As the popularity of 'haunted tourism' grows, we highlight some well-known spooky places in our patch..
5. The Black Swan, Helmsley, North Yorkshire
The Black Swan is a renowned pub, hotel and restaurant that dates back over
500 years in Helmsley.
Over that time, it’s earned a reputation as one of the most haunted places in North Yorkshire thanks to a few resident ghosts which have been reported by both staff and guests. There are tales of an old, well-dressed man wandering
the corridors and sightings of a young blonde woman.
6. Nostell Priory, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Located close to Wakefield, West Yorkshire, this 18th century Palladian house has it’s very own ghost, Nancy.
Nancy was a maid who worked at the house, who died in the 1920s by decapitation after putting her head into a lift shaft to see where the next
car was.
7. Spofforth Castle, North Yorkshire
The first record of a ghostly sighting was in the 1960s, when a group of picnickers saw a bluish-white hue hurtle from the top of the tower.
A few years later, a school group witnessed the same thing. The apparition appeared at the top of the tower out of nowhere, and to their horror, the bottom half of her body was missing. Thinking it was a real lady, they screamed as she fell to the ground, but before she got there, she disappeared into thin air. Unsure whether to be relieved or thoroughly spooked, they made a swift exit.
8. Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire
The imposing ruins have stirred up ghostly rumours since Anglo-Saxon times.
The phantom of Saint Hilda has been spotted in one of the highest windows and the thunderous sound of horses hooves have been heard but the most chilling ghost story is that of a ghoulish nun.
Constance de Beverley was a young nun who met her death after breaking her sacred vows. Despite her promise to dedicate her life to God, Constance fell in love with heroic knight Marmion. The other nuns found out and told everyone
her secret. As punishment, she was bricked up alive in the walls of the building.