Most Haunted Return to Pendle Hill Review

Introduction

On Thursday the 14th of September 2023, the Most Haunted team released a brand new episode of Most Haunted to their official YouTube channel. The episode is called 'Most Haunted Return to Pendle Hill', and I will be conducting a thorough review within this blog post. As a quick disclaimer, I try to always be fair in anything I discuss on my blog, and I always make sure to discuss both the positives and negatives to something I have seen. That being said, I can't see there being many negatives discussed in this post. 

First I will go through a run through of the episode while making comments on various things which happen, and then I wil provide a summary of my thoughts along with a summary of activity featured at the end of this post. I haven't transcribed anything from this episode, however I will be quoting where I deem necessary. 

The Opening

Firstly we are treated to a card saying 'the following programme is definitely NOT for entertainment purposes only. We stand by the legitimacy of this investigation', and I view this as the episode already getting off to a great start. I know in the past Yvette has voiced her concerns over Most Haunted being labelled as 'for entertainment purposes only', and it isn't uncommon for these kinds of programmes to be ruled as such, so I really liked the fact they right from the start have said it is a real investigation, and that they stand by their results. It gives the team accountability, and so the episode that bit more credibility. 

The card then changes to another card which is only up briefly to advertise Yvette's new book about the pendle witches, and then we are into the iconic Most Haunted opening sequence. Some black and white images of the area are then shown, accompanied by music which reminds me of the horror game 'Dead by Daylight', and then after a cool transition from black and white to colour, we are greeted by Yvette Fielding. Yvette is the lead investigator of the Most Haunted team, and provides good commentary about the location they will be investigating. She informs us that it is an ancient farmhouse which is 'alledgedly' haunted. This commentary is followed by more dramatic black and white images which show glimpses of what we are going to witness before we get more information telling us that the location they have dubbed 'the witches cottage' was once a possible courtroom where local trials took place, and that it was possibly a place of execution before it was converted into a home. 

Yvette tells us through narration that the cottage is empty and that 'dark shadows, strange noises, screams, and moans' have been experienced within the location, along with poltergeist activity. She also says there is a dark entity there which doesn't like people in its home. This is all really good and effective build up, although a tad over dramatic, but I do appreciate the build up is done mainly through intense music and really good imagery rather than random clips of screaming and people yelling 'what was that?' as is the usual for these kinds of programmes. I also really like the fact Yvette says the location is 'alledgedly' haunted. It is a location they've never been to before, and so while you want to believe the stories, you can only trust the evidence you gather and so Yvette was absolutely right not to hype it up as being an extremely active location. Yes, she lists what she's been told could happen, but she acknowledges that is what people say happens, not what will definitely happen.

The Walkaround

At the start of every good investigation, ideally the lead investigator will do a walkaround of the property to get a feel of the place before the investigation begins. This time can be spent identifying particularly active rooms, such as what they do in the series 'Help! My House is Haunted', or it can be done just to discuss the history of rooms and know the layout, just as what Yvette does in this episode. She is accompanied by someone I am unfamiliar with and haven't yet discussed in my post discussing the Most Haunted team. After doing a little bit of research, I have found out that his name is Glen Hunt. Glen is discussed on IMDB as being an open minded skeptic who is a BBC radio presenter, and that it is through this profession that he came to meet Yvette. A minor criticism of the programme here is that ideally it would have names and professions on the screen when a person is introduced, but that is neither here nor there. 

What is brilliant, during Yvette and Glen's conversation as they enter the building, is that they discuss how 'alledgedly' one of the witches had a connection to the property, and that 'alledgedly it's haunted'. All of this emphasis on nothing being certain or proven is fantastic to see. This kind of approach should be standard practice in paranormal investigating, and so it's great to see the Most Haunted team having that approach here. Yvette and Glen then move into the kitchen area where Yvette brings up a really good theory. She says she believes the kitchen and staircase will likely be the most active areas for activity due to them being the 'hub of the family home'. She also mentions 'memory hauntings' and 'stone tape theory' which is really good use of jargon in relation to her theory. It shows she knows what she is talking about. She also mentions they could possibly hear voices in these areas of the property. 

