When security guards spotted children in Victorian clothing dancing in circles at midnight on a muddy construction site, they approached to investigate - only to watch the kids vanish into thin air, leaving no footprints in the mud where they'd been playing. And that’s just one ghostly incident on the A616 – Britain’s most haunted road.

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IN THIS EPISODE: It’s a stretch of road that only opened in 1988 to connect two existing roads, but it is known for being one of the deadliest roads in all of Britain… and one of the most haunted places in the world. The official designation is the A616… but most people know it as the Stocksbridge Bypass. (The Deadly Stocksbridge Bypass) *** 
Experiencing something strange is one thing. Experiencing two strange things in two different places might be called a coincidence. But when you experience three strange things in three different places, as Chet Guthrie did – you have to wonder if maybe the weirdness if following you around. (Three Events In Three Places of Really Weird Happenings) *** The Georgian Britains were obsessed with clean air, which was not surprising… because there was practically no clean air to obsess about. Even less-so in and around the cemeteries. (The Stench of Georgian Graveyards) *** A woman typically carries a baby for nine months before pregnancy. Sometimes a bit longer, sometimes a bit shorter, but that’s the average. Technology has made it possible for the baby to be born much sooner if complications were to arise, and still survive to be a healthy child. But we might have a new record on shortest pregnancy. One woman in Indonesia is claiming she gave birth after being pregnant for only one hour. (The One Hour Pregnancy) *** Heavy fog is commonplace in London, and in 1952 one particular fog rolled in for a full five days, hovering over the city. But when it finally dissipated, over 12,000 Londoners lay dead. (The Deadly Fog of 1952) *** A borrowed gun, romantically linked cousins, and a rigged jury – all the makings of a great murder trial in 1887 New Jersey. (A Mount Holly Tragedy) *** Here’s an idea on how to fight the black plague… throat lozenges… made from toad vomit! Hey, it was good enough for Isaac Newton! It was his own recipe! (Toad Vomit Lozenges)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:02:35.682 = Show Open
00:05:40.998 = The Deadly Stocksbridge Bypass
00:22:00.682 = Deadly Fog of 1952
00:28:20.798 = Stench of Georgian Graveyards
00:35:28.823 = The One Hour Pregnancy
00:39:30.093 = Three Events In Three Places of Really Weird Happenings
00:46:43.512 = A Mount Holly Tragedy
00:51:05.738 = Toad Vomit Lozenges
00:55:15.086 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
BOOK: “Dark Days of Georgian Britain” by James Hobson: https://amzn.to/2X5cKd6
VIDEO: Britain’s Most Haunted Road - Stocksbridge Bypass: https://tinyurl.com/y3epler8
“Toad Vomit Lozenges” by Laura Geggel for Live Science: https://tinyurl.com/y5dmuwy9
“Three Events In Three Places of Really Weird Happenings” by Chet Guthrie for Cleveland Banner: https://tinyurl.com/y5c2wxhc
“The Deadly Fog of 1952” from The Gypsy Thread: https://tinyurl.com/y3pr4mvx
“The One Hour Pregnancy” by Spooky at Oddity Central: https://tinyurl.com/yxd42hqz
“The Stench of Georgian Graveyards” by James Hobson from his book “Dark Days of Georgian Britain:https://tinyurl.com/y5485fkn
“A Mount Holly Tragedy” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder by Gaslight: https://tinyurl.com/yxwqu7l5
“The Deadly Stocksbridge Bypass” by Brent Swancer for Mysterious Universe: https://tinyurl.com/y6qj6ps2=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: July 08, 2020
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/StocksbridgeBypass
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
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