Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations Â»

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places Â»
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Parking Lot Shoeprints
Dewey Square Pylon & Bent 38
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom the Isle of Man Ballasalla Hassal Grave
AO Edited

Hassal Grave

Mysterious chains and iron stakes adorn this strange grave, with no explanation.

Ballasalla, Isle of Man

Added By
BearGiraffe
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  kevin rothwell
  BearGiraffe / Atlas Obscura User
  BearGiraffe / Atlas Obscura User
Malew Church   Chris Gunns
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

There's a curious gravesite in Malew Churchyard on the Isle of Man. The burial plot is cornered by four iron stakes, draped with heavy chains. A huge slate slab covers the grave. It remains a mystery as to exactly why these chains were placed here back in the 1850s, but they still stand to this day.

The grave belongs to Mathew and Margaret Hassal, husband and wife. Little is known about the couple, but their unusual resting place is steeped in myth. The most popular theory is that this is the grave of a vampire.

According to the legend, an ungodly groan was heard coming from Mr. Hassal during his wake, which panicked those attending to the extent that chains were placed around the grave to keep the vampire from rising again. Allegedly a stake was also driven through his heart before his burial... just in case.

Another speculative theory, however, is that Mr. Hassal took his own life, which would have forbade him from being buried on consecrated ground. Some suggest that the grave was dug from behind the stone wall that marks the church boundary as a sort of middle-ground compromise. The chains and stakes, however, remain a mystery. 

Related Tags

Gravestones Cemeteries Vampires Burial Places Graves

Know Before You Go

Viewable in the old churchyard, and can actually be seen from the road (A3); you need only climb over a small stile to access it.

Community Contributors

Added By

BearGiraffe

Edited By

Martin, Meg

  • Martin
  • Meg

Published

May 22, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Hassal Grave
A3
Ballasalla, Isle of Man
United Kingdom
54.091715, -4.649245
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Rushen Abbey

Ballasalla, Isle of Man

miles away

Isle of Man Steam Railway

Port Erin, Isle of Man

miles away

The Chasms

Rushen, Isle of Man

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ballasalla

Ballasalla

Isle of Man

Places 2

Nearby Places

Rushen Abbey

Ballasalla, Isle of Man

miles away

Isle of Man Steam Railway

Port Erin, Isle of Man

miles away

The Chasms

Rushen, Isle of Man

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ballasalla

Ballasalla

Isle of Man

Places 2

Related Stories and Lists

10 Places Where It Seems Like Vampires Are More Than Myth

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • the headstone.

    Lafayette, Colorado

    Vampire Grave of Lafayette

    According to local legend, a tree grew from the stake that killed this alleged vampire. In reality, he probably died from influenza.

  • Geneva, Illinois

    Easy Chair Grave

    This carved armchair marks the final resting place for two pals in the Chicago suburbs.

  • Three concrete slabs with small, destroyed remains of headstones sit behind a V-shaped tree opening.

    Taos, New Mexico

    The Three Brujas

    Three witches are said to be buried beneath these unmarked concrete graves.

  • Charles F. Mills Grave Bell

    Thunderbolt, Georgia

    Charles F. Mills Grave Bell

    A 19th-century cemetery device to ensure that the prematurely buried would be "saved by the bell."

  • The actual tombstone of Billy the Kid

    Fort Sumner, New Mexico

    Grave of Billy the Kid

    The final resting place of the most famous outlaw in the Old West.

  • Mittie Manning’s Tomb

    Holly Springs, Mississippi

    Mittie Manning's Tomb

    This tomb was fashioned with a sliding window for a grieving mother who struggled with her daughter's death.

  • The gravestone.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Grave of 'The Great Lafayette'

    A magician and his beloved, pampered canine were buried together, within days of each other, due to a tragic twist of fate.

  • Tombs.

    Tlacotalpan, Mexico

    Municipal Cemetery of Tlacotalpan

    The graveyard displays the colonial Mexican and Caribbean architectural fusion that defines this city.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.