As Yvette and Glen walk up the stairway, they have an excellent discussion regarding the trope of haunted stairs, and that they have on countless occasions heard of people falling to their death, or being pushed to their death. They also note this kind of trope usually is within stately homes, and that they are not in a stately home, so it would be interesting to see if the staircase is any less active in the cottage. It's good to see investigators pointing out well known tropes like this as it puts aside what could be nothing more than just a trope in ghost stories. 

They then say that the previous owner has said stuff gets moved around on the hallway at the top of the stairs, and so Glen says it would be a good idea to place a trigger object and a camera at the top of the stairs just to test if that is the case. Already by this point I'm really liking Glen's involvement. He seems very level headed and rational, and is questioning things along with providing good tips for investigating. Further backing up my view on Glen, as he mentions a little boy has been seen by people, he also acknowledges it could just be a figment of the imagination. This is really good acknowledgement, and is something I don't often see be done by investigators. Even as Yvette says about the place having an incredible atmosphere to it, Glen says it could be 'partly psychological because of where we are and we know the history of where we're at'. This shows not only is Glen willing to challenge what they've heard from people about the property, but he is also willing to challenge Yvette. This, to me, makes Glen a fantastic member of the team.

Yvette then mentions her new book while they talk, and I don't mind her mentioning it here as I feel she does so to add further emphasis on how knowledgeable she is. She says she's done lots of research about the pendle witches and the area for her book, so I think it isn't out of place for her to mention the book as it boosts her own credibility when it comes to discussing historical information. Speaking of which, she mentions a number of locations from the story of the pendle wotches such as Malkin Tower, York, and Lancaster Castle. She then mentions her book again before saying she hopes for them to make contact with Jennet Preston, one of the accused pendle witches. 

This is then when Yvette and Glen stop talking and Yvette points out that they can hear someone knocking. Listening to this footage with headphones on at full volume, you can very clearly hear the knocking. The knocking is very clear and does begin while Yvette and Glen are still talking to one another. They then keep talking and speculate about a big wooden beam which stretches across the room, and they question if any hangings could have occured there. It is a good discussion, and Yvette even references the Skirrid Inn in Wales, further showing her extensive knowledge on the paranormal. The knocking can be heard throughout the entire conversation, and when Yvette asks if the beam was used for hangings and many knocks can be heard, Glen says that could be many spirits answering the same question due to them establishing a rule of two knocks for yes, one knock for no. 

What I will say is absolutely brilliant here is that Karl then does a full sweep of the upstairs area to show there is no one up there with them, and that there is no one on the other side of any walls. The footage he captures is shown alongside footage of Yvette and Glen still discussing the location, so you can see where everyone is at the time. I'm also impressed with how thorough Karl was during his sweep as he made sure to show the insides of all cupboards he could see. Going to this kind of effort to show you aren't faking things really is rare to see on these kinds of programmes, and I was extremely impressed that they did this. One criticism from me here though is that the episode wasn't live. As the episode isn't live, you don't know where there could be any possible cuts to hide things. This whole segment where Karl does his sweep does seem like one shot though and you can see where the footage overlaps when Karl starts looking into a cupboard, as when Yvette and Glen leave their room they see Karl looking into that cupboard. Another criticism is that they had two cameras in the room when the knocking was happening, and while Karl does his sweep you don't see him or the other cameraman until the very end of the sweep. You should always try and have everyone present in your shots, and this is a point I will mention again later. The team also discusses the possibility of doing EVPs, but unfortunately they don't do this. So far though, I'm really impressed with how the team conducted their walkaround.

