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Croglin, Cumbria
Croglin Low Hall (formerly Croglin Grange) was the setting for one of the UK’s few Vampire attacks in the late 1800s.
The story goes that the creature forced entry and visited a young woman at the hall on two occasions. On the second occasion, the girl’s screams give rise to her brothers, one of whom shoots the creature in the leg, causing it to flee.
The following day, the brothers follow the trail of blood from the hall to a nearby cemetery. The trail leads to a local family’s mausoleum where all of the coffins had been vandalised, save for one.
The brothers lift the lid of said coffin to discover a brown, mummified corpse with a lead slug lodged in its leg. The brothers proceeded to torch the creature, and that, by all accounts, was the end of that (and bat).
The story goes that the creature forced entry and visited a young woman at the hall on two occasions. On the second occasion, the girl’s screams give rise to her brothers, one of whom shoots the creature in the leg, causing it to flee.
The following day, the brothers follow the trail of blood from the hall to a nearby cemetery. The trail leads to a local family’s mausoleum where all of the coffins had been vandalised, save for one.
The brothers lift the lid of said coffin to discover a brown, mummified corpse with a lead slug lodged in its leg. The brothers proceeded to torch the creature, and that, by all accounts, was the end of that (and bat).
Hoober Stand, Rotherham
Constructed in the eighteenth century to commemorate the end of the Jacobean rebellion, the Stand and surrounding woodland definitely has an uneasy feel. A hooded shadow figure is said to linger at the building and disembodied whispers can be heard throughout the woods. Most accounts claim that activity is enhanced on a full moon. Regardless of whether something unearthly lingers at this location, visible evidence suggests that the site is frequently used for dark rituals. The surrounding woodland is scattered with shrines, alters and tree carvings of an occult nature.
Drummers Well, Harpham
According to legend, William the conqueror promised this land to the first person in his army to reach it. The first to arrive was a young drummer boy. The second, a noble named St. Quintin. Incensed, the noble butchered the boy and threw his body down the well, then claimed the land as his own. Upon it, St. Quintin built a manor house, the remnants of which are scattered in the field surrounding the well to this day. Until the manor fell to ruin, the impending death of a St. Quintin family member would be foretold by a loud, slow and steady drumbeat coming from the bottom of the well.
Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire
Unable to provide him with an heir, Lilias Drummond was starved to death by her brutal husband. On the night of his second marriage, Lilias' spirit returned, her harrowing calls were heard outside the bed-chamber and her name was found freshly scratched into the castle walls, which is still visible today. A sudden drop in temperature and the smell of roses is said to announce her presence.
Day Street, Hull
Her parents didn't believe her, but she knew what she had seen - three phantom skeletons, and she had started to see them more frequently. People started to believe her on 23 August 1935, when the Hull Daily Mail reported that three skeletons, thought to be criminals due to the location of their burial, had been unearthed on the street.
Helmsley Castle, North Yorkshire
Having stood on this site for over 900 years, the castle is said to be home to three resident spirits, including that of the previous owner and cad, George Villiers, who is immortalised in the nursery rhyme 'Georgie Porgie pudding and pie'. Here's a short blog (3 min read) about the history of the castle, Georgie Porgie and the other two phantoms that haunt this stunning location.
Culross Townhouse, Fife
During the 1600s, the Townhouse attic was used as a prison for suspected witches. The ‘witches’ were held at the highest point in the building, as it was believed that this would put the most distance between them and the devil.
Such is the intensity of the atmosphere within the building’s attic, comedian and presenter of C5’s Secret Scotland, Susan Calman, became overwhelmed with emotion whilst filming and was brought to tears (S3-E3). If you watch the footage - there's also an unexplained bang that occurs.
Such is the intensity of the atmosphere within the building’s attic, comedian and presenter of C5’s Secret Scotland, Susan Calman, became overwhelmed with emotion whilst filming and was brought to tears (S3-E3). If you watch the footage - there's also an unexplained bang that occurs.
Dewsbury Cathedral, Yorkshire
In 1434, local knight, Thomas de Soothill accidentally killed a child. In an attempt of atonement, he paid for the bell which now resides in the Minster and started a tradition known as the Devil’s Knell. The knight requested that each Christmas Eve the bell must toll once for each year of our Lord, preventing Satan from taking his soul. The tradition, which must end on the stroke of midnight, is still observed today and now lasts for 90 minutes.
Solway, Cumbria
On Christmas day, laden with gold and ivory from the slave trade, the Betsy Jane sank just off port near Whitehaven. All hands perished. Each December, the phantom vessel returns to the surface and has been seen by countless witnesses.
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