Most ghost stories are of the human variety, but the village of Havering-atte-Bower in the London Borough of Havering, North-East of the given coordinates, has a chilling tale about a spectral hound. The Dagnam Park estate, once the site of a magnificent mansion, is said to be haunted by the ghost of an immense, jet-black hound. The spectral creature, known as the ‘Black Shuck’, is a common theme in English folklore, representing an omen of death. This beast at Havering-atte-Bower, however, has its own peculiar narrative. The story dates back to the 18th century, when a local squire named Richard ‘Dickie’ Bouchier owned the mansion at Dagnam Park. Bouchier was an avid hunter, with his favourite companion being a mammoth black hound. The pair were inseparable, and terrifyingly effective on the hunt. One icy winter’s day, Bouchier and his hound went out on the icy moors for a hunt but they never returned. Their bodies were found days later, frozen in the snow. The villagers buried Bouchier in the local churchyard, but the body of the hound was cast into a well. Since then, cries of the beast can be heard emanating from the well, particularly on bitter winter nights. The heartrending howls send shivers down the spines of those who hear them, reminding them of the squire and his loyal companion’s tragic end. Even today, many local people refuse to venture near Dagnam Park after dark, fearing an encounter with the ghostly Black Shuck. This tale serves as a reminder of the unbreakable bond between a man and his faithful canine friend, even in death.