The Investigation

At the start of the investigation Yvette says 'in what I am now calling the witches cottage', a good acknowledgement of the fact they have merely dubbed the location as the witches cottage, not that it was once legitimately a witches cottage. She also says they've got a ouija board out, and that they've also put out some cat balls and an emf meter. The team also put a small child's bike at the top of the stairs along with a light up toy ball to act as trigger objects, as mentioned during the walkaround. An alarm sensor is also mentioned, but this is the one and only time anyone makes reference to it. It is also mentioned that a go pro has been set up looking towards the bike so that if it does move then they will catch it on camera. It is also said that 'the ghost of a little boy has been seen here, also the ghost of a gentleman called David is associated with this house'. I'm not sure why it's taken until now to mention David, but he isn't mentioned again. 

It is established that the team consists of five people, these being Yvette, Karl, Stuart, Glen, and Gregg. Gregg Smith is another person I am unfamiliar with, but from searching about him online it seems he's often just a cameraman for the programme. It's good that the team is so small as that makes it incredibly easy to keep track of where everyone is, and to keep track of who is moving when. This means you can easily determine if any noises are made by the members of the team. This leads me on to the next section of the programme where some really good and clear audio is captured. Karl is near to the top of the stairs, near where the bike is, and the rest of the team is still downstairs. This is when Karl calls to the team and says he can hear footsteps, which you can hear on the camera. Karl says to Yvette 'if you want to stay down there and listen', and tells her to stay at the bottom of the stairs, while the noises are being captured. This is all done really well as noise from the team is kept at a minimum while they listen to the footsteps. 

Yvette tries calling out to the little boy and tells him there is a bike there to play with, but then a noise is heard from the kitchen so all team members make their way there to see what the noise was. This is when a big event happens. A door, which was leaning against a wall in the hallway to the kitchen, falls. Gregg, Yvette, and Stuart are left in the kitchen on one side of the door, and Karl and Glen are on the other side. Unfortunately you don't get a clear shot that shows the door go from stationary to moving, so there is no way of knowing if Stuart accidentally nudged it on his way past, or if his steps caused it to fall. There is a brief shot earlier in the episode which shows how much of a slant the door is on, and it looks decent, but when lifting it back up the door does look like it will fall again. The base is then moved which gives it more of a slant before any replication attempts take place. I don't think the door incident is dealt with in the best way, but I don't believe it was in any way rigged. 

Regarding not believing it was rigged, I've experienced similar things myself but on a smaller scale. For these experiences I was left not knowing for sure if it was gravity doing its thing, or if it was maybe vibrations, but the timing seemed too odd for it to be these things. This is the same kind of thing here, and that's even acknowledged by Karl who says the door will have been there for a long time, and he even points out they'll already have walked past it a few times before it fell during their investigation. I also appreciate they showed the footage Gregg caught with his camera, but unfortunately he doesn't capture much as he was the first through to the kitchen. Ideally he would have filmed everyone walk through the hallway, but that's an easy critique to make with hindsight. 

A good theory is discussed regarding the noise luring them into the kitchen as it is suggested perhaps the noise was bait to lead them into a trap with the door. I think this is a little fantastical, but it is what happened. They heard a noise, they approached the noise, and a door nearly fell on Stuart as a result. It's an interesting sequence of events, and I feel the team didn't overreact to such activity happening. Stuart then asks if they ever established what the noise in the kitchen was, and after a brief bit of disagreeing over what it could be, Gregg says he'll film from the other side of the door just in case it does fall again and then they'll catch the whole thing on camera. It doesn't fall again, likely as Stuart had moved it to put a proper angle on it, but it is still good that Gregg does what I've just said he arguably should have done before the door fell. 

After all of the door incident, Karl then says he has seen someone outside looking in through the window. His camera was pointing right at the windows before he said this, and during the time he says this, but despite all of my rewinding and pausing, you can't see the face he claims to see. You can, however, see a light source in the middle window. The window to the left of the middle one has a light which seems to be from Karls camera, but the middle window contains a wierd dull light which is roughly the same height Karl says he saw the face. Had Karl said the middle window, I would assume this odd shape you see is what he saw, but when Stuart tries to replicate what Karl saw and goes to the middle window, Karl says it definitely wasn't the middle window and that it was the next one along. I have said in my last Most Haunted post that I am particularly skeptical of Karl, and so through this segment I was thinking 'here we go' due to him seeing something no one else saw, and it was something he didn't capture on camera despite the camera pointing to it. Especially as he then seems jumpy and asks if the person next to him just touched him. This being said, I will give him benefit of the doubt. This is because while he is saying that he really doesn't like the place, and that he thinks the child is something pretending to be a child, he then says he heard a noise. Usually here I would be extremely skeptical of Karl, but the noise is caught on camera. It is also replayed and enhanced. 

