Haunted Vale End Cemetery sits, somewhat troubled, at the top of a hill in Wilton, New Hampshire. (For a map to visit Vale End, see this link.) The location is deceptively quiet. Few people visit this historic cemetery, often out of fear.
Wilton seems like a charming old New England town. Visitors may not realize that Wilton’s history has been scarred with tragedy from its earliest days.
The mysterious, repeating meetinghouse disasters
Charles E. Clark’s book, The Meetinghouse Tragedy, describes the 1773 tragedy when, during construction, the roof beam of Wilton’s new meetinghouse–and 53 workers–fell three stories in a tangle of bodies and tons of construction materials.
According to folklore, the meetinghouse was rebuilt, but collapsed again, perhaps two more times. Each time, more people died.
In one version of the story, a new meetinghouse was constructed, but fire broke out during a dance in the hall, trapping many people within its flame-engulfed walls.
Whether to avoid bad luck or for more ‘sensible’ reasons, the townspeople chose a new spot for their next meetinghouse, and moved the middle of town to where Wilton center is today.
Wilton’s quartz foundation may be the source of many hauntings. Quartz can be a magnet for paranormal forces. We’ve had a steady stream of reports from Wilton about haunted basements (hewn out of the quartz underneath each house) and possible ghost ‘portals’ throughout the town.
We know that there are many ghosts at Vale End Cemetery, and some entities that aren’t ghosts and were never human.
Vandalism–including the theft of headstones and markers such as the lovely Mary Magdalene statue shown at right–have compounded the disturbing psychic energy at Vale End.
Ghosts at Vale End Cemetery
In addition to The Blue Lady that haunts Vale End Cemetery in Wilton, NH, there are several other known ghosts.
A Native American ghost–perhaps several of them–lingers around the northeast side of the cemetery. When you’re in the middle of the cemetery with your back to the entrance, look to the far left wall. You’ll see a wide opening where maintenance trucks can come and go. If you walk just outside the wall, at that path, you’ll start to sense some slightly territorial spirits. There are also some who are simply curious about visitors.
A little boy, perhaps one who’d been abused, haunts the very back of the cemetery where the ground begins to slope. He’s timid and is looking for reassurances. He’s the ghost most likely to ‘cross over’ if the right person can reach him.
The ghost of a military man and perhaps his daughter have been sensed in many parts of the cemetery. They seem fairly nice most of the time, and appear to be ‘just visiting’ their own graves.
Spirits just outside the cemetery walls are represented by gravestones several feet in back of Mary Ritter’s headstone. These graves are generally outside the walls because the deceased could not be buried in hallowed ground. They may have been accused of a serious crime such as murder, or they may have committed suicide.
Vale End features a surprising number of these outside-the-walls graves, and we suspect that many of them are haunted by the ostracized people buried there.
Real ghosts’ stories – Notes from the other side
One of the ghosts is a young man from Colonial times. He was embarrassed by his friends, and felt that he could never recover from it. The shame was too much, though he accepts that he brought the charges–and some ridicule–upon himself. He talks about giving up too soon. I believe that he committed suicide, or at least deliberately put himself in harm’s way. He did his best to stage it so it would look like an accident. He was genuinely remorseful, and didn’t want his family to suffer further embarrassment because of him.
However, there’s also a bitter edge to his grief, and he wanted his accusers to know that they caused his death. (His logic seems a bit murky in this area. He wants his death to look like an accident to most people, but he wants his former friends and acquaintances to feel guilty for embarrassing him. He wants them to wonder, for the rest of their lives, if they caused his death.)
Until he is able to accept that there were–and still can be–good things in his existence, and even true friends, he is not likely to cross over. When this reading was completed, he was far from being able to move forward. If his grave is outside the stone wall, he may be upset that his death wasn’t determined as ‘accidental.’
I visited this site years ago and it would see that some information regarding paranormal activity at Vale End has been left out of this article. I am referring to the malevolent spirits that are supposed to haunt here such as the “grovers” and the mysterious dark force that was once mentioned.
