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(Image: Urban Ghosts. Nine Stones Rig stone circle in East Lothian)

Perched high on the barren moorland of the Southern Uplands, in East Lothian, Scotland, is a small circle of irregular standing stones known locally as Nine Stones Rig. This enigmatic stone circle above Whiteadder Reservoir, which offers panoramic views of the surrounding hillsides, is thought to be of Bronze Age origin and appears to have been tampered with as the decades have slowly passed.

Unlike ancient Britain’s larger stone monuments – from Avebury and Stonehenge in the south to the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness in the north – the mysterious Nine Stones Rig, along with a network of other small circles including Penshiel Hill, Mayshiel, the Crow Stones and nearby Kingside Hill, are little visited, and less well known as a result.

(Image: Urban Ghosts. Ring of tiny stones on Kingside Hill)

But these ancient stone monuments are equally compelling in their own right, lonely echoes of the farming folk who inhabited these wild uplands thousands of years ago. And as with many esoteric sites whose origins remains shrouded in mystery, folklore has moved in to fill the gaps in the millennia-old history of Nine Stones Rig (sometimes referred to as Nine Stanes Rig).

(Image: Urban Ghosts. Close up of “Nine Stanes Rig”)

The Megalithic Portal quotes an older source on its website, stating:

An intriguing entry taken from a Name Book of 1853 says: “A circle of nine stones. It is believed that some treasure is hidden beneath these stones and various attempts, all unsuccessful, have been made to find it.”

As we’ve discussed before, the tantalising concept of hidden treasure is popular in folklore, and may refer to the notion of lost or secret knowledge, rather than physical riches. Clearly that hasn’t stopped people digging, however.

The post Nine Stones Rig, East Lothian appeared first on Urban Ghosts Media.

(Image: Laurent ERRERA; 9M-MRO, the Boeing 777 that disappeared in 2014 while operating as Malaysia Airlines flight MH370)

It’s one of the most bizarre aircraft disappearances in history, a modern aviation mystery that’s confounded crash investigators for almost half a decade. But earlier this week it was reported that the four year hunt for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 – a Boeing 777 which disappeared from radar on March 8, 2014 – is coming to an end – as soon as “one last spot of interest” has been searched.

MH370 was a scheduled flight en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished with 239 souls on board. Despite a massive international search effort across vast areas of Indian Ocean seafloor, scientists have been unable to locate the missing airliner. Several large pieces of debris confirmed as having come from the 777 have washed up on shores east of Madagascar. But more than four years after the plane’s disappearance, its main body has never been found.

(Image: AHeneen; MH370’s known flight path before disappearing from radar in 2014)

Theories range from the plausible to the wildly imaginative, and it’s little surprise that the mystery of what happened to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has caught the attention of conspiracy theorists across the globe. In the meantime, though, families of the 239 missing passengers and crew have not given up hope that the remains of the aircraft will be found.

Yesterday The Guardian reported that Ocean Infinity, the private company most recently searching for the missing 777, had sent its Seabed Constructor mapping ship to an area of seabed flagged up by a Chinese patrol vessel in 2014.

(Image: US Navy; an Australian vessel launches a submersible in 2014 in the search for the missing Malaysian 777)

According to the newspaper: “The Guardian has learned that the seafront exploration company’s Seabed Constructor vessel will sail to the spot in the southern Indian Ocean where a Chinese patrol ship detected an ultrasonic pulse – which could have been consistent with that from a black box – in 2014.”

The Guardian added: “A spokesperson for Ocean Infinity confirmed the company was aware of the reports of the possible black box signal four years ago, and it was heading to the area to check it out for themselves “before we head to port and bring this search to a close”.”

The post Search for Malaysia Airlines MH370 to End – After One Last Area is Investigated appeared first on Urban Ghosts Media.

(Image: Laurent ERRERA; 9M-MRO, the Boeing 777 that disappeared in 2014 while operating as Malaysia Airlines flight MH370)

It’s one of the most bizarre aircraft disappearances in history, a modern aviation mystery that’s confounded crash investigators for almost half a decade. But earlier this week it was reported that the four year hunt for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 – a Boeing 777 which disappeared from radar on March 8, 2014 – is coming to an end – as soon as “one last spot of interest” has been searched.

MH370 was a scheduled flight en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished with 239 souls on board. Despite a massive international search effort across vast areas of Indian Ocean seafloor, scientists have been unable to locate the missing airliner. Several large pieces of debris confirmed as having come from the 777 have washed up on shores east of Madagascar. But more than four years after the plane’s disappearance, its main body has never been found.

(Image: AHeneen; MH370’s known flight path before disappearing from radar in 2014)

Theories range from the plausible to the wildly imaginative, and it’s little surprise that the mystery of what happened to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has caught the attention of conspiracy theorists across the globe. In the meantime, though, families of the 239 missing passengers and crew have not given up hope that the remains of the aircraft will be found.

Yesterday The Guardian reported that Ocean Infinity, the private company most recently searching for the missing 777, had sent its Seabed Constructor mapping ship to an area of seabed flagged up by a Chinese patrol vessel in 2014.

