Between 1977 and 1979, a modest council house in Enfield, North London became the epicenter of one of the most controversial paranormal cases in modern history.
Furniture flew. Voices changed. Objects moved by unseen hands. At the center of it all: two young girls, a single mother, and a growing media circus. The story would inspire documentaries, books, and even The Conjuring 2—but decades later, the world still asks the same question:
Was the Enfield Poltergeist a genuine haunting, or an elaborate hoax?
This article takes a deep dive into the events of the case, the evidence presented, the skeptics’ counterclaims, and the lingering mystery that keeps the Enfield Poltergeist alive in the public imagination.
The House on Green Street
The saga began in August 1977, when Peggy Hodgson, a single mother of four, reported strange occurrences in her home at 284 Green Street, Enfield.
Her daughters, Janet (11) and Margaret (13), claimed that their beds shook and furniture moved on its own. Peggy herself witnessed a chest of drawers sliding across the room. When she pushed it back, it moved again.
Police were called. One officer claimed to see a chair levitate and slide across the floor unaided.
That moment marked the beginning of one of the most well-documented and hotly debated hauntings in history.
The Paranormal Activity Intensifies
Over the following months, reports escalated:
- Knocking and tapping sounds from within walls
- Objects thrown across rooms by invisible forces
- Cold spots and sudden drops in temperature
- Disembodied voices—particularly from Janet, who spoke in a deep, male voice claiming to be “Bill Wilkins”
- Levitation: multiple witnesses, including journalists and neighbors, claimed to see Janet lifted off the ground
The story spread fast. British newspapers covered it extensively. TV crews captured interviews and footage. Paranormal investigators were drawn in from across the UK—including one of the most famous names in the field: Maurice Grosse of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR).
The Voice of “Bill Wilkins”
One of the most disturbing aspects of the case was Janet’s ability to speak in a gruff, adult male voice for extended periods—without apparent strain.
The voice identified itself as “Bill Wilkins,” a man who claimed to have died in the house from a brain hemorrhage. The strange vocal phenomenon baffled doctors and ventriloquism experts alike.
When investigators asked the voice how he died, it said:
“I went blind, then I had a hemorrhage, and I fell asleep and died on a chair in the corner downstairs.”
Later, a man named Terry Wilkins came forward—his father, Bill Wilkins, had in fact died in that exact manner, in that very house.
How did Janet know that?
Skeptics Enter the Scene
As the media attention grew, so did skepticism. Some investigators accused Janet and Margaret of faking the activity for attention.
Key points raised by skeptics:
- Janet was caught bending spoons and faking knock sounds
- Photographs of her “levitating” appear to show her jumping off the bed
- The voice of Bill Wilkins only manifested when Janet was in the room
- Activity often stopped when skeptics or new investigators entered the house
Janet later admitted that she and her sister had fabricated some of the activity, but claimed they did so only to test the investigators—not to invent the haunting entirely.
The Warren Involvement: Truth or Fiction?
Popular culture often includes Ed and Lorraine Warren as central figures in the case, largely thanks to The Conjuring 2. However, in reality, the Warrens were only briefly involved. Many British investigators saw them as outsiders looking to capitalize on the story.
Maurice Grosse and fellow SPR researcher Guy Lyon Playfair—who spent more than a year documenting the events—were far more central.
Playfair believed about 30% of the activity was faked, but insisted the remaining 70% was unexplainable by any natural means.
So, Was It Real?
To this day, the Enfield Poltergeist divides believers and skeptics.
Supporting Evidence:
- Over 30 eyewitnesses, including police officers, neighbors, and journalists
- Audio and photo recordings of phenomena
- The verified detail about Bill Wilkins’ death
- Consistency of Janet’s “possession” voice, tested in controlled conditions
Counterpoints:
- Admission of hoaxes
- Lack of conclusive video evidence showing supernatural movement
- Susceptibility of children to suggestion, attention-seeking, or emotional stress
- Media sensationalism influencing perception
The case remains one of the most thoroughly documented hauntings, yet also one of the most hotly debated.
Where Are They Now?
Janet Hodgson largely avoided the spotlight after the events. In later interviews, she remained firm that the core experiences were real, despite admitting to minor fakery. She said the haunting ended when she left the house at age 16.
Peggy Hodgson remained in the home until her death in 2003. She always believed the events were genuine.
The house is still standing. New occupants have reported no unusual activity—though many refuse to speak on record.
The Enfield Poltergeist is more than a ghost story. It’s a case study in psychology, fear, family trauma, media frenzy—and possibly, genuine paranormal activity.
Whether you believe the Hodgsons were haunted or hoaxing, one thing is certain: the mystery of what really happened at 284 Green Street refuses to die.
Explore more real-life hauntings, strange truths, and sinister mysteries at SinisterArchive.com—where we don’t just tell the story, we open the case.