The noise you can hear sounds, to me, a little like wind moving through a gap, kind of like a brief high pitched tone. When Stuart went outside to replicate the face at the window, you do see that the weather outside doesn't look particularly calm, and so this noise could have been wind. Personally, I don't think it was though due to how brief it was. Either way, this noise makes it seem like Karl isn't making things up which is fantastic as it leads me on to discuss what I think Karl experienced, and why it wasn't caught on camera. I believe that one method of spirit communication is psychic projection. Through this method a spirit will place an image into your head which can be so vivid it seems like you're actually seeing that image in real life. I believe the spirit may have been trying to appear to the group, but the closest it could manage is psychically projecting an image of itself at the window to Karl. I believe this method also happens to Yvette later on in the episode while she is doing the table tipping. If psychic projection is the case, then it would explain why no one else saw it, not even the camera. Another good point which happens here in the investigation is that Yvette points out that her stomache is making noises. If the team wanted to fake stuff, they wouldn't point out things like this, they would just react as though it was a random noise somewhere in the house. 

The team then goes upstairs, and each time they go up or downstairs they overlay the go pro footage. This is good as it shows they aren't accidentally moving the bike or ball they've got positioned up there. Once upstairs, the team moves into the room where they heard the knocking during the walkaround. They mention being able to smell cigarette smoke, which they mention happens on and off. This is interesting phenomena, and I'm not sure why they don't investigate it further due to the smell not being a constant as it would be if it was their due to a previous occupant having been a smoker. I assume its because they want to keep the narrative to the pendle witches, but as investigators they should investigate any and all phenomena they encounter. 

There is then some debate which occurs over if people were hung in the room as it used to be a court, and then the knocking begins again. Glen moves away from the wall as during this time he is close to the wall with his hands behind his back. It's good that he does this, and even holds his hands up to show the knocking isn't him, and the knocking does continue. There is another reference to the Skirrid Inn in Wales, and some good speculation on if the building they are in once had no walls or upper floor so that people would stand on the ground floor and be able to witness hangings from the beam. Again, due to how clear the knocking is, Stuart takes his camera through to the next room to show there is no one there doing it, and the footage is once again played over the footage of Yvette and Karl. It's really good that this is done again, although it's a shame that Stuart wasn't as thorough as Karl was earlier. 

I also think that Stuart should have filmed Gregg. As you can see in the above image, Stuart is filming Yvette and Karl despite Gregg capturing everyone aside himself on camera. Really, one camera should be used for this team shot, and the other should be used to capture what the cameraman behind the team shot is doing. I'm aware this may not be possible due to lights and night vision, but ideally every single investigator would be on camera at the same time. This way we know for sure it isn't the cameraman knocking on things. I doubt it was though as if he was to knock on things, I'm assuming the camera would have wobbled with each audible knock. 

Yvette then says she feels really cold as they're having a Q&A with who they believe is Jennet Preston, one of the pendle witches. Gregg asks the really good question 'if she was hanged in York, why would she be here?' Which I'm impressed with as that is direct questioning of what the team could be communicating with. Usually once a team gets an idea into their head, they don't question it like this. The answer provided by Yvette and Karl is that 'she was from the area' which, for me, isn't that convincing. It does all depend though on your own thoughts as to why a spirit haunts a particular location. I believe all it takes is for the spirit to have visited the location at least once and exerted a good amount of energy while there. From this logic, it is more than possible for Jennet to be there, especially as she says Malkin Tower, the place her amongst other witches met up, was close to the building. 

