The House That Terrorized London

From August 1977 to September 1978, a council house in Enfield, North London experienced poltergeist activity so intense it drew investigators worldwide. The Hodgson family endured 18 months of objects flying, voices speaking, and Janet floating above her bed.

The Family

The Hodgsons:

• Peggy (mother)
• Janet (11)
• Margaret (13)
• Johnny (10)
• Billy (7)
• Single parent home

The Beginning

August 1977:

• Knocking sounds
• Furniture moving
• On its own
• Escalating quickly
• Police called

Police Involvement

WPC Caroline Heeps:

• Responded to call
• Witnessed chair slide
• Four feet
• On its own
• Signed affidavit

The Society for Psychical Research

Investigation begins:

• Maurice Grosse
• Guy Lyon Playfair
• Professional investigators
• 18 months embedded
• Documented everything

The Activity

What happened:

• Objects thrown
• Furniture overturned
• Fires started
• Voices manifested
• Children affected

The Voice

“Bill” speaks:

• Demonic voice
• Through Janet
• Old man named Bill
• Claimed to have died there
• Previous resident confirmed

Janet’s Levitation

Famous photograph:

• Graham Morris
• Daily Mirror photographer
• Janet rising
• Above bed
• Captured on film

The Photo

What it shows:

• Janet horizontal
• Above bed
• Airborne
• Motion blur
• Famous image

Physical Effects

On children:

• Janet thrown
• Margaret thrown
• Items struck them
• Marks left
• Real danger

The Witnesses

Who saw:

• Police officers
• Investigators
• Photographers
• Neighbors
• Journalists

Skeptical Response

Debunk attempts:

• Janet admitted faking some
• Under pressure
• Some tricks confirmed
• But not all
• Core events unexplained

What Was Faked?

Janet’s admission:

• 2% she estimated
• Bent spoons
• Some movement
• But major events
• Not explained

The Remaining Mystery

Unexplained:

• Furniture moving
• The voice
• Levitation
• Police witness
• Investigator experiences

Maurice Grosse

Lead investigator:

• Dedicated years
• Lost daughter beforehand
• Seeking answers
• Believed genuine
• Wrote extensively

The Duration

How long:

• 18 months
• Hundreds of incidents
• Documented
• Witnessed
• Sustained

Media Coverage

Press involvement:

• Daily Mirror
• BBC
• International media
• Photographers present
• Well-documented

Modern Fame

“The Conjuring 2”:

• 2016 film
• Based on case
• Renewed interest
• Some dramatization
• Core true

Current Status

The house:

• Still exists
• New residents
• Quiet now
• Historic site
• Pilgrimage spot

Significance

18 months of documented poltergeist activity witnessed by police, photographers, and investigators.

Legacy

Enfield remains the most investigated poltergeist case in history—whatever caused it was witnessed by too many people to dismiss, even if some minor events were faked.