I have found many reports of ghostly goings-on in and around Blackpool. Although I cannot class them as “factual”, I have included them for interest’s sake – they may be true! Below is a list of the most well known of these, together with the dates of their first occurrence:
As ever, if you know of any others, let me know - evidence would be useful toooooo!
1002 There was a battle between Danes and the local Saxons at
Weeton Lane Ends. A ghost, or boggart, haunted the battlefield for years thereafter.
1066 Mains Hall at Singleton was originally called Monks Hall, and legend tells of 12 monks who died of the Plague, being buried under 12 trees behind the hall. Their ghosts haunt the grounds, as does the ghost of “Lily”, a lady who stands at the top of the stairs by the Tudor Room. Also, the ghost of a Cavalier was seen by twelve guests, in the corner of the Great Hall.
1086 Legend tells of a Boggart in
Marton Mere, which was cast into the waters by a local priest.
1154 Rawcliffe Hall was built by the Butler family. The ghost of a servant girl “Miss Kitty” is said to wander the grounds.
1550s Bourne (or Burn) Hall was said to have been haunted by the ghost of a headless wild mare.
1585 The Eagle and Child Inn at Weeton was built. Nowadays, the pub claims to have a ghost going by the name of “Murph”, and after midnight, you can hear him moaning at the bar, scaring away customers. He was said to be an old highway robber from London who came to hide from his previous crimes.
1655 Hackensall Hall had its own ghost, a boggart (or “hob” in the form of a horse), which would ploughs fields and works around the farm in return for a warm place to spend the night.
1717 The “headless boggart” of
Whitegate Lane was the ghost of a farmer Greatorex of Whinney Heys. He was found headless in a copse on the lane, after a hard night of drinking at the Saddle Inn. He haunted his killer until he committed suicide.
1844 Rossall Hall’s only remains are a small tower or gazebo. Once there were two of these and legend has it that Lady Fleetwood’s ghost frequents them every 31st of October.
1848 The “Ocean Monarch” sank off Blackpool, and its occupants are said to have been seen passing through walls in Blackpool Tower.
1860 The Raikes Hotel has a ghost - one of its former nuns who drowned herself nearby comes back to visit from beyond the grave and move items around the pub. Late at night, regulars have heard strange noises from cellars.
1905 At Glendower College in St Annes, a pupil committed suicide by poisoning herself with acid. Her ghost is said to roam the corridors of the Glendower Hotel today.
1915 At the Shard Inn on the 15th of January, Norman Renshaw’s dog, Jack, died. His master had drowned in 1905, trying to save the dog. Jack’s ghost is now said to haunt the Shard Inn to this day.
1919 On Christmas Eve, the body of Kitty Breaks was found among the
sand dunes at St Annes. She had been shot three times by Frederick Holt, her lover. Many people have claimed to see her ghost.
1924 Blackpool Corporation erected a hangar on the site of the Rigby Road donkey stables. It is now the permanent home of the Illuminations and has its own ghost, “Ted”, a drowned boatman. Also, at the
Rigby Road depot, their have been claims of hauntings by the spirit of a 21-year old boy who died in 1915, after being pushed over by a donkey.
1925 At Fleetwood Fish Market, a photograph was taken of some packers, and when it was developed, it showed the image of a Mr Haig – he had died one year before.
1936 In December, the Evening Gazette carried an article “Carleton Ghost? A Layton taxi-driver claims he has seen a ghost with a green face, near the gates of
Carleton Crematorium.”
1936 After Whinney Heys became a
Nurses’ Home serving Victoria Hospital, there were tales of it being haunted by a “figure in grey”.
1937 A construction worker named Patrick, was killed during the building of the new
Pleasure Beach Casino. He has haunted the place ever since it opened, especially in the maintenance area.
1939 A “Great patch of light” floated past two young ladies cycling down a country lane in
Thornton.
1955 Mowbreck Hall was reportedly haunted by the ghost of a butler who had hanged himself, and in later years, the spirit of a priest who had been beheaded was seen in the chapel. Also, the ghost of Lord Derby and his dog was allegedly seen in the garden.
1962 The Lobster Pot restaurant (now Brannigan’s and the Super Bowl) had its own ghost; the phantom would grab female staff by the arm and leave red blemishes. In 1998, the Super Bowl reported unmanned machinery working at night.
1962 A tram driver was killed at
Rigby Road tram depot after driving a tram (number 712) along the Marton Route for the closing ceremony. The tram ran him over as he disembarked: on some nights, ghostly rumbles and braking sounds are now heard around Rigby Road. Also, after all the regular trams have stopped running for the night, a phantom tram is reported to travel slowly and silently down along the rails along the Promenade.