Karl then makes a point about witchcraft, and that he absolutely believes it works. He says they've tried something in the past relating to spells which worked twice, but that he doesn't want to go into it. He also says they payed the consequences. I really think Karl should have said what it was they tried. Without this information, it kind of makes it seem like he's just saying stuff. This is another neither here nor there point though as it doesn't effect the quality of their investigation, I just think it's important for investigators to back up what they say. He does make a good point though about it being the 'power of thought' which makes it work. I absolutely believe what he says here, and the knocking intensifies as he says this which Yvette says is Jennet agreeing with him. 

There is also lots of banging in response to hearing the names Noel and Bromley, the witch finder and judge for the pendle witches. This is when Yvette mentions her book again and says 'I know this sounds like a big promotion and it's not meant to be'. She proceeds to ask the spirit about her book saying 'it's almost like you put the idea of the book that I've just written in my head'. The spirit does respond with two knocks here, meaning yes. I find this interesting. I don't think Yvette should have mentioned her book here, or gone into detail over what happens in her book, but it is kind of relevant with what she's saying and with what responses they are getting. The really interesting thing here is that the spirit says yes to putting the book in Yvettes head. It could all just be one big book promotion, or it could be legitimate, and if it is legitimate then I believe this is showing one of two possible occurrences. Either the spirit is just saying yes to freak out Yvette, or spirits can influence the living in more ways than we currently acknowledge. It is possible that through psychic projection a spirit could place thoughts into your head. It's already believed a spirit can manipulate your emotions, so if you combine that with mental images then its entirely possible for a spirit to inspire someone to do something such as write a book. If you think about it, it is kind of how the bible exists. My speculation on this is still in very early stages, so probably sounds utterly bizarre, but this part of the programme definitely does raise interesting questions.

The team then goes back downstairs after what is a significant bout of extremely clear and loud knocking. As they go downstairs, Yvette stops and says she heard a noise. This noise is caught on the camera, and sounds like a female breathing outwards. Yvette's face is on the camera as this happens, and she turns during the noise, so I don't think it was her as the noise is too constant through her turn. She does replicate it quite well though, and it kind of sounds a little like scratching on a camera. 

Once downstairs, Karl says he's drained, and Yvette suggests that they split up. A knock is then heard in the next room,  which distracts them all from splitting up, and a camera is immediately taken in there to show the room is empty. I really do like all of the effort the team puts in to show they aren't faking things. 

It is here that the team decides to give the ouija board a try. Yvette makes a comment that the glass might not be great to use, but they give it a go anyway. Glen makes an excellent point that they won't get Jennet on the board due to her not being able to speak modern English, and likely wouldn't have been able to read. This is a point rarely mentioned about spirits, and would explain why you don't always get activity with a ouija board. At first there is no clear movement of the glass, but then you can hear some creaking and squeaking. The glass even moves a bit, and it tilts and jumps when it gets stuck. I would say this is really good evidence as it doesn't look like anyone is putting enough pressure on the glass with their finger to make it jump like this when it gets stuck.

Yvette then swaps out the glass for a planchette, which is understandable as far as trying to get words goes, but I think the glass moving in such a forced way was fantastic evidence and more convincing than the planchette moving. However, it was really good to see everyone use the back of their finger to maintain connection with the planchette. Its much harder to move a planchette this way, so this method was good to see. 

Due to not getting much on the ouija board, as Glen had suspected, Yvette then suggests once more that they all split up. A ting can be heard as Yvette mentions the bike, but this is quickly debunked by someone claiming it was them. Again, it's really good seeing the team take accountability for these random noises they make, especially with the ting as that could very easily have been claimed as paranormal activity. Some knocking does occur when Yvette talks about the bike. She also says that the door 'nearly crushed Stuart's head to death' when referring to the door incident. I really don't like this over exaggeration of events, but again, to me this comment doesn't effect the overall investigation. All this means is Yvette may overexaggurate when describing certain noises, but this has been shown to not be the case from when she did a great job of replicating the noise on the stairs earlier. 

