Top 10 Unsolved British Mysteries

This Scottish legend, also known as Nessie, is world famous and has become so renowned that it’s difficult to hear the words ‘Loch Ness’ and not think of the giant lake monster which supposedly resides there. The earliest reports of a sighting date all the way back to the year 565 AD and involve an Irish saint – but stories have been popping up ever since. Unfortunately, most sightings have been confirmed as hoaxes, or just the wishful thinking of people who desperately want Nessie to be real. And honestly, who doesn’t want confirmation of this thing’s existence?

There are plenty of stories about people catching unknown things in the back of their photos. But, this one’s a little different to the typically ghostly figures. Jim Templeton took a picture of his daughter in 1964, and although there was nothing in the background at the time, the developed shot showed what looked like a spaceman. Not only is it the last thing you’d expect to see on a family outing, but surely not in the fields of Cumbria?? Some theorize it’s an overexposed picture of the photographer’s wife – but the figure has never been fully explained.

What our next entry lacks in supernatural strangeness, it more than makes up for in real-life drama, intrigue and unanswered questions. The Lord Lucan affair gripped the UK in November 1974, when the high-society aristocrat emerged as the prime suspect in the murder of the Lucan family nanny, Sandra Rivett. Only, Lucan never faced punishment for the crime – or even investigation over his involvement – because he promptly disappeared, never to be seen again. And we mean never. Despite various supposed sightings of him in the years since – from all over the world –nothing has ever been confirmed. And he was officially ‘presumed dead’ in 2016.

You can find plenty of spooky artifacts in eerie museums, often with the most unsettling of back stories… but this relic takes ‘creepy’ to a whole new level. Standing untouched inside a glass case at the Manchester Museum, this Egyptian statue randomly started to spin in 2013. And by ‘spin’, we mean ‘move of its own accord, to face in different directions’. Curators were understandably baffled (and a little bit alarmed) when the figure kept moving – and so they filmed it. But the footage only confirmed the apparently impossible; the ancient statue seemingly has a mind of its own.

In deepest, darkest Cornwall, there supposedly lurks a scarily big cat. And no, we don’t mean a chunky, overfed house tabby… we’re talking panther-sized or larger. The legend of the Beast of Bodmin Moor appears built on more than just a few questionable photos, too. The story has been going strong since at least 1978, when reports of dead livestock and sightings of super-sized animals provided nightmare fuel for the local communities for months on end. This beast isn’t on its lonesome either, as the UK seems to have a hankering for big cat myths in general.

In 1943 when 4 young boys discovered a skull inside a Wych Elm tree, so began one of the leading British mysteries of the 21st century. Ultimately, the boys’ discovery led to the uncovering of an almost complete skeleton of a woman from within the tree which, despite plenty of apparent evidence, was never formally identified. But, that’s not all. The following year, a graffiti message mysteriously appeared close by, ominously reading “Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?” And so, the name ‘Bella’ became central to the investigation. To this day, no one knows who Bella is, was, or what happened to her – but the graffiti message shows up every now and then, resprayed as a reminder.

This famous London story has been at the centre of plenty of horror adaptations. Providing the eerie inspiration for its own mini-series andthe Hollywood horror flick, “The Conjuring 2”, you’ve probably heard at least a little bit about it. Back in 1977, a small council house in Enfield hit national newspapers as claims of paranormal activity had the country fascinated. Incidences of furniture moving, loud noises, things being thrown and even levitating children were reported by residents and those who visited the home. But suddenly, in 1979, the reports stopped. Of course, there are plenty who are skeptical, but it’s been held as a paranormal hotspot ever since.

People-powered paranormal activity is one thing, but once unassuming animals are affected, we’re officially concerned – and are extremely keen to solve this particular mystery. The Overtoun Bridge has caused morbid confusion for the residents of West Dunbartonshire in Scotland since the 1950s. And that’s because, according to reports, tens (possibly hundreds) of dogs have inexplicably jumped to their death off of it, plummeting into the rocks below. What’s even weirder is that the dogs always jump off the same part of the structure and, if they survive the fall and are brought back to the bridge, they’ve been known to jump again. What kind of creepy cruelty is this?

UFO sightings often feel like more of an American phenomenon. But the UK has had its fair share of flying saucer claims too, not least the world famous Rendlesham Forest incident. Affectionately known as ‘Britain’s Roswell’, the events unfolded close to a military base in Suffolk, around Christmastime in 1980. Guards on duty claimed to have spotted lights descending into the forest. And, after going to investigate, reported a glowing, metallic object moving through the trees. However, all that could be found during a search the next day were impressions in the ground, burn marks and broken branches. The claims of ‘alien!’ were widespread, but an actual explanation was never reached.

As the figure at the centre of arguably the most infamous murder mystery in British history, few have achieved lasting notoriety to match Jack the Ripper’s. Terrorizing Victorian London, Jack famously (and brutally) killed at least five women in Whitechapel. But, despite various investigations, a ridiculous number of theories and plenty of pop culture legends, still no one knows who the serial killer really was. We don’t know the motive, the background, his fate – heck, we’re not even 100% certain on Jack’s gender! An entire branch of analysis known as Ripperology has even arisen, to try and find some answers. But the riddle remains unsolved, and possibly will do forever more.