The house on Green Street looked ordinary from the outside—just another council home in late 1970s London. But inside, the Hodgson family lived in fear.
It began with knocks on the walls. Furniture moved on its own. Toys hurled across rooms. At night, the children’s beds shook violently. One daughter was even seen levitating by terrified witnesses.
Reporters, police officers, and paranormal investigators all visited the house—and many walked away shaken. Others claimed it was all a hoax, a desperate family craving attention.
To this day, the Enfield Poltergeist remains one of the most hotly debated hauntings in history. Was it a genuine case of supernatural activity, or the greatest ghost story ever staged?
WHO (OR WHAT) WAS THE ENFIELD POLTERGEIST?
The “Enfield Poltergeist” refers to a series of alleged paranormal disturbances that plagued the Hodgson family between 1977 and 1979 in their home at 284 Green Street, Enfield, London.
The activity was centered around two of the children—Janet (age 11) and Margaret (age 13)—though the entire family reported strange events. Witnesses described classic poltergeist phenomena:
-
Knocking on walls and ceilings.
-
Furniture sliding and flipping over.
-
Objects flying across rooms.
-
Cold spots and sudden gusts of wind indoors.
-
Strange voices and growls, allegedly coming from Janet herself.
The case became the most famous haunting in Britain, drawing international press and later inspiring books, documentaries, and films—including The Conjuring 2.
ORIGINS & TIMELINE OF THE HAUNTING
The activity began in August 1977, when the children reported their beds shaking. Soon, furniture started moving by itself. The family called the police, who witnessed a chair sliding several feet across the floor with no explanation.
As the disturbances escalated, paranormal investigators Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) were brought in. They documented hundreds of incidents over 18 months.
Some of the most famous episodes include:
-
Levitation: Janet was reportedly seen floating above her bed, witnessed by multiple people.
-
The Voice: Janet began speaking in a deep, gravelly voice, claiming to be “Bill Wilkins,” a man who had died in the house years earlier. Recordings of the voice became one of the case’s most chilling pieces of evidence.
-
Flying Objects: Toys, marbles, and even heavy furniture were hurled across rooms.
-
Public Attention: British newspapers covered the story heavily, with photos of Janet seemingly mid-air fueling the frenzy.
The haunting quieted by 1979, though occasional activity was reported into the 1980s.
WHAT THE POLTERGEIST DID
The activity in Enfield went far beyond simple knocks and bangs. Witnesses described marbles and Lego bricks flying through the air at high speeds, sometimes hot to the touch when picked up. Doors slammed shut with such force that their frames splintered. Drawers opened on their own and clothing was thrown across rooms.
One of the most unsettling incidents involved heavy furniture sliding across the floor as if pushed by invisible hands. A chest of drawers was said to have moved nearly five feet and pinned one of the children against the wall. Attempts to push it back failed until the force relented on its own.
Janet, at the center of the storm, endured the most terrifying episodes. She was reportedly pulled from her bed by unseen hands, tangled in curtains, and once discovered stuck on top of a dresser as if dropped there. On multiple occasions, witnesses swore they saw her body rise several inches into the air before crashing back onto the mattress.
Even the family pets weren’t spared. The Hodgsons’ dog would bark and whine at empty corners, sometimes refusing to enter certain rooms.
The sheer variety of activity—physical assaults, strange voices, and flying objects—made the case stand out. Unlike a simple haunting, the Enfield disturbance seemed intelligent, playful at times, but also deeply malicious.
WITNESSES & EVIDENCE
The Enfield case was unusual because so many outsiders claimed to witness the phenomena.
-
Police Officers: A constable reported seeing a chair slide across the floor.
-
Neighbors: Several neighbors were called in to witness disturbances and confirmed strange events.
-
Reporters: Journalists from the Daily Mirror captured photographs of Janet appearing to levitate.
-
Investigators: Grosse and Playfair kept extensive notes and recordings, including 150 hours of tape documenting knocks, voices, and conversations with the supposed entity.
Perhaps the most infamous evidence was the “Bill Wilkins voice.” On tape, Janet spoke in a growling male tone, identifying himself as a man who had died in the house years earlier. Later, researchers confirmed that a man named Bill Wilkins had indeed died of a brain hemorrhage in the Green Street property.
THE WARRENS’ CONTROVERSIAL ROLE
One of the biggest pop culture connections to the Enfield case comes from Ed and Lorraine Warren, the American paranormal investigators made famous through The Conjuring films.
In The Conjuring 2, the Warrens are shown as central to the case—spending weeks in the Hodgson home, confronting demonic forces, and battling for the family’s safety. The truth, however, is more complicated.
Ed and Lorraine did travel to Enfield, but their involvement was brief. According to Guy Lyon Playfair, one of the lead investigators, the Warrens showed up uninvited and were only present for a day or two. Playfair later claimed the Warrens were more interested in promoting themselves than in serious investigation, and he dismissed their contributions to the case.
Lorraine Warren, however, insisted that she felt a strong demonic presence in the house, and in later years she and Ed often cited Enfield as one of the most memorable hauntings they had witnessed.
WHAT THE WARRENS SAID ABOUT ENFIELD
In interviews, Lorraine Warren described the Enfield house as “oppressed by something inhuman,” insisting that she felt a strong demonic presence during her visit. She claimed she could sense the evil almost immediately upon entering and believed that the Hodgson family was genuinely tormented.
Ed Warren took a firmer stance, calling it “one of the most terrifying experiences of our career.” He said the entity at Enfield was not a simple poltergeist but a true case of demonic infestation, with the children used as conduits. He also suggested that skeptics underestimated the sheer volume of activity and the emotional toll it took on the family.