Karl then says to split up, and so Yvette send him and Stuart upstairs as they usually get good stuff together. She also tells Karl that the location is reminding her of East Drive, which is an interesting reference which is given no context at all. It does further boast her credentials though as an investigator. 

As Stuart and Karl head upstairs, Stuart says he feels drained. It is important to note here that a number of orbs can be seen throughout the episode, but the team never point them out, not even over narration. I appreciate this as you never know with orbs, especially with such an old building. Point out an orb and unless it is really bizarre in movement, chances are it will just be dust or a fly/moth. So, I appreciate them not pointing out orbs here. 

Stuart mentions a draught and asks Karl where its coming from, even asking if there is an open window. Karl checks the windows and points out that even though a little bit of water is coming through at the bottom, there is no draught. Karl then says it smells horrible in the room, although doesn't describe how. Stuart calls out, albeit quietly, for spirits to 'throw him to the floor'. I found that interesting as it relates to past posts I've done where people have been wary of challenging spirits in such a way. This investigation is one example of many that there must be something else at play aside challenging whenever someone claims to have been harmed by a spirit. Stuart has nothing happen to him after challenging the spirit like this, and so I maintain my stance that challenging isn't enough to be harmed.

While Karl and Stuart are upstairs, Yvette does some table tipping with Greg and Glenn. They note that it moves ever so slightly, but they also acknowledge that there is no way the camera could be picking it up. For me, the table tipping segment shows none of the team are faking things. You could very easily have some string out of shot on the leg of the table, and you could very clearly have Gregg knocking on the floor. This doesn't happen though, and instead the team gets lots of nothing. The same goes for Karl and Stuart upstairs. There is only one camera, so they could be faking all sorts, or saying they're feeling all sorts, but this doesn't happen. Stuart even points out the lack of activity to Karl by saying he's never understood how when they aren't asking for stuff a door moves, but now that they are asking for stuff nothing happens. My theory on this is that the spirit only has so much energy it can use before it has to recharge, and this is further shown by the fact all the team members say they're drained. The spirit can't even take energy from them to do stuff. Karl notes that they've not been there that long, but they have had a lot of activity in that time, which they have with all the knocking and the door falling.

Back to the table tipping, you can hear the table move a little. Yvette then says it feels like the table is pulsing. I completely understand what she means as I've experienced similar with my ouija board. Even though I haven't had the planchette move, I have felt the planchette vibrate, so I do think this type of activity is possible. My theory on this is that it could be the spirit using the item, in this case the table, as a conduit to absorb energy. Yvette then asks the spirit to copy her as she knocks three times on the table. No one reacts at the time, but you can hear three faint knocks in response. Narration points this out and repeats and enhances the knocks. Gregg then asks everyone to remove their hands from the table one at a time to make sure it is none of them which is causing it to feel like its moving. This is good investigating, and its good that they're showing this footage and that they're taking the time to debunk.

Meanwhile, Stuart notes the bike and ball are in the same place, and asks Karl if stuff about the witches is written down in any book. I find this to be a really unnecessary comment to have made, and even more unnecessary to have not edited out of the video. It is a valid question, and it seems like Stuart is being genuine, but it just feels like a hint towards Yvette's new book. I don't mind the book being mentioned, but keeping this comment really does make the investigation feel like one big promotion for her book. This is the final thing we see of them before they decide to head back downstairs. 

Back at the table tipping, it is commented that the table will need to be on one leg for the camera to pick it up. This is a great comment, and its good to see teams acknowledging they aren't getting much. Yvette then looks up and then back down at the table before saying she experienced something really wierd when she did that. She says when she looked back at the table, she saw it shift towards her, even though it didn't. This goes back to what I was saying earlier about psychic projection. The spirit could have been trying to move the table, and so put the image of the table moving into Yvette's head. She also notes that the best activity they've had is the door, although personally I think it's the knocking. Karl seemingly agrees with me as he says they've possibly had a conversation with Jennet Preston.

