The Philippa Davies interview: talking to the creator of Burials and Beyond
‘I suppose I spend more time thinking on the nature of ghosts, aliens and death than most people,’ says Kate Cherrell, writer, broadcaster and researcher.
She’s a serious academic who believes in ghosts; a former cemetery manager who still can’t keep away from graveyards; an expert on Victorian death rites, a ‘seen-it-all’ paranormal investigator and witty public speaker.
In other words, Kate is the perfect guide to the realm of subjective reality, unearthly spirits and shadowy beliefs.
Her website is like an online Aladdin’s cave for anyone interested in lifting the veil and exploring the ‘other side.’
Here you will be able to delve into the realm of haunted buildings, seances, traditions and beliefs about death and the afterlife, the occult, ancient standing stones, folklore and myth, alien visitations and psychic phenomena.
Her work is not just confined to the UK but looks at phenomena from all over the world. There are also several detailed and entertaining descriptions of Kate’s own visits to churches and cemeteries around Britain.
She tells the stories of their history and architecture which allows her to highlight some unique quirks and curiosities.
Kate says she ‘can usually be found lurking in cemeteries, archives, haunted houses, darkened rooms, or antiques shops’ – but she can also be seen on TV shows (Unexplained: Caught on Camera and the Haunted Homecoming series).
‘A strange flow chart’
Her work has appeared in several magazines and newspapers, she has a Buried and Beyond podcast on Patreon, and she is a frequent guest at festivals, conferences and other events focusing on the weird and supernatural.
She compares her own life story to ‘a strange flow chart’ in which the pursuit of her personal interests led to unusual jobs, specialist academic study and – now – a unique and multi-dimensional career.
‘Growing up, I was fascinated by the paranormal and all things unexplained,’ she says. ‘I’d pore over my grandad’s books on ghosts and aliens, taking the whole affair terribly seriously, much to the chagrin of my schoolmates.’
‘I’d also accompany him to the local cemetery twice a week, so I grew up with graves and memorials being an unremarkable part of everyday life.’
‘Later, I continued my interests in academia, eventually dedicating myself to 19th century Gothic literature and paranormal history, gaining multiple degrees and a PhD in the process.’
‘Today, writing and speaking about ‘life, death, and whatever’s next’ is my full-time job! Before I became fully self-employed, I worked with bats and in a cemetery, both of which seem to gain me a staggering amount of goth cred!’
‘With the former, I was a field ecologist, conducting bat surveys, and other protected species, and gathering data on roost populations for contractors. I also worked as a duty manager in a large Victorian cemetery, which sounds far grander than it was in reality!’
‘I grew up with graves and memorials being an unremarkable part of everyday life.’ Image: Chemival / Shutterstock.
‘I continue to fall desperately in love with folklore’
‘A lot of my work involved monitoring the site, wrangling visitors, supervising funerals and weddings and generally making sure the living enjoyed their time on site – the dead are far easier to keep tabs on.’
She started Burials and Beyond a few years ago ‘as an outlet for me to explore and document my love of burial sites, folklore and curious histories, seeing it as a very personal project with no thought of a real audience’.
‘I’ve always been slightly obsessed with documenting things – even as a child, our family holidays had to include a trip to a cemetery where I’d fill up precious camera space with countless photographs of graves and monuments.’
‘At the beginning, I wrote about what I had to hand and what I’d recently visited, but it quickly expanded as a place for me to explore all manner of histories and strange tales.’
‘I continue to fall desperately in love with folklore, cultural identities and the eccentricities of life and death, so my own curiosity keeps me knee-deep in research projects!’
Burials and Beyond doesn’t (currently) feature any ghost sightings or paranormal stories from Devon and Cornwall – but the area does feature in much of Kate’s other work.
‘I’ve been fortunate enough to write several articles on Devonshire folklore over the years – not many people can say they’ve been researching ‘Hairy Hands’ for work purposes!’
‘Devonshire is one of few counties that has a unique relationship with its folklore and ancient tales; they’re very much a living, secondary history, inspiring generations of creatives.’
‘I personally have a soft spot for pixies, knockers and the fae; gnome-like creatures that worked alongside Devonshire miners.’
