They are the mysteries that continue to defy explanation.
Coventry and Warwickshire has long been a hotspot for the unexplained and there are some riddles that just won’t unravel, even in the age of Google and Wikipedia.
They include one of the nation’s most notorious unsolved murders, that of Charles Walton, who was found with a pitch fork buried deep in his chest on Valentine’s Day 1945, and the so-called Beast of Barford, cited as evidence that big cats still roam the countryside.
Many of the most perplexing mysteries are enshrined in centuries of folklore and legend at the heart of the region, such as subterranean chambers said to lie underneath Guys Cliffe in Warwick.
In more recent times, people have continued to report UFOs in the sky.
Here are 10 unexplained mysteries likely to last for many years to come:
Witchcraft murder
One of the nation’s most mysterious and gruesome murders remains unsolved, 75 years on.
Charles Walton, a 74-year-old farm labourer, was found with a pitch fork buried deep in his chest on the night of February 14, 1945, at a farm on the slopes of Meon Hill, in Lower Quinton.
Witchcraft was initially linked to the crime after a large cross was purportedly carved onto his body, though there is no solid evidence to prove this.
Despite an investigation by Scotland Yard, there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone with murder and the crime remains the longest unsolved murder on the Warwickshire Police records.
Spooky house
Shrieves House Barn, home to the Falstaff’s Experience, in Sheep Street, Stratford, is one of Warwickshire's most haunted houses.
It is often the hotbed of spooky goings on and a "night of terror" was recorded by paranormal investigators who spent time in the 500-year-old building.
One woman suffered bruising after being hit on the head by a mystery object and others watched as a picture moved to and fro on a wall.
A photo was even taken which is said to show the ghost of an eight-year-old girl who wanders the medieval hallways.
Hooded monk
On January 22, 1985, the Coventry Freemen were holding a dinner at St Mary's Guildhall in Coventry when a photo was taken of everyone in the group bowing their head in prayer.
However in the top left was a mysterious figure wearing clothing often seen on monks from a previous time.
Lord Mayor Walter Brandish, who was present at the dinner, revealed that not one person at the event was dressed in that sort of clothing and he had no idea who the ghostly figure was.
St Mary's once served as a prison for Mary, Queen of Scots and dates back to the 14th Century.
Haunted bar
A bar tucked away in the city centre’s cathedral quarter was the scene of the city’s last public execution.
The Slug and Lettuce branch in Bayley Lane is one of Coventry’s oldest buildings, which once served as a county court and jail.
There were reports of shadowy figures at The Establishment, another bar which previously occupied the Grade II-listed site opposite the entrance to the old cathedral, while strange occurrences have been seen on CCTV.
The Establishment even earned a Haunted Location Award by city-based group Spook Hunters as proof of its paranormal activity with reports of old prisoners haunting the rooms.
Among those executed there was Mary Bell - the last woman to be hanged in Coventry. She was put to death in 1849 with 20,000 spectators said to have been present.
So are strange goings-on taking place during the lockdown? We’d love to hear.
Fighter jets chasing UFO
Footage of two fighter jets chasing what appears to be an UFO above the M5 emerged in April 2010 and quickly went viral.
The 30-second clip thought to be shot from a West Midlands service station park seems to show a saucer-shaped craft making its way over the motorway with two jets behind it.
The implication is that the jets are flying towards the UFO.
West Midlands Police issued a brief statement at the time, saying: “We are not aware of any reports of unidentified aircraft near the M5."
The MoD refused to comment.
Shakespeare and the Welcombe Hills
William Shakespeare is thought to have used the drowning of an aristocrat’s daughter in a well at Welcombe Hills for the basis of Ophelia’s storyline in Hamlet.
Margaret, daughter of William Clopton, who inherited New Place in Stratford, supposedly committed suicide at the retreat in 1592, around the same time the bard was writing his play.
Although records show Margaret was born in 1563, there is no record of her death.
The tragic event is said to have provided the inspiration for Ophelia and her lonely death.
