10 Most Terrifying Ghost Stories For Christmas

Our second entry is perhaps the weirdest story on the list; a tale of witchcraft, deceit and some of the most ambitious special effects that were to feature in the series. If poisonous half-spider, half-baby terrors crawling from the trunk of an ominous tree are your thing, then The Ash Tree has you covered.

Set around the 17th Century, a returning wealthy English aristocrat, Sir Matthew, is keen to be married and cement his legacy. Upon presenting his plans to renovate the local church, the removal of a body from the graveyard is necessary, yet only Sir Matthew appears to have reservations. Years prior, his ancestor and notorious witch-finder has local woman (and his secret lover) Mrs. Mothersole tried and hanged. Cursing the onlookers, she vows her revenge, "there will be guests at the hall...".

When her body is moved, Sir Matthew must suffer the wrath of the local witch, as there are more than squirrels living in the ominous Ash Tree overlooking his bedroom window.

There's a lot going on here - the occult, witchcraft, and the standout sequence at the conclusion of the story that attempts to capture hundreds of alien-like spider creatures, each one screaming like babies while popping in the flames of the burning titular tree. It's really dated, but that doesn't diminish the sheer ambitious scale of the production. Imagine Vincent Price in a period version of The Thing and you're halfway there.