought and I was researching it's history and part of the research was to write to former owners for info and any old photo's of the land rover.
The day started bright and warm as you would expect in the middle of July during a prolonged dry spell and as we set off on our first lane over Houndkirk moor from The Fox House we had no idea what lay in store for us.
After finishing Houndkirk Moor we decided to travel over Stanage Edge and stop at the pole for our breakfast cooked up on a camp stove with a fresh brewed cuppa and it was whilst having breakfast that we both said at the same time lets do Monsal Moor.We finished our brief repast and headed straight down to Monsal to make the most of such a nice day.
How The Station Used To Be
The drive through the country lanes to Monsal was very pleasant but about a mile away from our destination I got a very wierd feeling that someone or something was travelling with me in the land rover and later found out that Karl had the same spooky feeling in his land rover at the same time.
Although still sunny as we approached Monsal Moor a sudden chill in the land rover made it feel like winter and as we crossed the river Wye to start the lane a mist was rising from the water and seemed to be rolling up the hillside towards the old railway platform that used to be Monsal railway station,disused and abandoned since the 1960's when Lord Beeching closed a lot of branch lines and village stations and although the railway through Monsal was a main line to Manchester it did not escape the cost cutting measures of Dr Beeching.All that is left is the platform itself and the route of the railway tracks,long since gone,is now used as a woodland walk for ramblers.
We started to drive up the steep hill approaching the moor and the mist seemed to get thicker and the temperature dropped a few more degrees.As we passed under the old railway bridge next to the station both land rovers started spluttering and within a few yards they stopped completely.
Karl's 90 Crossing Stanage Edge
We got out of the land rovers to investigate the problem and as we were trying to sort things out a voice came from up on the bridge asking us when the last train leaves Monsal for Manchester.As we looked up we could just make out the shadowy figure of a man in the mist looking over the bridge and his clothes and hat seemed to be from the 1950's.Before we could answer the man slipped silently away into the mist.
As the man disappeared we heard other voices coming from the old station and with both land rovers unable to start for no apparent reason we decided to go to the old station to see what was happening.
As we climbed the narrow path from the lane up to the old railway line and slowly picked our way through the thickening fog,as it was now becoming,towards the old station the voices became louder and clearer and we could hear people talking about what a good day they had had but what a pity about how the weather had changed so quickly for the worse.
The fog was getting thicker by the second and as we reached the old platform we could hear people talking all around us but no matter where we looked we could see no one except the man who was on the bridge and every time we approached him he disappeared into the fog as before.
The Old Railway Bridge Next To Monsal Dale Station
By now the fog had turned into a real pea souper and although it was still only mid afternoon the daylight faded as though the night was drawing in.The voices faded to a distant murmur and gradually grew more and more faint until we could hear them no more.
In the far distance we could hear the long lost sound of a steam train coming nearer and nearer and getting louder and louder and faster and faster until it sounded like it was about to come thundering through the mortal remains of Monsal Dale station.
At this very moment the man who had been on the bridge appeared as if from nowhere and walked off the platform and on to the track as the ghostly apparition of the old steam train in full flight came bursting through the fog and carried away the unfortunate soul before our very eyes screaming as I have never heard before and then all was as quiet as the grave.
The fog cleared almost immediately and we could see ramblers in the distance walking towards the old platform as if nothing had happened and in total disbelief Karl and myself walked back to the land rovers vowing not to tell another soul about our experience as we could barely believe it ourselves.
The land rovers started straight away when we returned and we spent the rest of the day in total bewilderment.
All That Remains Of Monsal Dale Train Station
When I eventually returned home that day I opened the days mail to find a reply about my old series 1 it was from a Mrs Sinclaire of Manchester saying that the land rover once belonged to her husband George from 1955 up to 1958 when he was killed by a train at Monsal Dale train station during very bad weather,enclosed with the letter was a photograph of the land rover with George Sinclaire stood next to it,it was the same man who had been on the bridge that very day.
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