(Image: US Navy; an Australian vessel launches a submersible in 2014 in the search for the missing Malaysian 777)

According to the newspaper: “The Guardian has learned that the seafront exploration company’s Seabed Constructor vessel will sail to the spot in the southern Indian Ocean where a Chinese patrol ship detected an ultrasonic pulse – which could have been consistent with that from a black box – in 2014.”

The Guardian added: “A spokesperson for Ocean Infinity confirmed the company was aware of the reports of the possible black box signal four years ago, and it was heading to the area to check it out for themselves “before we head to port and bring this search to a close”.”

The post Search for Malaysia Airlines MH370 to End – After One Last Area is Investigated appeared first on Urban Ghosts Media.

(Image: @planedailymag. Dismantled Gloster Meteor centre section)

Anonymous old military jets are always intriguing, including these dismantled Meteor parts on the edge of East Midlands Aeropark in Leicestershire, UK. The airframe components include centre and rear fuselage sections, and a pair of wings. There was no cockpit section in evidence when this photograph was taken. But according to the aviation-themed Instagram account @planedailymag, another Gloster Meteor cockpit (from airframe WM367) was present under a protective tarpaulin within the museum site. @planedailymag speculated whether the cockpit section would be combined with the other parts (believed to be from Meteor NF(T)14 WS760) to make a complete airframe. Watch this space! It’s fair to say, however, that if a restoration is carried out to the same standards as East Midlands Aeropark’s other exhibits, the result will be impressive!

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(Image: John Topping. The ruins of Thorpe Hall in South Yorkshire)

Rising ominously above the attractive South Yorkshire village of Thorpe Salvin, the 16th century ruins of Thorpe Hall stand on the site of an older manor house long since lost to history.

(Image: h v green)

According to the village’s Wikipedia page, the extant structure was built in 1570 by Robert Smythson, and later sold to an Edward Osborne more than 60 years later. Thorpe Hall remained the Osborne family home until Edward’s descendent Thomas, having become Duke of Leeds, relocated to Kiveton Park. Thereafter Thorpe Hall was abandoned and fell into disrepair.

(Image: Richard Croft)

A decade or so before the advent of the Victorian era, the ruin was partially demolished. Only its Grade II listed southern facade still stands today. The first mansion to occupy the site was the home of Sir Bryan Sandford, a Tudor knight who fought at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

Related: Three Beautiful Abandoned Mansions of County Galway

The post The 16th Century Ruins of Thorpe Hall, South Yorkshire appeared first on Urban Ghosts Media.

(All images by Madeleine Kannan. The ruined Crags Hotel in Colorado)

There isn’t much left today of the Crags Hotel in Eldorado Canyon State Park, but the surviving ruins offer a glimpse back into Colorado history. Almost 100 years after the luxurious retreat was destroyed by fire, the source of the blaze remains a mystery.

Nestled amid the peaks and canyons of Boulder County, within the vast Colorado State Park system, the small community of Eldorado Springs was established around the turn of the 20th century as a resort for well-to-do tourists. Visitors, including celebrities, came in search of the region’s warm mineral springs, and the the Crags reportedly wasn’t the only hotel catering to their needs.

A signboard at the location details its history: “Catch a ride on the Moffat Railroad to the Crags Hotel. A dollar in your pocket in 1908 would buy a round-trip train ticket from Denver. The railroad tracks, above you to the south, are still in use today. You could also drive up “Crags Boulevard,” today’s Rattlesnake Gulch Trail, or even hop on the “funicular,” an ingenious gravity and water tramway traveling up the mountainside.

“If you were here in 1908, you’d be singing, dancing and playing poker at the luxurious Crags Hotel. The hotel’s success was short lived. A fire destroyed the building in 1912. Archaeologists who studies this site discovered significant artefacts of Colorado history. For instance, the rock wall remains provide one of the best preserved examples of retaining walls used in this era.

“It remains a mystery whether arson or nature caused the Crags Hotel fire. Future studies and newly discovered artefacts may tell the full story. On behalf of the past and the future, please help preserve this site. Tread lightly. Move nothing. Play your part in preserving history and let others experience this place as you have.”

Hat tip to Madeleine Kannan.

The post The Crags Hotel Ruins in Eldorado Canyon, Colorado appeared first on Urban Ghosts Media.

(Image: Mike Searle. The rediscovered pundit code letters at the former RAF Beaulieu, Hampshire)

Many decades after the guns fall silent and peace is negotiated, it’s intriguing to consider what echoes of war still linger amid the landscape, from ravaged combat theaters to the home front. Last November we featured the once forgotten Beaulieu Letters, which have now been restored to their former glory. In that article, we wrote:

Since the end of the 1950s, the old wartime fighter base RAF Beaulieu has steadily returned to nature, its flat expanse – now administered by the Forestry Commission – a haven for wild ponies and model flying enthusiasts. From above, the ghostly forms of three abandoned runways are still visible and the eastern perimeter taxiway is now a cycle path. But as this airfield, in Hampshire’s New Forest, has slowly returned to heathland, an even older aerodrome across the B3054 road has been partially uncovered by the local community. In doing so, the illusive ‘Beaulieu letters’ have been revealed for the first time in decades.

