The Conjuring 2 House in London - The Story of the Enfield Poltergeist

Did you know that the Conjuring 2 House in London was not a film set, nor was it an attraction, but the actual setting of a true-to-life horror story?

Between 1977 and 1979, the family living in the modest house in 284 Green Street, Enfield, North London, reportedly experienced unexplained noises, moving furniture, and disturbing behaviour.

Newspapers covered the events in real time, investigators documented their findings, and the story became known as the Enfield Poltergeist.

Decades later, the case remains to be one of Britain’s most publicised cases of alleged paranormal activity.

Where is the Enfield Poltergeist House?

The property linked to the Enfield case stands at 284 Green Street, a residential road in North London, England.

The area is a working-class neighbourhood with post-war terraced housing built for families.

The story’s setting added to its impact because idea of poltergeist activity emerging from a quiet, densely populated neighbourhood challenged common assumptions about where paranormal events could occur.

Neighbours and schoolmates became indirect witnesses who could corroborate the story as media attention grew.

Today, the house blends into its surroundings, with no plaques, signs, or markers to indicate its past.

The property remains on a lived-in street, with new inhabitants who have not reported strange activity.

The Enfield Poltergeist Case Explained

The Enfield Poltergeist case began in November 1977, when members of the Hodgson family reported unexplained knocking sounds inside their home.

Over time, claims escalated to include furniture sliding across rooms, objects thrown without visible cause, and the then-11-year-old Janet allegedly levitating.

There were also reports that Janet was possessed by an entity called “Bill Wilkins”, who spoke through her. Wilkins was a man who had previously died at the house.

Investigators - among them Maurice Gross and Guy Lyon Playfair - from the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) spent numerous hours at the site, recording over 2,000 incidents they described as paranormal activity.

Over 30 witnesses, including police officers, neighbours, and journalists, have reported witnessing unusual events. The house became a focal point for debate, with supporters citing eyewitness accounts and sceptics pointing to inconsistencies.

What differentiates the Enfield case from other alleged hauntings is the volume of documentation. There are audio recordings, photographs, and written reports, though their interpretation remains contested.

Critics argue that stress, suggestibility, and attention influenced events, while proponents maintain that certain incidents defy conventional explanation.

The case remains one of the UK’s most famous alleged haunting stories, not because it reached a clear conclusion, but because it never did.

The Hodgson Family After the Enfield Case

After media attention faded, the Hodgson family returned to relative anonymity.

The children grew up under the long shadow of the case, with Janet Hodgson later reflecting on the impact the publicity had on her childhood.

In subsequent interviews, Janet acknowledged that some incidents were exaggerated or staged, citing boredom, frustration and pressure from sceptics as reasons for staging incidents.

Despite these admissions, Janet has consistently maintained that most of the terrifying incidents were genuine.

However, these admissions do not account for the incidents reportedly witnessed by independent observers.

How The Conjuring 2 Popularised the House

When The Conjuring 2 was released in 2016, it reintroduced the Enfield case to a global audience.

The film drew heavily from reports associated with the North London house but presented them through a polished cinematic lens.

The film’s commercial success increased public awareness of the property and cemented its association with the horror franchise.

Unlike in the 70’s, where interest stemmed from newspaper and investigator reports, many people’s first encounter with the Enfield story was through the film.

As a result, the house became widely referred to online as a “conjuring house,” a term not used in the original reports.

Film vs. Reality at the Enfield House

The movie The Conjuring 2 presents the Enfield case as a battle between the supernatural forces and investigators. In reality, the events unfolded over many months and involved periods of uncertainty, contradiction, and media scrutiny.

The film condenses timelines, exaggerates physical manifestations, and frames the house as a consistently hostile environment.

However, contemporary reports describe long stretches without notable incidents and frequent disagreement among witnesses. While the movie draws inspiration from documented claims, it reshapes them to fit a clear narrative arc.

Ultimately, the real Enfield case remains unresolved, while the cinematic version offers a sense of closure that history never provided.

Haunted Houses in London Compared to Enfield

There are several haunted sites in London, from former prisons, theatres, hospitals and homes. London houses are often included in discussions of alleged hauntings, particularly older Victorian and Georgian homes where claims emerge long after the events they describe.

In most cases, these stories rely on later accounts from occupants or neighbours rather than public records, and the alleged activities are rarely investigated at the time.

The Enfield house differs because reports surfaced while the family was still living in the property and were recorded as events unfolded.

Newspapers covered the case in real time, investigators visited the house repeatedly, and witnesses documented incidents across an extended period of time.

This level of attention is uncommon among residential hauntings in London.

Another distinction lay in the nature of the property itself. Many houses associated with hauntings are older buildings with long histories of multiple occupants, renovations, or changes in use.

The Enfield house was a relatively new post-war family home with no known history of unusual claims before 1977.

The absence of earlier folklore made the sudden emergence of paranormal activity more notable.

Importantly, the Enfield property did not follow the pattern observed in other well-known haunted houses, wherein reputation affects the next occupants.

After the original family moved out, there were no similar recorded experiences from later occupants. Thus, its reputation remains tied almost entirely to a specific period rather than an ongoing narrative.

Property Value, Ownership, and Public Interest

When a house becomes linked to a notorious event, people often assume it will struggle to sell or lose value over time. In reality, the impact varies.

Some buyers avoid properties with unusual histories altogether, while others remain indifferent - and a small group actively seek them out.

The Enfield house appears to have followed a fairly ordinary path.

Despite its association with a widely publicised case, it has continued to function as a private home. It was never turned into a museum, tourist attraction, or themed rental.

Over the years, new occupants moved in, and day-to-day life on the street carried on much as before.

There is also little to suggest that the events of the late 1970s caused lasting financial damage. Reports from the UK property market indicate that the house increased in value over time, in line with wider housing trends.

In fact, some people are willing to pay more for a haunted house! The property was estimated to be worth around £431,000 in 2022 – £100,000 more than its estimated value in 2016.

While it is impossible to say whether its history influenced that figure, it clearly did not prevent the house from appreciating.

Interest in the Enfield house today exists mainly online. Films, documentaries, and articles continue to revisit the story, but this attention rarely spills over into the physical space itself.

There are no organised visits, no changes to how the property is used, and no lasting disruption to the neighbourhood. In the end, the house has returned to what it always was: a residential property on a normal London street.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary - The Enfield Poltergeist House in London

The Enfield house represents a moment when media, belief, and domestic life collided, producing a story that still provokes debate. While films reshaped its image, the history behind the movie remains rooted in a place occupied by real people.