HISTORIC tales of mystery, ghosts and legends within a Norfolk town will be unearthed in a fundraising haunted trail this month.

Take a tour of the unexpected...if you've got the nerve

HISTORIC tales of mystery, ghosts and legends within a Norfolk town will be unearthed in a fundraising haunted trail this month.

Halloween might have come and gone but the dark and macabre lives on in Thetford thanks to a ghost walk in the town on November 15.

The guided walk is the brainchild of Claire Treadwell and will raise money for St Nicholas Hospice Care and its Community Nurse Appeal run in conjunction with the Times.

Among the scary anecdotes will be tales of the faceless monks who are habitually spotted walking through the ruins of Thetford Priory.

Claire said: “The town dates back to Saxon times and is full of history, old buildings and ancient sites.

“There are numerous tales that give the town a sense of intrigue and over the years there have been many myths that have come and gone.

“”Yet some stories still remain the same, unchallenged but unproven, and even today sightings and strange apparitions are still being reported.

“On Sunday, November 15, you'll be able to scratch beneath the surface of this sunny riverside town and uncover a darker side - tales of murder, mystery, ghosts and legends.”

“Clare, who is the marketing and communications manager at Screen East, the regional screen agency for the East of England, lost her mum to cancer three years ago.

She is currently organising fundraising events to cover her costs for the Rajasthan Tiger Challenge in February 2010 which involves cycling 500kms for the Hospice which she praised in its work in caring for her mother.

The haunted trail will bring together findings from various television documentaries as well as studies by clairvoyants, experiences from local people and stories from even the most cynical.

It will be led by actor Xavier Robinson and has been developed with the Thetford Tourism and Heritage Partnership.

Those brave enough to hear about Thetford's dark past will meet at the Wereham House Hotel for a spooky autumnal punch and cookies which have kindly been donated by Andy and Caroline Blyth.

The one-and-a-half hour tour will gather at the hotel for 11am, before embarking on the unknown at 11.30am. Places are extremely limited and tickets, priced �8, must be pre-booked by e-mailing tigerchallenge@hotmail.co.uk or telephoning 07895 039656.