Both Ed and Lorraine consistently defended the case as authentic, often citing it as one of the most convincing pieces of evidence that forces beyond our understanding exist.
Critics, however, argue that the Warrens overstated their involvement and dramatized their impressions for lectures and media appearances. Still, their statements—and Hollywood’s adoption of them—kept the Enfield haunting alive long after the activity subsided.
SKEPTICISM & CONTROVERSY
Not everyone was convinced. Skeptics argued that the case was riddled with exaggerations and trickery.
-
Caught Faking: On several occasions, Janet admitted to faking minor activity “to see if the investigators would catch her.” Critics argue this undermines the entire case.
-
Levitation Photos: Skeptics point out that the famous “levitation” photos could simply be Janet jumping from her bed.
-
The Voice: Experts claimed the growling voice could be produced through vocal cord manipulation—a trick some ventriloquists can achieve.
-
Media Frenzy: Some believe the Hodgsons exaggerated the haunting to gain attention or financial support.
Even within the SPR, some members remained unconvinced. Playfair himself admitted not all incidents could be proven, but insisted too much remained unexplained to dismiss the case entirely.
MODERN ENCOUNTERS & LEGACY
Decades later, the Enfield house remains a point of fascination. Current residents have reported no major disturbances, though they are often approached by journalists and paranormal enthusiasts.
The case’s legacy endures through pop culture:
-
Documentaries like The Enfield Poltergeist (2023, Apple TV+) revisit the case with original recordings.
-
The Conjuring 2 (2016) brought the haunting to a global audience, though heavily dramatized.
-
Paranormal forums continue to debate the validity of the events, with believers citing the sheer number of witnesses, and skeptics pointing to human trickery.
What keeps the Enfield Poltergeist alive is not just the events themselves, but the lingering question: why did so many people swear they saw the impossible?
SIMILAR SPIRITS & CASES AROUND THE WORLD
The Enfield haunting is far from the only poltergeist case on record. Similar reports appear worldwide:
-
The Bell Witch (Tennessee, USA, 1817–1821): A violent haunting where a family claimed to be tormented by a spirit that spoke, cursed, and physically assaulted them. President Andrew Jackson reportedly visited and left terrified.
-
The Rosenheim Poltergeist (Germany, 1967): A lawyer’s office plagued by exploding lightbulbs, swinging lamps, and burned-out electronics. Witnessed by dozens, including engineers and police.
-
The Amherst Mystery (Nova Scotia, Canada, 1878): Centered on teenager Esther Cox, who suffered violent fits, spontaneous fires, and mysterious writing on walls attributed to spirits.
-
The Black Monk of Pontefract (England, 1960s): Britain’s other most famous haunting, where poltergeist activity included pools of water, violent shaking, and apparitions of a hooded figure.
The Smurl Haunting (Pennsylvania, USA, 1970s): Another infamous case investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Smurl family claimed years of torment from a malicious entity that combined poltergeist activity with physical assaults.
Like Enfield, these cases often focus on adolescents, particularly young girls—leading some psychologists to suggest that poltergeist activity is a subconscious expression of stress or trauma. But whether psychological or supernatural, the parallels are difficult to ignore.
HOW TO SURVIVE A POLTERGEIST
Legends and folklore provide grim survival tips for those unlucky enough to live through poltergeist activity:
-
Stay Calm: Poltergeists are said to feed on fear and chaos.
-
Remove the Victim: Many cases center on a specific person. Separating them sometimes stops the activity.
-
Religious Intervention: Blessings, prayers, or exorcisms are often attempted, with varying results.
-
Avoid Media Frenzy: Investigators suggest too much outside attention can escalate activity—or encourage hoaxes.
-
Move Away: Sadly, the most reliable solution in folklore is relocation.
The Hodgsons tried all of these with mixed results. Some claimed only time ended the disturbances.
POP CULTURE REFERENCES
The Enfield Poltergeist has been immortalized in books, TV, and film:
-
The Conjuring 2 (2016): Dramatized version of events, with Ed and Lorraine Warren as central characters.
-
BBC’s Ghostwatch (1992): A fictional broadcast inspired by Enfield, so convincing it caused panic among viewers.
-
Apple TV+ The Enfield Poltergeist (2023): Four-part docuseries using original audio tapes with dramatic reenactments.
-
Books: Guy Lyon Playfair’s This House is Haunted (1980) remains the most detailed firsthand account.
The case has also inspired countless paranormal documentaries, ghost-hunting shows, and even skeptics’ debunking specials.
CLOSING
The Enfield Poltergeist divides believers and skeptics to this day. For some, it’s the best-documented haunting in history, supported by recordings, photos, and dozens of witnesses. For others, it’s a clever hoax—children playing tricks that spiraled out of control under media scrutiny.
But whether real or fake, the story endures. Because at its heart, the Enfield Poltergeist taps into a deeper fear: the idea that our homes—our most private, safe places—can be invaded by something unseen, something we cannot control.
So if you hear a knock on the wall at night, and the furniture creaks as though something unseen is watching—ask yourself: is it just the house settling? Or have you let the Enfield Poltergeist in?
Enjoyed this story?
Urban Legends, Mystery, and Myth explores the creepiest corners of folklore — from haunted objects and backroad creatures to mysterious rituals and modern myth.
Want even more terrifying tales?
Discover our companion book series, Urban Legends and Tales of Terror, featuring reimagined fiction inspired by the legends we cover here.
Post a Comment