Click here to discover more about that wartime artefact.

The post Rediscovering Hampshire’s Wartime History appeared first on Urban Ghosts Media.

(Image: Mike Searle. The rediscovered pundit code letters at the former RAF Beaulieu, Hampshire)

Many decades after the guns fall silent and peace is negotiated, it’s intriguing to consider what echoes of war still linger amid the landscape, from ravaged combat theaters to the home front. Last November we featured the once forgotten Beaulieu Letters, which have now been restored to their former glory. In that article, we wrote:

Since the end of the 1950s, the old wartime fighter base RAF Beaulieu has steadily returned to nature, its flat expanse – now administered by the Forestry Commission – a haven for wild ponies and model flying enthusiasts. From above, the ghostly forms of three abandoned runways are still visible and the eastern perimeter taxiway is now a cycle path. But as this airfield, in Hampshire’s New Forest, has slowly returned to heathland, an even older aerodrome across the B3054 road has been partially uncovered by the local community. In doing so, the illusive ‘Beaulieu letters’ have been revealed for the first time in decades.

Click here to discover more about that wartime artefact.

The post Rediscovering Hampshire’s Wartime History appeared first on Urban Ghosts Media.

(Image: Greg Hume. A piranha, illustration only)

The sewers of West Sussex may seem a far cry from the freshwater rivers of its native Amazonian basin, but according to a report in the Telegraph, a flesh-eating piranha has been found in the Chichester sewage system. Fear not, though, good reader, as the predatory South American fish was deceased when staff at Southern Water stumbled across it.

Though it’s understood the carnivorous fish likely died of natural causes in its tank, officials told the newspaper that the “only ‘p’s that should go down the toilet were ‘pee, poo and paper.’” Exotic pets are nothing new, so its unlikely that sewage workers or those using the facilities need fear packs of angry, man-eating piranhas as they go about their business.

(Image: Andrewself. A piranha fish’s razor-sharp teeth, illustration only)

Nicola Crichton, of Southern Water, said: “Obviously someone who owns exotic animals must have flushed it down the toilet, I don’t think it managed to migrate all this way. People will flush anything down their toilets, we once found a bed sheet at the waterworks, and find all sorts of strange things.”

Despite this, the tale brings to mind other urban legends that have thrilled and terrified city dwellers in equal measure; and in some cases, the term “urban” couldn’t be more accurate. Across the pond in the Big Apple, one enduring myth can be traced back to a New York Times article of 1935. Fast-forward 83 years and tales of alligators in the New York City sewers are as popular as ever.

(Image: .:Ajvol:.)

The Telegraph also referenced a 2008 account in which “the Eastbourne Herald reported that sewer workers at Southern Water’s treatment plant in Eastbourne, East Sussex, claimed to have seen a strange humanoid shadow in the underground passages, which would follow staff.” The newspaper added: “They also reported muffled conversations emanating from behind the tunnel walls.”

Underground spaces, be they priest holes, forgotten “ghost stations” on subterranean railways, sewers or rumours of secret passages have long captured the public imagination and hold an important place in folklore. Who knows what lurks in the shadow lands beneath our busy streets? Thankfully alligators and piranhas are unlikely to be among them.

Read Next: 10 Creepiest Phantoms and Urban Legends of NYC

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(Image: Mr H. Destiny Church, formerly the New Tivoli Cinema, on Gorgie Road, Edinburgh)

Scotland’s popular capital, Edinburgh, is home to many abandoned cinemas that have been repurposed for new uses as the decades have passed by. One prominent example – unmistakably a former picture house – is the New Tivoli Cinema on Gorgie Road, a stone’s throw from the Gorgie City Farm and not too far from Haymarket. The 700-seat former film house is now known as Destiny Church, a contemporary place of worship that opened its doors in 2008.

Remembering the church’s heyday as the New Tivoli, photographer Mr H writes that:

…it was designed by cinema architect James McKissack, and opened in January 1934, incorporating some of the fabric of the earlier Tivoli Cinema, in particular most of the facade, which was extended upwards and eastwards. Seating was for 1200, and the plans included stage and dressing rooms. This closed as a cinema in July 1973, and from then until 2006 was a bingo hall. The 1930s sand-blasted art-deco window decorations are still visible on the exterior, and the interior retains most of its 1930s detailing. The building was B-listed by Historic Scotland in 1993.

A short distance away, in the direction of Haymarket, stands the remnants of another historic picture house known as the Scotia Cinema. The Scotia is understood to have been the second oldest cinema in Scotland. Until recently, its historic auditorium was used to store rental cars, and retained some of its original features despite being hollowed out. Demolished in early 2014 to make way for student accommodation, the distinctive facade survives today as a tattoo parlour.

Related: 10 Inspiring Examples of Adaptive Reuse

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