This is not the first time we’ve heard about haunting and ghosts at Thorpe Park. In 2009 there was an incident, believed to have started after the use of a Ouija board that resulted in speculation as to whether Thorpe’s Saw Ride was haunted. Now we’re asking if the water slide, Storm Surge, at Thorpe Park is built on ancient burial ground and is haunted by the ghost of a monk.

Trouble began during the construction of the new water slide. Builders working on the Storm Surge attraction apparently reported sighting the ghost of a headless monk. The usual reports of things moving around and sudden shivers have also, apparently, been reported by staff.

The divisional director of Thorpe Park, Mike Vallis, told press;

‘It became apparent that something strange was going on when teams started clearing Storm Surge’s initial site.

‘Staff reports of eerie goings-on shot up and the only physical change in the park, at that time, was the beginning of ground preparation work for the new ride.

‘As employees were getting freaked out, we decided to call on an expert to see whether there was anything to report but had no idea of the dramatic effects.’

As it happens the area in which the 64-ft tall ride is being built was once known as “Monk’s Walk”. It was a footpath which once connected Thorpe Church to Chertsey Abbey.

It’s South West London Paranormal who have been called in to investigate. Speaking for SWLP, Jim Arnold also told press that;

‘We carry out these kinds of investigations quite regularly, with medium to weak results being reported on a weekly basis.

‘Thorpe Park, however, was more striking as results were picked up immediately, with orbs, ghostly images in photography and ouija reaction results being strongest around the site where they were proposing to build Storm Surge.

‘The results were so strong, we felt the only explanation could be that an ancient burial ground or settlement was being disturbed, prompting the extra paranormal activity.’

Given Thorpe Park benefited from the publicity over last year’s ghost scare there is every reason to be sceptical about this current claim. Is there any science to the sighting at all?

The park have also invited a geophysical expert in to examine the site. Peter Masters from Cranfield University hasn’t commented on ghosts or monks but he has scanned the site and does appear that some of the signature readings detected by the equipment are similar to that of a burial ground, one that could be ancient, but not definitely so. The readings could also be caused by the remains of an old building.

In Pure Spirit

Reports suggest that they may have moved the site of the Storm Surge game because of this or altered the design. The question is – a marketing stunt from Thorpe, do the builders really think the site is haunted by a monk or could this be a mixture of them both?