Explore the hidden history and hauntings of Drake's Island, Plymouth's mysterious abandoned fortress. Join Shadow Tor Studios' Matt 'Bear' Clark and Jonathan Boakes as a heritage project evolves into a 6 year-long paranormal investigation, uncovering forgotten history, ghostly legends and unexplained encounters deep within the island's tunnels and ruins. A fascinating blend of historical discovery, adventure and real-life ghost hunting.

In Drake's Island: A History and Mysteries, Matt 'Bear' Clark and Jonathan Boakes take readers on an extraordinary journey behind the island's locked gates. What begins as an ambitious heritage project, using photography, digital archaeology and historical research to document the island's forgotten past, soon takes an unexpected turn. Strange voices, unexplained footsteps and chilling encounters lead the team to investigate the island's reputation for hauntings, uncovering the stories behind its legendary ghosts and questioning where historical fact ends and folklore begins.

  • A real-life island adventure — Explore a mysterious abandoned fortress in the heart of Plymouth Sound, with exclusive behind-the-scenes access. 
  • Centuries of hidden history — Discover the island's medieval origins, lost chapel, Tudor fortress, military secrets and wartime past.
  • A 6 year-long paranormal experiment — Follow a sustained investigation combining ghost-hunting technology, overnight vigils, public events and recorded experiences. 
  • Meet the island's legendary ghosts — Investigate the White Lady, the Ghost of Sentry Walk and other mysterious figures said to haunt the island.
  • Explore forgotten tunnels and ruins — Venture into dark ammunition chambers, Victorian gun batteries, abandoned barracks and underground passages.
  • Heritage meets modern technology — Discover how historical research, archaeology, 3D scanning, photography and digital reconstruction bring the island's past to life. 
  • Strange and unexplained encounters — Footsteps, disembodied voices, mysterious scents and unusual equipment responses raise intriguing questions.
  • Fact, folklore or fiction? — Examine the historical evidence behind ghost stories, documented deaths and centuries of island legends. 
  • Richly illustrated — Featuring photographs, historical maps, digital imagery and behind-the-scenes records of the explorations. 
  • For sceptics and believers alike — An entertaining, atmospheric journey that asks one compelling question: Is Drake's Island really haunted?

An abandoned island fortress, centuries of secrets, and a 6 year-long search for the unexplained. Hidden out in Plymouth Sound, Drake's Island has witnessed centuries of extraordinary history, from its medieval religious beginnings and Tudor fortifications to the great naval defences of the Victorian era and the World Wars.

Drake's Island crumbling barracks, forgotten chambers and labyrinth of underground tunnels hold fascinating stories of soldiers, prisoners, families and the many lives connected to this isolated outpost.

The Book is richly illustrated and told with humour, curiosity and a genuine passion for history, this is an atmospheric journey into one of Plymouth's most intriguing historic landmarks, where the past feels tantalisingly close, and the ghosts may be closer still.

Drakes Island - History and Mysteries © 2026 - Shadow Tor Studios - Matt 'Bear' Clark and Jonathan Boakes. Published by Shadow Tor Studios. The Drakes Island - History and Mysteries design is a trademark of Shadow Tor. The Shadow Tor logo design is a trademark of Shadow Tor Studios. All brands, product names, and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.