Shepherd Neame

Shepherd Neame - 20/01/07

Team 1  

Jo – Team Leader

Dante

Graham

Barbra

Lisa

Gail (Guest member)

Team 2

Mick – Team Leader

Lou

Kevin

Jay

Roger

Start time – 9pm.

Two separate teams were formed to cover the areas more quickly, so team 1 covered indoors first, with team 2 covering outside.

Team 1 head off to the board room to begin their investigations.

The temperature is 20.8 degrees although it is fluctuating and the humidity is 67%, again, fluctuating.

Jo explains to the team the necessesity of opening the investigation with a spiritual protection, and asks the team to each spend a few minutes privately asking their spirit guides to be with them for the duration of the investigation .

At this point Jo picks up on a stentorian male who strides in to the room declaring “This is mine, all mine” as he gestures around the room with his hands. This male is very proud, and there is a trace of arrogance about his manner.

He has a deep voice and would have had a deep throaty laugh.

He was dressed very smartly and held his left hand to his breast pocket as he walked, and had greying hair with a moustache.

Jo calls out to spirit asking them to let us know they are there by either knocks or raps, or showing themselves as orbs.

Barbra says she has a headache, which is sometimes a sign that spirit are too close, so Jo asks her to speak to her spirit guides and ask them to remove that condition.

Jo then picks up a lady by the name of Victoria, and it would appear she had something wrong with her that made her shake, as Jo feels like she has tremors. This lady would also have had something wrong with her chest as Jo feels a pain in her chest and like this would have affected the ladys breathing.

Slight taps and knocks are heard in the room at this point, but not confirmed.

At 9.40pm team 1 head off to an office on the first floor.

In this room there is a very oppressive atmosphere, and Jo, Barbra and Gail feel quite anxious.

Barbra says she feels this room is linked to an event of traumatic nature.

The temperature is recorded at 21.8 degrees.

As the team carry out base readings in this room, Gail sees a light anomaly move erratically across the ceiling.

She is most struck by this, as it wasn’t your typical orb light, it was partially round in shape but kept changing as it moved across the ceiling.

No cars were passing by outside, so it wasn’t a reflection from headlights, and there was no other explanation for it.

Graham tries to take a picture of the area Gail saw the light anomaly in, and each time he points his camera at the place where it was, his camera won’t take a picture.

Thinking there was a problem with his camera, Graham tried to take pictures of other objects in the room, and the camera worked fine, but again, the minute he pointed it back at the ceiling, it wouldn’t work!.

Barbra has a tightness in her chest as we call out for spirit activity, but this doesn’t affect her adversely.

The temeperature is 21.0 degrees.

The team have a tour of various offices, taking photographs and seeing if we can pick up any paranormal activity.

As we approach the locked off room team 2 have left their camcorder running in, there are several small offices which we decide to check out.

The atmosphere in all of these offices is again very oppressive, and it’s like walking in to a wall of energy.

In one room in particular which features an old fireplace, Dante feels blasts of heat around his face, and although we checked for heaters or something to that effect, we found nothing.

As the team stand by a staircase, we hear a door either clicking shut or being opened.

We checked this out to see if we’d bumped in to the security guard on duty that night, but we couldn’t see him anywhere, so we stood by the stairs again listening, and sure enough, a door keeps clicking open or shut.

The temperature at this time is 20.7 degrees.

The team head downstairs to the meeting room where there is a lovely warm atmosphere, so after a brief examination of this room, we rejoin team 2 in the reception area and have our first break of the evening.

At 11.12pm team 1 head outdoors to the malt kiln.

The temperature is 24.1 degrees and the humidity is 61%.

This little room carries such a heady atmosphere, it was like walking back in time, but our team detected no spirit activity other than residual energies.

Team 1 enter the steam room where the temperature is 24.4 degrees.

Several members of the team smell a farmyard smell here, and we head upstairs.

Jo hears a clanking of spanners, but this could be working machinery.

Barb and Jo hear footsteps and quite a loud banging noise.

We then decided to check out the sample room, but after a few moments in here Gail feels so dizzy and light headed that she has to leave the room.

As we didn’t want to abandon a guest team member, we left this room to make sure Gail was ok, and then moved on to the lager room.

The time is now 11.45pm and the temperature in the lager room is 19.6 degrees.

