In the small rural place of Blackmore End, near Braintree in Essex, a chilling story that has been passed down generation to generation still gives a chill to local inhabitants. Local folklore tells the tale of a phantom coach which is seen racing at breakneck speeds along the narrow lanes of the village, terrifying anyone who stands in its path. This ghostly coach of Blackmore End is said to appear on nights when there is a full moon, always at midnight. The story goes back to the early 1900s when a local squire was out driving his coach in the late hours of the night. The squire was reportedly drunk, and in his intoxicated state, he lost his direction. He drove the coach off the road, causing a terrible accident that killed both him and his horses. Since then, it is believed that the squire’s spirit is forever doomed to ride his coach over and over on the same road where he met his tragic end. Descriptions of the ghostly coach vary. Some locals say that the coach is pulled by a team of four black horses while others say that it appears in a flash of fire and disappears just as quickly. The story becomes eerier the more you delve into it. It is said that the squire is not alone in his eternal ride. Some villagers have reported seeing the ghost of a woman sitting beside him on the coach. Her identity is unknown to date. Despite the modernisation and changes within Blackmore End, the legend of the Ghostly Coach endures. While sightings are reported less frequently now, even the faintest possibility of the phantom coach keeps the tale alive and a sense of fear in the hearts of residents.