‘I’ve written a handful of articles chronicling the underground mischief caused by such beings, and remain fascinated by these humanoid creatures that both assist and harass their human workmates.’
‘I’ve also recently written about ‘The Devil’s Footprints,’ a curious phenomenon, where in 1955, nearly 100 miles of mysterious hoofprints were found in heavy snowfall.’
‘A place for me to explore all manner of histories’
‘I’m planning to visit Kitty Jay’s grave this year – arguably Devonshire’s most famous burial – and pay my respects to the poor soul buried at the crossroads.’
‘I’m in the middle of compiling a book of England’s most unusual graves, so ‘Jay’s Grave’ has to be in there.’’
Kate is also a paranormal investigator, although she doesn’t publish her findings. She has attended ‘ghost hunt experience’ events and private, scientific explorations of locations where paranormal activity has been reported.
‘Most occurrences are small and fleeting, but leave a lasting impression.’ Image: Andreiuc88 / Shutterstock
‘I’ve seen everything from shadow figures to unseen hands pulling women’s hair,’ she says. ‘Most occurrences are small and fleeting, but leave a lasting impression.’
‘I’ve also seen my fair share of fakes, as being hyper-aware of your surroundings makes most people rather eagle-eyed; I’ve seen more fake mediums and knocked tables than I’ve had hot dinners!’
‘An unwelcome lodger’
‘However, my most profound experiences happened in childhood, when a family member moved into an ordinary, relatively modern house that turned out to have an unwelcome lodger.
‘For three years, I spent many nights there, experiencing strange occurrences that we could never explain – strange smells, lights, huge glowing shapes in the middle of the day, footsteps, strange shadows, moving objects and eventually, the full figure of a man.’
‘Things were so bad, that we’d only go upstairs in pairs and keep all doors open at all times. Unlike many ‘ghost stories’ where people live alongside spirits for years, we got out as soon as we could and never looked back!’
While much of the paranormal is rooted in past history and long-lost lives, the subject itself is very much alive and well at the moment.
The success of Danny Robins’s ‘Uncanny’, which started as a BBC podcast and developed into a stage show and TV series, would suggest a resurgence of interest in the world of spirits and unexplained phenomena, along with a much greater willingness to acknowledge and explore it.
‘I feel there was a big cultural shift during the pandemic; when people were faced with reminders of their own mortality, they were forced to think about death and the great hereafter,’ explains Kate.
‘Simultaneously, everyone was spending far more time at home than usual, and so interacted with their houses in different ways – what was once a sanctuary became a place of strange creaks and noises, and many people reported seeing and feeling an unfamiliar presence in their house.’
‘This unique melting pot of unimaginable circumstances created the perfect storm for paranormal media to take hold.’
Crop circles: ‘they’ve had a firm place in my heart since childhood, and I’ll continue to visit them with glee.’ Image: DaveO / Shutterstock.
The paranormal: ‘links us to a simpler past’
‘The paranormal certainly links us to a simpler past, one free from the stresses of a contemporary digital world, so becomes a popular outlet for anyone seeking escapism and community.’
But while Danny Robins keeps an open mind on the paranormal – while inviting his audience to identify as ‘Team Believer’ or ‘Team Sceptic’ – Kate thinks past lives can and do manifest themselves, beyond the death of their human form.
‘I think I confuse a lot of people! I’m rather dry and rational in much of my work, celebrating history and folktales as important social histories, so people don’t necessarily expect me to actually believe in ghosts.’
‘Not many people straddle the line between academia and paranormal investigator, so I’m happy to be one of few. While sometimes I do step over into ‘woo-woo’ territory a little too much, I soon right myself, like one big, spooky boat.’
‘Personally, I believe that ghosts are real, and relate to the souls of deceased people, but can also be impressions of actions and emotions, embedded into the fabric of everyday life.’
‘I’m constantly changing my opinions on aliens and UFO phenomena, but I do believe that other intelligent life exists in the universe; with an infinity stretching out before us, it seems rather arrogant to think we’re alone out there.’
‘Whether that intelligent life takes the form of little green men or flying monkeys from Venus is another matter entirely!’
‘As for crop circles, although they’re widely debunked, they’ve had a firm place in my heart since childhood, and I’ll continue to visit them with glee.’