Grimm,
For awhile, I’d removed all Vale End information. The more sensational the tale, the more eagerly people seem to rush to experience it themselves.
Having lost one researcher after she visited Vale End, I don’t like putting others at risk, even if it’s the result of me saying don’t go there.
In addition, several TV programs featured Vale End, and it troubled me that so many people were not only breaking the law to investigate there at night; they treated the dangers like the whole thing was a joke. The anguished emails from some people, afterward… they were heartbreaking to read. Too late, they realized that I wasn’t kidding or making up tales.
However, since people continued to go there even after I’d removed the information, and I continued to receive requests for directions, etc., I compromised and restored some of the history to the website.
The foundation of my decisions is this: Vale End is haunted by ghosts. The “Blue Lady” is the most famous of them. However, Vale End also has energy that’s not ghostly but may be very, very dangerous.
HollowHill.com is about ghosts, not about… well, whatever that energy is, including the “Grovers.” So, I’m more comfortable keeping the non-ghostly information off the website.
Sincerely,
Fiona
i’ved lived in wilton my hole life. all i have seen is people that have Ben part of our town and a beautiful place to go and visit people from my past and the towns past its a wonderful place to go and visit.the only thing i have ever seen there that was scary is the biggest black snake i have ever seen in my life, it was like in a movie it was so big the thing had to be at least 12 ft long and 12″ around this thing could have eaten a sm dog/child/cat,
Hello Michelle,
Thanks for your comments. Regarding Wilton’s past, you may want to research the reasons why the town center was moved from the hill location to where it is now. It’s an interesting history.
The snake must have escaped from someone’s home or something. New England doesn’t usually have snakes of that size, but — now and then — one gets loose from a pet shop, a zoo, someone’s home or their camper.
Wilton is a lovely town with a rich history.
Sincerely,
Fiona Broome
I’ve been to Vale End a few times, and I always get a bad feeling about it. I have seen and heard things there that I can not explain. There is no doubt in my mind that Vale End is haunted, and that there is evil there.
I live in the Wilton area and I’ve been to Vale End a few times in the past over a few years ago before I read or heard anything about it (always fun to do ‘cold runs’ without preconceived ideas). I only just found this site as well when looking up an old fave of my ghost hunting family, the Tyng Mansion.
Anyway! Many orbs, many chills, but not much else during multiple nights at Vale End. Having better luck in many other places, I no longer visit there. I wanted to comment when I read your experiences abecause I wonder if, as you mentioned in a related article that people were doing “rituals” over the Ritter grave perhaps thats what’s called in the “grover” beings? I used to visit an abandonned house about 10 years ago that was simply haunted. I didn’t revisit for a couple of years and when I returned, dark, fear-inducing energy overtook our group. We found satanic symbols were etched on the walls at the back of the house and signs of possible rituals. Seemed a possibility for this place, which never seemed so sinister before. 
Regardless, after reading your articles, I will not be returning there even though it’s rather close. Not worth it. I’m glad you posted all the articles after all, because although some idiots might flock the place for such a story, many innocent hunters will now avoid it thanks to your experience being posted. Thank you.
I don’t plan on visiting Vale End after reading your warnings. As you’ve said, ghost hunting there isn’t worth risking your life. However, one thing seems to keep nagging at me. I cannot stop thinking about the spirit of the little boy. I am an Empath and a mother and for some reason, after reading that, I wish I could help the poor child. Do you think he is trapped there? Do you think that whatever the other phenomena that are not spirits are holding him there or causing him distress? I just feel such a sense of sadness at the thought of him not being able to cross over.
Jenna,
Thanks for deciding not to visit Vale End. I’m always concerned when people decide to visit that cemetery, particularly at dusk or after dark.
I don’t think the spirit of the little boy is trapped there. In my opinion, he may have unfinished business, but it’s not holding him here.
Though his energy may be residual (not an active, sentient haunting), it’s also possible that he’s still processing his options, and he’ll eventually let go of whatever brings him back to the cemetery.
