Astonishing Legends

The Screaming Skulls

Sep 27, 2025
Explore the eerie tales of England's 'screaming skulls' that curse those who disturb them. From a haunting skull in Dorset that spells disaster to a railway project halted by Dickie's supernatural influence, these stories blur the line between folklore and reality. Uncover the tragic legend of a slave's skull at Bedescombe Manor, and delve into the mysterious origins of the names tied to these relics. With each skull, a unique narrative unfolds, revealing humanity's strange relationship with mortality and the past.
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ANECDOTE

Bettiscombe Skull Misidentified

  • The Bettiscombe (Penny) family brought home a skull allegedly belonging to a slave and then experienced violent hauntings until the skull was kept in the house.
  • Later scientific testing found the skull was a prehistoric European female, not a West Indies man.
ADVICE

Handle Found Skulls Respectfully

  • Treat found human remains with respect and consult experts rather than turning them into curios.
  • The hosts note families often kept skulls as talismans, but scientific testing can and should clarify origins.
ANECDOTE

Dickie, The Tunstead Guardian

  • Dickie, the Tunstead Farm skull, sat on a windowsill and acted as a household guardian while fiercely resisting removal.
  • Attempts to move or bury Dickie reportedly caused disturbances until a 1970s owner secretly reburied it in the churchyard.
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