UFO ‘disk-like object’ turns village into key destination for alien spotters

A mysterious sighting more than 20 years ago has been followed by more and made Bonsall on the edge of the Peak District just as popular with paranormal lovers as hillwalkers

Paranormal lovers looking for a treat this Halloween could visit a UK village that is a hotspot for UFO sightings – with its reputation cemented thanks to one particular event more than 20 years ago.

Around 90 minutes from Greater Manchester, on the edge of the Peak District near Matlock, the village of Bonsall appears quiet and unassuming at first glance. With quaint stone cottages nestled among green rolling hills, it seems like any other pretty village.

But it becoming well-known for unexplained goings-on after repeated cases of people spotting UFOs that has even led to call for NASA to be brought in. The most famous account is that of resident Sharon Rowlands, who filmed a ‘disk-like object’ in the sky in the early 2000s which she saw flying above the village.

NASA officials were reportedly asked to investigate it as it’s said the object was similar to one seen on the STS-75 Columbia Space Shuttle mission in early 1996. From October 2000 there have been 19 sightings of UFOs in the area.

A former pub landlord has taken tourists on UFO-spotting tours of the surrounding moorland such has been the interest, reported the Manchester Evening News. In 2016, alanw276 wrote in a review of The Barley Mow pub that he saw a UFO. He said: “I saw a UFO fly over the pub!! This pub is now my favourite.

“The customers are friendly, the staff are good and the landlord and landlady are great. We were outside on a Friday night and a UFO WENT OVER THE PUB. I asked about it and other customers said that this had happened before several times over the years. We are definitely going back with a camera.”

Whether you believe in the idea of life from another planet, or haven’t even seen the film E.T., the village is also a lovely place to visit on an autumn day. The gorgeous landscape of the Peak District is right on its doorstep and there are dozens of hikes to do nearby.

And Bonsall is home to two cosy pubs which are perfect for a post-hike meal and a pint. There’s the aforementioned Barley Mow with visitors praising its roasts and live music. One reviewer on TripAdvisor even called it “the best pub in the country…probably the world.”

The quirky pub is also home to Bonsall’s annual hen races which are held in August. It’s a bizarre but much-loved tradition which sees hens racing across a thirty-foot course, with the winning team receiving a trophy. Then there’s The Kings Head dates back to the 1677 and occupies a gorgeous building with a hidden beer garden at the back. A reviewer described it as a “gorgeous little village pub” which is “absolutely perfect.”