Revenants on the Redway with Dr Steph Lay

Revenants on the Redway with Dr Steph Lay

Author: Icy Sedgwick May 27, 2026 Duration: 59:38

Dr Steph Lay is a folk horror writer, psychologist and researcher, gathering and sharing local stories of the unexplained for a project investigating whether the new city of Milton Keynes might be more haunted than anyone realises. Behind the scenes, she works with Peter Laws on the popular YouTube channel Into the Fog, curating the true experiences sent in by viewers and creating atmospheric artwork to bring the stories to life. Overall, her work brings together stories, psychology and the paranormal, exploring not only why strange experiences unsettle us, but why they matter.

In this chat, we talk about Steph's Revenants on the Redway project, the beauty of collecting supernatural experiences, why places don't need to be old to be haunted, and the attraction of parapsychology.

Find Steph's blog: https://cityofsecrets.blog/

Check out Dr Ciarán O'Keeffe's parapsychology school: https://theschoolofparapsychology.company.site/

Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/

Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595

Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick

Find the Fabulous Folklore Bookshop, Icy's social media links, and other useful bits at: http://icysedgwick.com/start-here


Each week, Fabulous Folklore with Icy offers a compact, fifteen-minute dive into the strange and storied shadows of our world’s traditions. Host Icy Sedgwick, a writer steeped in fantasy and Gothic horror, brings a storyteller’s eye to the material, weaving together tales of local legends, deep-rooted superstitions, and ancient myths. The podcast moves beyond simple retellings to consider the cultural soil from which these stories grew-why people believed what they did, how these narratives functioned in society, and the peculiar, often unsettling details that make them endure. You’ll hear about the oddities and occult practices that textbooks often overlook, all delivered with a blend of curiosity and a slight chill. It’s a consistently engaging exploration for anyone fascinated by the weird corners of history and human belief, a weekly reminder that our world is far more mysterious than it seems. Sedgwick’s background ensures the tales are told with both authority and a palpable sense of wonder, making each short episode a perfect gateway into a larger, fabulously folkloric universe. This isn’t just a catalog of curiosities; it’s an invitation to look at the familiar landscapes around us and imagine the layers of story hidden just beneath the surface, all packed into a brief, compelling listen that easily fits into a daily routine.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Fabulous Folklore with Icy
Podcast Episodes
Dowsing for Treasure and Criminals: Extra Uses for Divining Rods [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:04
Dowsing is often used to find water, minerals, or even lost items. Where divination usually seeks to provide information, here the information is of a directly practical or tangible sort. Rather than telling a fortune, o…
Walnut Trees in Folklore: Evil Shade and Helpful Remedies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:29
When it comes to the walnut tree, we're probably more familiar with their produce than the actual tree. Walnuts are easily recognisable, and present in everything from nut selections to coffee cake. We might even know th…
Poplar Trees: Folk Belief, Remedies, and the Arbor Tree [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:26
Poplar trees are perhaps one of the lesser-known trees that I've featured on this blog. Many people can recognise an oak tree on sight, but how many could recognise the poplar? Indeed, how many would realise John Constab…
Polish Folk Magic with Joanna Tarnawska [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:06
Joanna Tarnawska is an animist, folkloric witch, and psychologist residing in the mountains of Lower Silesia, Poland. Her practice intertwines animism, bioregional traditions, and lore, drawing inspiration from the early…
Yew Trees: Death, Churchyards, and Helpful Tools [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:32
Back in November 2020, I explored the folklore of the yew tree; specifically, the common yew, or English yew (Taxus baccata). Yes, it's a poisonous tree. Yes, it's linked with death. And yes, people like to say they pre-…
The London Plane: A Tree Suited to City Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:18
Periodically, I choose a plant, tree or fungus to explore, only to find there is very little folklore about them. Invariably, there are two reasons for this. First, the plant, tree or fungus has little use to humans, so…
Childhood Games: Classics, Crazes and the Occult in the Playground [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:51
In January, I asked people if they wanted to share any children’s folklore as part of my February theme. As a branch of study, this largely refers to folklore created, shared, and maintained by children. Adults are not i…
Dolls and Doll Magick with Najah Lightfoot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:59
Najah Lightfoot is the multi award-winning author and regular contributor to the Llewellyn annuals. Najah’s magickal staff is on display and part of the permanent collection of the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft. She is a…
Children's Beliefs: Superstitions, Luck, and the Brenin Lwyd [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:17
In January, I asked people if they wanted to share any children’s folklore as part of my February theme. As a branch of study, this largely refers to folklore created, shared, and maintained by children. Adults are not i…
Urban Legends among Children: Clowns, Insects, and Ice Shards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:30
In January, I asked people if they wanted to share any children’s folklore as part of my February theme. As a branch of study, this largely refers to folklore created, shared, and maintained by children. Adults are not i…