As we walk around this large area, spirit activity is sensed by Jo, Barbra and Dante.

Jo sees a solid shadow like figure walking around and feels this is a male, but it kept disappearing out of her line of vision, so keen to see what it was the team moved forwards, only for Jo to see the figure appear at a higher level, and each time Jo caught sight of him it was almost as if he didn’t want to be seen, as he kept moving swiftly out of the way.

Dante feels like we are being distracted for some reason, like a game of hide and seek.

Temperature is 21.3 degrees.

As the team call out for spirit activity, a noise is heard like a swinging gate, and there are muffled footsteps to the side of us.

Muffled voices are also heard in the direction of the footsteps, and we hear the squeaky gate noise yet again.

The temperature is now 18.0 degrees.

Jo and Dante are very strongly drawn to the upper level, and as the team head up a small staircase Jo begins to feel very sickly, and it is noted that the atmosphere is very alive, like an electricity.

(Please note that Barbra chose to remain at the bottom of the staircase – and although the team went to the upper level, we had Barbra in our sights the whole time)

Dante and Jo have an impression of someone falling from the higher levels here, as they have a horrible sick feeling in the pit of their stomachs.

Jo begins to tell Dante she is seeing spirit figures when there is a very loud bang which seems to emanate from where Barbra is stood, and although we can still see her we raced downstairs to make sure she was completely safe.

Barbra too had heard the loud bang, like metal on metal, but she thought the noise came from the upper level, so Dante and Jo decide to go back upstairs to investigate further.

Dante is very shocked and taken aback when he sees half a spirit figure walking towards us who has negative energies about him, however we stand our ground.

Jo calls down to Gail to join us, as although Gail was our guest member and this was her first paranormal investigation, she was quite sensitive to the spirit activity and picked up the same feelings as Dante and Jo, sometimes before we did!.

She too gets the same sick feeling in her stomach, and picks up on feelings of stress and dread, as if a terrible thing had happened there.

The team head back indoors to rejoin team 2 for their second break of the night.

After a brief break, we conducted an experiment where both teams exchange some of their members, so the newly formed teams read as follows.

Team 1

Jo.

Dante.

Graham.

Jay.

Roger.

Team 2

Mick.

Barbra.

Gail.

Lou.

Kevin.

We then picked our most active areas of the nights investigations and in

team 1’s case it was the lager room, so team 2 headed off there to see what they could pick up, and team 1 went to a staircase and office located inside the main building which had been team 2’s most active area, and both teams arranged to meet back in reception in half an hour.

Team 1 picked up slight knocks and bangs on the stairwell that team 2 had recorded quite a lot of paranormal activity, although Roger took a great photo of a light anomaly in front of Jo’s leg!.

Team 1 also investigated an office at the top of this staircase where Lou had been over shadowed by a heavy spirit presence, but Jay who had been with team 2 originally, stated that the atmosphere was now totally different and the previous heavy and unwelcoming atmosphere had completely gone.

The same can be said for team 2 who went to team 1’s most active area, so an interesting experiment.

At 1.30am both teams met back inside, and went in to the meeting room to conduct a ouija board experiment.

(See end of report)

Team 2 Report

8pm.

Kev and Mick go to the end offices upstairs to set up the trigger object and locked off camera.

After careful discussion we decided to set up the camera so that it could film the trigger objects. We used 3 coins and gave them a light dusting of flour.

The reason for setting this experiment up in the offices was due to suspected paranormal activity in this area following the tour around the premises by our Investigation Co-Ordinator, Lou.

When the camera was set up properly Kev and Mick left the offices and locked the area, placing an alarm on the doors so we would know if anyone entered that area.

We then rejoined team 1 in the reception area so that we can begin our investigation.

9pm.

Team 2 consisted of Mick, Kev, Lou, Jay and Roger and we started our investigation in the outside area.

As the team enter the forklift truck area, the temperature is recorded at 9 degrees c. Nothing much is noted at first. Whilst we walk through, Lou says she can feel and hear monks chanting. Kev also feels and hears the same. The team call out for spirit activity but nothing happens and Mick comments that due to the background noise any activity would have to be questioned so we progress through the factory.

In the loading bay area the temp is recorded at 8 degrees c.