Gregg then sees something at the window and describes it as someone walking up to the window and disappearing. Before mentioning it, he asks Karl to move, and then tells everyone about the window. This is great practice as it shows willingness to debunk before jumping to the idea of it definitely being paranormal. It's why he asks Karl to move as he thinks it could have been Karls reflection he's seen, but it wasn't and so then he tells the team. He also says he's really drained, and Yvette speculates that them being drained could be what's ended the activity. Stuart then mentions the book again, which again is unnecessary, and a very loud shuffle can be heard. Everyone comments on it, and as far as I can tell it wasn't caused by any of the team members. Yvette then calls it a night and the team packs up. 

Locked-off Camera Noises

The most significant part of the investigation, for me, and a big reason I watched this episode, is what the team have captured on the go pro through the investigation. You don't see anything move, as is usually the case when this kind of camera setup catches anything, but instead you hear some really strange audio. First, just before the door falls, you can hear what is either the floor creaking or some scratching on the camera. Then, when talking about the door falling, and just before Yvette says she heard the door make a noise, there is another creak or scratch on the camera. When something was seen at the window by Karl, another creak/scratch can be heard except this time it is followed by what sounds like the noise of a child going 'eh'. During the ouija board session, you can clearly hear a child crying. It sounds like an EVP in quality, and consists of three crys, each getting louder and more intense. It is followed by a very quiet sigh. Towards the end of the investigation, another creak/scratch can be heard followed by a wierd chittering sound. There are two scratch noises which occur here. Towards the end of the investigation again, you can hear a child sigh. It sounds a little like breathing on the mic too. 

All of these noises are really wierd, and I believe they're fantastic captures. Personally, I think the noises you can hear are scratches on the camera and not creaks as when listening in headphones you can feel a strange vibration as though someone is running their finger along your headphones as you're listening to something. It's wierd. It could be creaks though, especially as you hear footsteps earlier on in the investigation. 

Summary of Activity

1. Intelligent knocking

2. Seeing faces at the window

3. Hearing footsteps

4. Child noises

5. Creaks/scratches audible on camera

6. Door falling

7. Glass jumping

8. Slight planchette movement

9. Investigators drained of energy

10. Cold feeling

11. Draught

12. Cigarette smell

13. Audible sigh on stairs

14. Possible touching

My Thoughts

As you can see from the summary, 'Most Haunted Return to Pendle Hill' provides a good amount of activity, even though the team themselves felt they didn't get all that much. For me, the lack of significant activity, combined with the teams active willingness to debunk activity and show they aren't faking things, adds even more credibility to what you witness occur during the episode, making it all seem legitimate. I've seen the episode three times now for this post, and even while analysing it I haven't seen anything to make me any more skeptical of the team. They do pretty much everything right and so don't give me any reason not to trust them, or the results they get. 

Now, is all of the activity paranormal? As Karl says, we will never know for sure. This is why, assuming the team aren't faking things, the knocking and go pro noises are the best activity they've captured. The door could have fallen through the fluke timing of gravity, the faces could have just been the dark playing on their imaginations, and other noises could just have been the wind squeezing through a crack in a window. The knocking though was in clear response to what the team was asking, and it was captured on camera. The child noises too, assuming nothing was added in editing, are unexplainable. 

For me, this episode has added a great bit of credibility to the Most Haunted team, and my only big criticism is that it should have been done live. If they had done this live, had all team members on camera, and still caught that knocking, then they would have some of the best evidence I've seen to the paranormal existing. I hope the Most Haunted team keeps up the high level they've shown of wanting to debunk and show things are legitimate, and I hope other teams follow in their footsteps too. 

If you want to watch the full investigation, feel free to click the link below:

Most Haunted Return to Pendle Hill

Thank you for reading what ended up being a longer post than I thought! I like being thorough in my reviews, and I hope I've been fair to both skeptic and believer sides. If you have any comments whether that be about the blog, experiences of your own, or even places you would like for me to investigate, then you can comment and follow on here, Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, and you can email thetrueparanormal1@gmail.com for a quick response to any questions.