Sincerely,
Fiona
I’ve visited Vale End dozens of times, at night AND during the day. I took a first date there and she ended up being my wife! Anyway, I’d always feel panicky there at night, but it’s the same feeling I get when I get myself all worked up over being in any scary place. Others have felt either total peace (during the day) or “Let’s get the heck outta here”. I like to frequent cemeteries at night to discourage cemetery vandals, for whom I think there is a special circle in hell. Another great, spooky cemetery that is highly overlooked is the North Cemetery in Lyndeborough. It’s extremely difficult to find, so that’s probably why it’s overlooked. There’s a grave belonging to a Mason that is sunken in the ground about a foot and a half, and there is no death date on the headstone, even though his date of birth was in the 1800′s. But I digress – I still believe there is something not-too-cool going on at Vale End, but I’ve never felt very in tune with the supernatural. I believe a lot, but I don’t experience a lot. I guess that’s what believing is all about. I would be very interested in joining a group with the possibility of other people’s energy drawing something in that I would normally not experience. Excellent site! Thanks.
Sincerely,
Tim K
I’ve been to the Vale End Cemetary many times. I grew up in the area, and was a skeptic when it came to ghosts or spirits of any kind. The first time I went, I was fifteen, and my friend and I ended up leaving very quickly. We were both terrified, and we went in the middle of the day. I went back again with my sister, and her best friend, and again, we all left completely terrified. We only went to look, and each time we went during the day, but still felt like something wanted us to get the heck out of there. So we did.
In spring 2006, my father passed away, and my families lot ended up being in Vale End Cemetary. Thats where my fathers ashes are. Ever since then, every time I go, I feel the same forbading feeling until I reach my father’s grave. Whenever I’m there, I feel safe, and protected for some reason. Like nothing can harm me as long as I’m near him.
I would never advise anyone to go there alone, during the day or night. If you’re going to go, you should always have someone with you. But for myself, I feel like I have nothing left to fear, and going to Vale End to talk to my father is now a pleasant and fufilling experience.
~Tiffany~
I went to Vale End with a close friend over the summer and I must say; DON’T GO AT NIGHT.
My friend wanted to go during the night but I told her it was best we go at day.
We picknicked in the clearing, explored the headstones, and placed a coin out of respect for the spirit of the Blue Lady.
Suddenly I sensed something powerful and negative, but it was dormant.
I do believe there is something evil there but since it was a bright day whatever it was happened to be “sleeping”
I plan to go back but ONLY during the day.
Do you have anymore info on the Native American spirits? Did you get to communicate with them at all?
I’d like to learn a little more about them.
You said your lead photographer died was she alone when she went there
Michael,
She was there with her daughter. Her daughter is still okay, though she was terrified after the encounter at Vale End.
Most people seem to survive the experience fine. Some don’t.
I just don’t see the point of seeing which way the coin flips, just for a thrill or even for serious paranormal research. There are plenty of other, local options.
Sincerely,
Fiona Broome
I went there once a few years ago. Didnt know anything about the place a friend had been there and wanted us all to go. we went at night. we made it to the blud lady’s stone and were there for a very short time i had my camera out the whole time taking pics and wasnt getting much but some orbs that were prob buggs nothing really scary … i took a picture of the trees and the shadows in the trees started to look like pictures … first a dog … then a child then a scary looking skull thats when i decided to tell my friends to be sure it wasnt just my mind playing tricks on me and when they all saw the same thing i was seeing everyone was ready to go we sat in the car for a a little bit arguing over who should get out and take more pictures of a certin area that was giving us a weird feeling and then took off we stopped at a gas station right down the road after and we parked up front of it and just as the car was put in park the car was hit with this creamy white stuff nothing but liquid hit the car and it was no where but on the car no one else was around except the cashire who was out for a butt break the stuff had to have come from the roof or … something else … the whole car was covered left side right side front and back we sat there with the clerk trying to figure it out for about 20 mins but not one of us came up with anything… we have gone other places both gilson rd and Blood and neither have EVER made me feel like this. but i went into this place not knowing the stories and still came out more freaked out then ever i cant say i ever want to go back.