The Welcombe Hills, which may have got its name from the historic well, is now a nature reserve.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has examined the possible link between Margaret and Ophelia.
A spokesman said: "There is nothing whatsoever for there being a link, but who is to say otherwise?
"It had become a local legend by the late 18th century, but it has never been clear exactly how she died."
The vaulted well is in the 170-acre Welcombe Hills and Clopton House nature reserve in Stratford-upon-Avon.
In 2018, the Ophelia story got the Hollywood treatment when it was turned into an eponymous film featuring Daisy Ridley, Naomi Watts and Clive Watts.
The real Robin Hood
A Warwickshire grave half covered in moss and with no headstone is purported to be the final resting place of Robin Hood.
Roger Godberd, a 13th Century farmer who committed burglaries, arson and murder, is said to be the man behind the myth. In 2011, author David Baldwin concluded that earlier evidence of Godberd being the real-life figure was true.
Godberd’s escapades included robbing from the rich and he was captured by the Sheriff of Nottingham and held in Nottingham Castle.
Godberd is buried in Loxley, near Wellesbourne.
Secret chambers at Guy’s Cliffe?
It’s one of Warwickshire’s most enchanting landmarks, but mythical Guy’s Cliffe in Warwick has been out of bounds for much of its history.
Owned by the Freemasons, the core site is now the focus of the Bring Back Guy’s Cliffe campaign, an effort to involve the wider community in the regeneration work, saving a heritage asset that rivals nearby castles and stately homes in legend, if not grandeur.
Used as a meeting place by the Freemasons, the Guy’s Cliffe’s history is every bit as labyrinthine as its physical layout. The charted history dates back to Roman times, when the secluded cliffs and water were a place of tranquillity and reflection.
Guy of Warwick, a knight and pilgrim, spent his final years living as a hermit in a cave which can be seen at the foot of the cliffs. Fortunes dipped after World War Two, with the house and grounds entangled in development and ownership wrangles.
The core buildings returned to regular use in the 1970s, with the Freemasons becoming tenants and carrying out renovation work. In 1981 they took ownership from the then split estate of Aldwyn Porter, Guy’s Cliffe’s former owner. Mounds of earth under the skeleton of the former grand house are thought to have buried tunnels, chambers and rooms. The top of a grand arch can be seen at the head of one escarpment underneath the austere stone facework of the manor. It suggests that a forgotten level lies under the stone above.
According to folklore, Guy himself is said to be buried within the cave, though there has never been a concerted effort to find his remains.
The Red Horse of Tysoe
It is difficult to date the period of time that a red chalk horse was visible around Tysoe but there is evidence going back to the beginning of the 17th Century.
Tysoe certainly has a long history. The place name translates from Saxon times as being the spur of the hand sacred to the God Tiz, who was linked to war.
There have been several versions of the horse which disappeared from sight around the time of the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. There has been speculation that the horse could have been created to mark the existence of a border or by the Earl of Warwick in remembrance of his horse that he lost in battle.
One version is said to have been destroyed by the landlord of the Sun Rising House Pub at Edgehill between the Napoleonic Wars. The horse is thought to be different in character from others found around the country in that it was cut from turf and the red soil gave it the unique colouring. The different horses have been cut in various dimensions, with one version appearing just to the east side of the church.
It has been possible to log and identify the horses using aerial photographic images but no definitive explanation has been forthcoming to find out the purpose of the symbol.
Even in Victorian and Edwardian times the presence of the figure provided a boost to local tourism. Is it possible the mysterious red horse could make a future reappearance?
The Beast of Barford
A mysterious paw print five-inches long and four-inches wide was found on Wasperton Farm, in Barford, in November 2004, after a panther-like creature was seen snatching a pheasant.
At the time wildlife experts said the print was the most conclusive evidence that big cats were on the prowl in Warwickshire.
The big cat was dubbed the Beast of Barford by local residents.
Then in January 2009, dog walkers reported seeing a big cat in Ryton Wood, and it was dubbed the Beast of Bubbenhall.
Despite all the evidence and reported sightings, no big cats have ever been caught, dead or alive in the region.
