Stocksbridge Bypass ghostly ‘Ring o’ Roses children’ first up close sighting

 © Copyright Steve F and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Up Close 

A recent sighting of the ghostly ‘Ring o’ Roses’ children saw them stand in front of a van that had pulled in, and wave at a confused van driver.

“I was on Stocksbridge Bypass around 3am, and was on my way home from work. The gas bottles in the back of the van had come loose, so I had to stop to secure them.  As I pulled over I saw two little boys in front of my van. They were about 8 years old, and I wondered why on earth they were out so late. I thought they must be lost or something. The were  both wearing greyish shirts and one had a cap in his hand, and it was as though he was waving it at me. One lad looked quite happy, and the other didn’t look unhappy but he wasn’t smiling like the other one. I couldn’t see below their waists because I was in a transit van and the dashboard stopped any more of a view. Then when I got out to look they had gone. I was a total none believer until I saw this. I have only ever told family, but its true. I don’t do drugs and hadn’t had a drink. I was wide awake. The funniest thing about it was that I had used my gas bottles that night, and they had never come loose in 15 years . I know I would never forget to secure them. I used that road 1000s of times and never seen anything before or since but I would never stop again either. I know what I saw. I have tried to come up with an excuse or explanation, but I can’t. They were there and I saw them.“ says the van driver, who wishes to remain anonymous.

Haunted Road

‘The Haunted Road’ got its name from its infamous sightings of children who dance around the nearby electricity pylon, singing the nursery rhyme ‘Ring o’ Roses’. There are also said to be a ‘headless monk’ buried in an unmarked grave, who appears on the road and even inside peoples’ cars, causing numerous crashes and fatalities over the years.

Legend has it that the children were playing on the North side of the valley, and fell to their deaths down one of the numerous pit shafts that littered the area.

Paranormal Investigator Lee Mullin has investigated the Bypass on numerous occasions. “Whilst there we did not find any evidence that there was anything supernatural there, but we found there were strong electromagnetic fields being given off by the pylons. These fields can affect the people in various ways, from making them feel sick to hallucinations,” says Lee.

Natalie Wilson