About The Vault
The Vault is a unique collection of local history, folklore, and haunted items, bringing together stories, artefacts, and mysteries from Wakefield and beyond.
From forgotten pieces of local heritage to objects linked with unexplained experiences, The Vault preserves the past while exploring the stories that continue to captivate and intrigue. Each display has been carefully selected to offer visitors a glimpse into history, legend, and the unknown.
Presented by The Daily Detour Paranormal, The Vault is more than a museum collection—it's a journey through the people, places, and stories that refuse to be forgotten.
BOB
THE CLOWN BOY
One of the UK's best-known reportedly haunted dolls, Bob the Clown Boy has spent years at the centre of paranormal investigations and claims of unexplained activity.
ORIGIN & STORY
Bob's story reportedly begins in a British home dating from 1853. When a family moved into the property in 2004, Bob was discovered in the attic.
According to the story, the family's young son began claiming that Bob's legs would swing from side to side by themselves. His parents initially believed he was lying, and he was reportedly punished for making the claims.
Things changed when his mother allegedly witnessed Bob's legs moving independently herself. Following the experience, the family eventually passed Bob into the care of paranormal investigators.
THE HAUNTED HUNTS
Bob later became associated with UK paranormal investigation team The Haunted Hunts, appearing during paranormal investigations, public events and media appearances.
Over the years, investigators working with Bob have reported a number of unexplained experiences in his presence.
REPORTED PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT
The phenomenon Bob is perhaps best known for. His legs have reportedly been witnessed swinging from side to side without anyone physically moving them.
Investigators have reported unexplained voices and apparent responses captured during EVP sessions involving Bob.
ELECTRONIC VOICE PHENOMENA
EMF ACTIVITY
Unexplained fluctuations and spikes on electromagnetic field equipment have also reportedly occurred during investigations involving Bob.
BOB’S NEW HOME
After years within the paranormal community, Bob the Clown Boy has now found a new home at The Vault – Haunted & Historical Museum, located within The Old Vicarage in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
Now part of The Vault's collection of reportedly haunted and historically significant objects, visitors can stand face-to-face with Bob and discover the story that has made him one of the UK's best-known haunted dolls.
Is Bob simply an unusual old doll with an extraordinary reputation — or is there something more to the Clown Boy?
THE CONTAINED ENTITY
UNKNOWN NAME • UNKNOWN AGE • CONTAINED
Some objects enter a collection because of their history. Others arrive because of what is believed to remain within them.
The Contained Entity is one of the most unusual and potentially unsettling objects currently housed within The Vault.
Unlike a traditional haunted doll, the story attached to this object claims that the doll itself was deliberately chosen as a vessel — intended to contain something that was never believed to be human.
THE STORY
According to information obtained through previous séances, Ouija sessions and cross-referencing, the presence associated with the doll is believed to have once been connected to a woman involved in forbidden rituals and attempts to communicate with darker forces.
However, the story does not claim that the woman herself became trapped inside the doll.
Instead, it is claimed that she opened the door to something else.
Following a series of reportedly uncontrollable events, several individuals are said to have performed a ritual intended to contain the presence.
The doll was allegedly selected deliberately as the vessel.
Whether anything actually resides within it remains completely unknown.
REPORTED PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
APPARENT FOLLOWING GAZE
Observers have reported the impression that the doll's gaze follows them when viewing it from different positions and angles.
DREAMS & FEMALE PRESENCE
Individuals who have spent time around the object have reported disturbing dreams involving a recurring female presence and an unusual combination of attraction towards the object and an instinctive desire to move away from it.
PHYSICAL & EMOTIONAL DISCOMFORT
Prolonged observation of the doll has reportedly resulted in feelings of pressure, unease and discomfort, alongside the persistent sensation of being watched.
REPORTED OUIJA BOARD COMMUNICATION
The Contained Entity has been the focus of a number of Ouija board sessions.
During these sessions, communication attributed to the object has reportedly become increasingly intense and, at times, confrontational.
RAPID RESPONSES
During some sessions, responses have reportedly appeared quickly and persistently, with little hesitation between questions and apparent answers.
AGGRESSIVE COMMUNICATION
Some interactions have reportedly taken a more confrontational tone, particularly when questions concerning the entity's identity, history or containment have been asked.
CONTROL OF THE SESSION
Perhaps most unusually, the communication has reportedly appeared to influence the direction of sessions — providing partial answers, encouraging further questioning and seemingly attempting to keep participants engaged.
The true identity of whatever is believed to be associated with the object has never been established.
One message associated with previous communication has repeatedly stood out:
“SHE NEVER ACCEPTED HIS CAPTURE.”
Who “she” and “his” refer to — and whether the communication has any paranormal origin at all — remains unknown.
THE NATURE OF THE ENTITY
The presence associated with this object is not described as wandering or as an ordinary spirit attached to a doll.
According to reported communication, she is calculating.
Rather than simply attempting to make herself known, the presence has been described as appearing to:
IDENTIFY WEAKNESSES
TEST
OBSERVE
INFLUENCE
UNDERSTAND
It is also said to provide partial answers, encourage curiosity and draw participants towards further interaction.
None of this establishes the existence or nature of an entity. It represents the pattern of behaviour reported during investigations and communication sessions involving the object.
BEFORE INTERACTING WITH THE CONTAINED ENTITY
Due to the nature of the reports surrounding this object, visitors and investigators are asked to follow several rules when viewing or investigating it.
DO NOT STARE FOR PROLONGED PERIODS
Extended observation has been associated with increased reports of discomfort and the sensation of being watched.
DO NOT DELIBERATELY PROVOKE THE OBJECT
Previous reports suggest that confrontational behaviour may increase perceived activity surrounding the doll.
DO NOT CONDUCT REPEATED OR EXCESSIVE SESSIONS
Any paranormal communication experiments involving the object should remain controlled and limited.
DO NOT BECOME EMOTIONALLY INVESTED IN COMMUNICATION
Any apparent communication should be treated as unexplained information and should not automatically be accepted as truthful or paranormal.
DO NOT ALLOW CURIOSITY TO OVERRIDE CAUTION
Visitors and investigators must respect the object, its display and the rules of The Vault at all times.
DO NOT REMOVE OR INTERFERE WITH THE OBJECT
The doll, its containment and any associated display materials must not be moved, opened, removed or interfered with without permission from The Daily Detour Paranormal.
These rules form part of the preservation and investigation protocol surrounding The Contained Entity. They do not imply that the object has been proven to contain a supernatural presence.
ITS NEW HOME
The Contained Entity is now housed within The Vault – Haunted & Historical Museum, located within The Old Vicarage in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
It remains part of The Vault's collection of reportedly haunted and historically unusual objects and continues to form part of ongoing paranormal investigation and documentation.
Visitors can now stand face-to-face with The Contained Entity, learn the story surrounding its alleged containment and decide for themselves what — if anything — may remain within.
DOCUMENTED. STORED. CONTAINED. WATCHED.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
The information surrounding The Contained Entity is based upon reported séances, Ouija board communication, witness testimony and paranormal investigation records.
These claims have not been scientifically verified and should not be interpreted as proof of spirits, demonic entities, possession or other paranormal phenomena.
The Vault preserves and presents the reported history surrounding the object while allowing visitors to reach their own conclusions.
We make no claim that this object is genuinely haunted or contains a supernatural entity.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.
Collection Policy
Items within the collection are retained for documentation and observation.
They are not presented as proof, and no conclusions are made without recordable cause.
Further Entries
The collection is currently in its early stages. Additional entries will be added where appropriate.