The average temp recorded in the production areas is an average of 8-9 degrees c. Due to the manufacturing machinery it is decided that any EMF experiments are not worthwhile.

As the team walk through the loading bay and surrounding areas lots of banging noises are heard.

9.30pm.

The team enter the lager room in the upper area. Massive silos with gantries that go round all the silos. The team stop and call out for spirit. Kev and Mick see a figure at the end of a gantry. The team rush to the location but find nothing there. Lou reports she senses a man who is asking why we are there. The whole team feel that they are not alone and it's as if someone is following us.

However, nothing conclusive is recorded.

9.45pm

The team enter the brewer’s office. As we climb the stairs Roger says he feels a tightening of his chest. This is a brief feeling.

Temperature is 12 degrees c. Lou calls out for spirit. Roger, who is standing by the stairs reports that he has heard someone running down the stairs. Mick joins Roger and they go down the stairs but nothing is found so they rejoin the others in the office. Mick calls out for spirit. 5 minutes later Roger again hears footsteps on the stairs but again nothing found.

Jay says he now feels that someone is following the team.

10.15pm

The team go back into the walkway area.

We enter the laundry area. Temp is 9 degrees c. Nothing much to report in this area. As the team go back out into the walkway Kev says he can hear lots of muffled voices, almost like a market place. Roger later says he also heard this.

The team enter the Malt Kiln room. Temp is 10 degrees c. but nothing much noted in this area and the same applies to the Sample room and the Lab room.

To surmise.

Nothing of a paranormal nature found during our outdoor section of the investigation. However the feelings Roger had whilst climbing the stairs of a tightening of his chest are very interesting as we were in no hurry and it only happened for a couple of seconds. Also the noise of footsteps on the stairs as well cannot be explained, as there was no one else present and Roger was the last person to climb the stairs. We checked to see if anyone else was present and there was no one.

Kev and Roger both report hearing a muffled conversation, almost like banter at a market. Neither knew each other had heard this so this is very interesting. We will be conducting research to ascertain if there was in fact a market that took place in this area.

10.30pm.

The team rejoin the other group in the reception area for a break, refreshments and a reflection of what has taken place so far.

11.00pm.

The group now undertake an investigation of the inside areas and our first port of call is the Boardroom where the temperature is recorded at 14 – 16 degrees c.

This is a large room, with a large mahogany table and chairs in the middle of the room. On the walls are pictures of the Neame family and past board members.

Jay sets his camera and tripod in the right hand corner of the room by the large window.

The team then sit down at the table. Kev calls out for spirit. We remain silent for approx ten minutes to see if we can pick up any spirit activity. Roger comments that there is too much noise outside as the boardroom is situated at the front of the building over looking the main road and a group of youths are heard outside having a dispute. Roger and Jay comment that it is pub chucking out time which is something to remember if and when we are allowed to return to the brewery.

15 minutes later silence returns so Mick calls out for spirit. Nothing noted.

Lou feels a lady with the name of Katy. She feels this lady was belittled in life.

Mick senses a man in the corner of the room by Jay’s camera. The name of Arthur Winn. A man with sideburns, grey hair but balding, wearing a suit with a pocket watch and waistcoat. Jay picks up on the name Lovell, this is quite a strong feeling, and a few minutes later he picks up the name Charles although this was not as strong a feeling as when the first name came through. Shortly after this Jay also hears the name Kevin, but didn't think too much of this as we had a Kevin on our team.

The team leave the boardroom at 23.40. As we leave Roger notes the name Kevin Lavalle on one of the pictures on the wall which Jay could not have known as he was nowhere near the picture, and had only set his camera up and then sat down, so very interesting indeed!.

11.45pm.

The team go upstairs to the offices.

15 degrees average temperature.

We enter an office on the right hand side of hallway by the top of the spiral staircase. Mick sits at a table that has an auctioneer’s gavel. The team call out for spirit but no activity is recorded. After 15 mins of no activity the team leave the office.

It is decided to enter the end offices where the lock off experiment is, as the tape in the video recorder needs changing. The trigger objects have not moved. After discussion it is the conclusion of the team to clean up the experiment and to investigate the area.

The office at the back of the very end offices is the next port of call.

After the team are seated Mick calls for spirit.

