Folklore & legend

The lost village of Radley and its bells

Valley south east of Halam

Tudor-era village; tradition undated

LeftLion's 2017 ghost-hunting list gives Halam, near Southwell, a lost village legend. In a valley to the south east of the village there once stood Radley, a village said to date to Tudor times that vanished centuries ago. On quiet nights, according to the legend, its church bells can be heard ringing from beneath the valley.

The article gives no date or cause for the village's disappearance and cites no witnesses. Ringing bells from a drowned or buried village are a widespread type of folktale in English folklore, and many deserted medieval villages carry one. I could not find a map reference or an independent record of a settlement called Radley here, so whether a real deserted village lies behind the story is unconfirmed.

The pin is approximate and sits in the valley south east of Halam as described.

Evidence
Dubious
Access
Access unrecorded
Location
53.076, -0.983 (Parish-level only, treat as an area)

Sources: LeftLion, "5 Places to go Ghost Hunting in Nottinghamshire" [other]

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