Beyond Midnight: The Paxton’s House (Episode Information and MP3 of the Show)

“The Paxton’s House” is a dramatization of Amyas Northcote’s short story “Brickett Bottom”. It’s the tale of a hard-working city clergyman who swaps parsonages with a fellow clergyman who has a less demanding parish in the countryside. The swap is only a temporary arrangement to afford the clergyman a rest, but the peaceful surroundings offer little consolation when one of his daughters becomes obsessed with a house in nearby Brickett Bottom. She decides to visit the old couple who live there but fails to return home. The clergyman and his remaining daughter go in search of the missing girl, only to discover that the house at Brickett Bottom was demolished seventy years before and the owners of the house, Colonel and Mrs Paxton have been dead for so long few people in the district even remember the name.

“Brickett Bottom” is a traditional Victorian-style ghost story and Michael McCabe and the Beyond Midnight team do a good job of bringing the tale to life, while also remaining true to the original story. The show has a runtime of about 25 minutes.

Beyond Midnight Radio Show: The Paxton’s House

(Listen to the Full Episode)