On a cold, wet night in Farnham, a lone figure limps along West Street. Shrouded in the dark, it moves swiftly before vanishing into a house without a sound.

Sometimes, it is not a human figure at all, but a black dog—hobbling towards the same doorway, disappearing just as suddenly. The only constant? The sightings only occur on winter nights, when the rain slicks the pavements and the wind howls through the old streets.

For paranormal investigator and author Ruth Roper Wylde, stories like this is all too familiar. Having spent years researching ghostly sightings and supernatural encounters across the UK, she has now turned her attention to Farnham—and she wants to hear from residents about their own eerie experiences.

“Farnham is a really old with a lot of history, and places like this tend to have a lot of ghostly activities,” Ruth said. “I’ve been getting some really interesting responses from people who’ve seen things throughout the town.”

Her current focus is the Bush Hotel, an establishment dating back to 1618, with a long history of reported hauntings. In addition to historic ghost sightings, Ruth is investigating a more recent encounter at the hotel.

“I have one more modern account given directly to me, where the witness saw something odd there about 35 years ago,” she revealed. “I’ve received a very intriguing photo showing a white mass behind the lady who gave me the picture. It looks somewhat human in shape.”

Ruth’s fascination with the supernatural began in childhood. Growing up in a house with an “active poltergeist” in Hertfordshire, she learned early on that unexplained phenomena were more than just tall tales.

With a background in fraud, theft, and HR investigations for the civil service, Ruth honed her ability to examine cases with a critical and analytical eye. Upon taking partial retirement, she shifted her investigative skills to the world of the paranormal.

“I understand why people don’t believe in ghosts,” she admitted. “But when you speak to so many people who have seen them, I think the evidence for their existence is pretty clear.”

Another Farnham tale dates back to the 1980s, when a shop manager in Lion and Lamb Way was called to his store after a burglary. Left to guard the premises overnight, he soon felt an unsettling presence.

“He kept feeling uneasy, as if someone were watching him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up,” Ruth recalled.

Venturing outside to check the street, he suddenly noticed a reflection in a jeweller’s shop window—a figure standing behind him. But when he spun around, there was no one there. When he looked back at the glass, the reflection had vanished.

As the night wore on, his sense of dread deepened. Then, through the dimly lit street, he saw a misty shape drift through the wall of the jeweller’s shop. The next morning, he confided in the early-morning cleaner—only to receive a chilling response.

“She too had often seen the same misty shape.”

Beyond the Bush Hotel, other residents have come forward with their own stories of hauntings.

“A few other people have been in touch with their own accounts, either for their own houses or for other pubs in Farnham,” Ruth said. “I’m happy to hear from anyone who has a story to share.”

Her latest book, These Haunted Times – Volume 6, will feature similar testimonies.

So, if you’ve had an encounter with the paranormal in Farnham, you know who to call. Perhaps your story could help unravel the mysteries of the town’s ghostly past—or prove that spirits still walk among us.

Ruth can be contacted on email at [email protected]