Bursledon Brickworks: A Night of Shadows, Orbs and Unanswered Questions
- Dr Iain M Lightfoot
- Oct 5
- 4 min read
Paranormal investigations have a unique energy signature of their own. Some nights are quiet, with only the faintest traces of activity. Others, like our recent visit to Bursledon Brickworks with DS Haunts, build slowly, brick upon brick, until the atmosphere itself feels charged. This was perhaps one of those nights.
We began, as we often do, with a human pendulum session to establish communication and set the tone. Almost immediately the energy in the room began to rise. We could tell not just by our own sensations, but by the increasing number of orbs captured on our cameras. While I always remain cautious about attributing every orb to spirit activity, dust and insects are common in heritage sites, the pattern, brightness and movement of these orbs was notable. In the back left-hand corner of the room I became aware of being watched. It was a subtle but unmistakable impression. Naturally, Barry and I went to investigate!
The Bursledon Brickworks Investigation Begins
In that corner, the atmosphere changed. Shadows seemed to move just beyond the edge of our vision, and we heard a series of bangs directly in front of us, sounds that were not coming from any identifiable source. At several points Barry reported the sensation of his coat being tugged. I initially wondered if it might be him brushing against something unseen, but when it happened more than once in open space, it became harder to dismiss. Cold spots began appearing around us, along with sudden temperature drops, another hallmark of activity we often look for but never take at face value.
Later, during a dowsing session, a female spirit stepped forward. Through our questioning, she claimed she was searching for a child who had never come home. The sense of sorrow was palpable and I could feel that emotion within me. Again, at the same time we recorded multiple cold spots and a marked increase in orb activity. At one point we felt called over to a section of the room where a box had tipped over previously . It could have been coincidence, gravity, vibration, or simple instability, but it happened precisely where most of the activity was focused. That alone made it worth closer scrutiny.
We decided to hold our main vigil in that area. Almost immediately, as I pulled a chair back, a large, luminous string-orb appeared and moved directly towards me. It was one of the clearest captures of the night. Yet the most compelling evidence didn’t happen inside at all.
Running Shadows
Outside the property, a small group of three investigators heard banging from one of the sheds. Knowing no-one else was out there, they asked aloud for the sound to repeat. Instead of a bang, they saw a shadow run across the shed followed by another. They tried repeatedly to recreate it, moving lights, changing positions, but nothing matched. The geometry of the shed meant that for a shadow to appear like that, a person would have to be sprinting at impossible speed and across a much larger projection area than was available. Even more intriguing, the security lights which are positioned 10 to 15 metres away never activated. As a realist, I always look for a reasonable explanation first, but this event defied all attempts at debunking and remains a mystery.
More Energy
During a second dowsing session later in the night, the rods immediately reacted violently, swinging as though moved by a force stronger than usual. At the same time, I experienced a powerful pins-and-needles sensation up my arms, so intense I had to ask the spirit to back away. We determined through questioning that we were dealing with a male presence who disliked noise and light and simply wanted to be left alone. This aligned with other phenomena throughout the evening.
Perhaps the most striking moment came when two of our team, Marc and Darren, were leaving the room. They both looked back and saw a full apparition of a man pacing before turning and vanishing. Marc had been hoping for such an experience for years, and he later told me he was still "in shock" which was clear to see. It’s one thing to sense or hear, but it’s another entirely to see, I am waiting for that moment. Having a witness share that moment with you transforms it from a private doubt into a shared reality. It is not proof in the scientific sense, but it is deeply validating.
Reflections
By the end of the night, Barry and I reviewed our focus area. We had the string of orbs, the dramatic reaction of the dowsing rods, intelligent responses during questioning, and multiple corroborating experiences from other investigators. Taken together, these elements suggest a strong residual or possibly intelligent energy inhabiting the top floor of Bursledon Brickworks, a presence that doesn’t want noise, doesn’t want light, and simply wishes to be left alone.
As always, the investigation was enjoyable, thought-provoking and ultimately humbling. Bursledon Brickworks gave us glimpses of something beyond the ordinary, but left us with more questions than answers. That is the nature of this work: evidence and mystery walking hand in hand. Until next time, when we once again go beyond the veil. Thank you for reading. Please subscribe and share, and if you’d like to keep us fuelled through those long nights of investigation, you can support our work by joining the:
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