EV1979WTN - The Wollaton Gnomes

Wollaton Park, Nottingham, UK

In September 1979, in Wollaton Park, Nottingham, England, a group of six schoolchildren claimed they encountered a troop of small, humanoid figures resembling gnomes while playing near a pond after dark. According to their accounts, the figures stood about two feet tall, wore pointed hats and had long white beards. The children described the gnomes as moving in bubble-like vehicles that floated above the ground and emitted a buzzing or humming sound. The encounter allegedly lasted around 15 minutes before the figures vanished. The children, aged between 8 and 10, independently provided strikingly similar stories and drawings shortly after the event.

What makes the Wollaton Gnomes case so compelling is its peculiar mix of folkloric imagery and high-strangeness elements—bearded dwarves in floating crafts—described with childlike sincerity. Despite initial media attention, the incident never received serious investigation from official bodies, though researcher Dr. Simon Young has since collected testimonies and transcripts from the time. Some believe the story reflects a classic fairy encounter recast through a modern lens, while others argue it was a shared fantasy, the result of youthful imagination or group psychology. Yet the consistency of the accounts and the oddness of the details continue to fascinate folklorists and paranormal researchers alike.