20 mins later a door is heard to slam downstairs from the stairwell at the back of the end offices. Roger goes to check this out. Yet again as Roger approaches the stairs the team all hear a door slam again.

Mick joins Roger. Roger informs Mick he has heard something “stamp” loudly on the stairs above them. He says it’s as if someone is up there stamping their feet loudly and in a deliberate manner. Roger says the window may be rattling in the wind so they both go upstairs and remain silent. When they reach the top of the stairs a door at the bottom slams again. We check the window is not rattling in the wind to eliminate this from our investigations.

Jay then joins Mick and Roger. Some knocking sounds are again heard above. Kev and Lou then join the guys. Mick calls out for spirit. No sounds heard. 5 minutes later the door again slams downstairs. When we checked, it is noted the door is very heavy and is shut firmly.

The team go to the top of the stairs and see a loft hatch. Maybe this could have caused the noise. However it is firmly shut. Roger reports that the loud knocking was definitely like a foot stamping, as it was reverberating through the stairwell and not anywhere else.

There is an office at the top of these stairs and when we investigsted it Roger and Lou both report they feel an oppressive atmosphere in this room.

12.30am.

The team rejoin the others in the reception area for a break.

To surmise.

Nothing paranormal recorded. However the noises witnessed by Roger are very interesting as there is no explanation for them, also the door slamming over and over downstairs that the whole team heard is of great importance as this door is a heavy door and is found to be firmly shut. This noise was heard several times. We attempted to open the door and it takes a lot of effort to open it.

What is of note is that the door was shut when we checked but as we reached to the top of the stairs, it slammed again, almost as if someone was playing with us.

The temps in both areas of investigation did not fluctuate from the baseline measurements.

The video footage from the locked off camera shows nothing.

Upon reflection the team feel this is a great venue. Paranormal activity recorded may be non-existent, however the sounds of the door and footsteps cannot be explained.

We feel it was an honour to have had the chance to investigate here.

1.00am.

It is decided to swap members of the team and further investigate 2 areas that the teams felt worthy of re-checking.

Team 2 is now made up of Mick, Kev, Lou, Barb and Gail.

Upon team 1's suggestion we make our way to the lager room which is located outside.

Kev calls out for spirit. A few gurgling noises are heard and some bangs. Mick finds a pipe with air flowing thru it and proves this by putting his hand over the end of the socket of the pipe and the noise desists. As we climb the first stairs we hear a sound that is not unlike someone throwing stones. Nothing found though.

We make our way to the upper area. Barb remains downstairs at the bottom of a spiral staircase because she cannot manage the climb.

On the gantry above Mick Kev and Gail witness a metallic knocking on the rail of the gantry, almost as if some one had banged it with a hammer. This was quite a frightening experience as no one had touched the rail. Mick and Kev see a shadowy figure run across the end of the gantry. Nothing found however.

Lou feels a man is following us and that we are not welcome. Mick then shouts out if they want us to go then show the team with a noise and a bang is heard, a really vivid bang. Witnessed by all those present.

1.30am.

Team 2 rejoin team 1 in the reception area.

To surmise.

More audible phenomena are witnessed. These could be put down to the fact it is a production area. However when it is witnessed on demand it proves to be worthy of more investigation. The figure witnessed by Mick and Kev could be put down to tiredness. However again 2 separate people witnessed it at the same time.

Interesting half an hour of investigation in our opinion. It is noted that all the activity reported happened after the team had been at the venue for a couple of hours.

Yet again temperatures had not fluctuated from the baseline readings.

1.35am.

Both teams take part in a ouija board experiment in the meeting room located on the ground floor.

Lou, Kev and Gail take part in the first session on the board, and Jo, Jay and Dante take part in the second session.

Although we do get contact from spirit during both sessions, we are unsure as to whether we are being toyed with so both sessions were only about 2 minutes long each before we ended this experiment.

However, during these sessions the letter “J” was given, a female energy came through, and the initials F.D were given also.

Conclusion.

A fantastic night had by both teams!.

It was an amazing experience to investigate a venue such as Shepherd Neame.

A beautiful and historic site, it held quite a few suprises for us, and we would most definitely welcome an opportunity to visit there again.

The team at Portals To Beyond would like to extend our most sincere thanks to Mark at Shepherd Neame for allowing us to carry out a paranormal investigation there.