As you approach the town of Shere, which is located in Surrey (a country in the southern section of England), you will encounter a small lake, surrounded by a host of trees. This lake is known by the name of Silent Pool and has a legend attached to it that can be traced back into Saxon history. A ghost is said to haunt this area. In this article, you will learn the details surrounding this small lake.
In the area surrounding the lake, there was a woodcutter, who made his home in the forest. He lived with his two children, a son and a daughter. The woodcutter’s daughter, Emma, was known to be a rather striking young woman. One day, Emma went to the lake to have a bath, but was interrupted when she heard the galloping of a horse and soon saw a rider approaching her. She was unable to make it to the side of the water to retrieve her clothes and get dressed. To avoid being seen by the rider, she waded into the deepest part of the lake so that she could hide her naked body with the water.
When the rider realized what he had come across when he reached the water, he lingered by the lakeside with hopes of coaxing her out of the water. This stranger scared Emma, causing her to move deeper and deeper into the water. The rider took offense to this and became irritated with her actions and decided to ride his horse into the lake, causing Emma to scream for her life. Not too far from the lake, Emma’s brother could hear the screams coming from the lake where he knew his sister had gone. He dropped his work and ran to the lake to see what was the matter.
Emma’s brother had reached her and was trying to drag her out of the water, but he was not that good of a swimmer. The more he tried to save her, the deeper they both sank into the water until they both drowned and fell to the bottom of the lake. Upon seeing the two engulfed in the lake, the rider turned his horse around and traveled away from the lake, never to be seen in the forest again. The woodcutter was not in the vicinity when his children met their untimely death so when he returned to his home and found that no one was home, he searched for their whereabouts. One day turned into two, which turned into three, until one afternoon, he thought to investigate the lake and made a chilling discovery, dragging their bodies from the water. It is said that the rider who precipitated the deaths of the woodcutter’s two children may have been the evil horseman known as Prince John, who was Regent of Britain. Prince John has a reputation for bringing ill will to those he came in contact with.
It is said that Emma’s ghost still haunts the lake, prompting witnesses to spot a pale figure floating on the surface of the lake. Some claim to have heard her screaming, as well as asking for help. When visiting the lake, you may find that it is eerily calm with the capabilities of sending chills up and down your spine. This is why the name of Silent Pool was given to the lake.