1971 Ripley’s Odditorium had its own ghost for a while during the 1970s. When the skull of a local girl was displayed there, several people reported seeing a spectral female figure standing by it. The skull’s owner was convinced the item was cursed, and died a week after finally giving it away.
1971 The Royal Pavilion cinema, reported a ghost. When “contacted” by a medium, the spectre claimed to be a 1920s coach driver. Evening workers had reported flickering lights and cold spots.
1971 The “Thornton Thing” haunted a house on
Windsor Avenue in Thornton. The Ross family told the Gazette how the “Thing” pulled at their bed covers while they were asleep. They also told how they sensed a vile smell and felt something breathing in their ears.
1980 The Ghost Train at the Pleasure Beach has a “real” ghost - the footsteps of Cloggy (or Mr Cloggs), a clog wearing ride operator who died around now (not in 1913 as reported elsewhere), have been heard.
1985 At Chingle Hall, sounds of bricks being moved were recorded by a visitor in the Priest’s Room, which seemed to originate in the Priest hole. He peered in and saw part of a human hand moving one of the bricks. As he watched, the hand stopped moving and disappeared. This witness later managed to capture the sounds of footsteps on tape and a shadowy form on film. Later bricks were found scattered on the floor of the Chapel on the ground floor.
1994 HM Land Registry moved to
Wrea Brook Court at Warton, where a ghost “Black Bob”, reputedly a murdered US airman whose ghostly apparition has been seen on the site, is said to have caused lights to activate spontaneously during the building’s construction.
1994 Blackpool woman
Jill Cook called in a priest, two psychics and a Mormon missionary to rid her of a ghost that she claimed regularly sexually attacked her.
Does anyone know the address of this haunting?1996 Landlord Sam Betts of the
Railway Inn in Kirkham found a network of tunnels behind the cellars of the 150-year old pub, but on the day one tunnel was opened, an apparition flew through the bar above it.
2002 Frenchman’s Cove bar on South King Street, in the Duckworth’s Tobacco Warehouse building, has its own ghost.
2002 TV programme “Most Haunted” visited the
Pleasure Beach, looking for evidence of its various ghostly inhabitants, and received several pieces of "evidence".
2003 A Poltergeist was reported haunting a newsagent’s on
Lord Street, Fleetwood.
2004 TV programme “Most Haunted” visited
Ripley’s Odditorium and claimed to have contacted the spirits that the staff had reported.
2006 TV programme “Ghost Towns” spent a night at the
Grand Theatre, reporting many supposed spectral occurrences.
2006 TV programme “Most Haunted” visited
Mains Hall and may have filmed a ghost on TV for the first time.
2007 Lytham Library staff reported the building being haunted by a spirit called “Albert”, who threw things around and made bangs and footsteps.
Unknown dates: The Pleasure Beach has other ghosts: There is a female ghost in the Arena, where staff working late at night, and walking across to the tractor bay, have become chilled to the bone and felt an “awful” presence; at the Star Pub, there have been sightings of shadows and a male figure in the cellar, the living accommodation and Morgan and Griffin Bars - the apparition is said to bear a resemblance to Karl Marx; the Ice Drome has regular visitations from someone called “Julian”; and the ghost of a small girl has been seen at Sir Hiram Maxim’s Gift Shop.
The Tower and the Winter Gardens also have their fair share of ghostly appearances, ranging from Charlie Cairoli’s laugh, to George Formby’s ukulele, through to ghostly figures walking hand-in-hand. The ghost of an elderly man walks through areas of the tower, and a white lady plays the piano in the ballroom.
The Grand Theatre also has several ghostly visitors; people have been tapped on the shoulder in the upper dress circle. The ghost of a man called Charlie is also said to haunt the stage door and upper circle, since he plunged to his death into the pit in the 1930s.
There have been reports of the ghost of a “wrecker” appearing in the window of an unnamed house on
Lytham Road, swinging his lantern.
Again - anyone know the address?At the
Old Coach House hotel on Dean Street, the owner has been told by guests about the spirits that reside and watch over them. Allegedly, the guests told of a male figure, staring at them eating a meal, wearing a cap and black cloak. A second spectre is called “Shirley” and looks after the dining room
The Foxhall pub has had several “sightings” over the years, ranging from priests to smugglers.
Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks is said to be regularly visited by the ghost of “Carol”.
The Dorric Guest House on Coop Street is reputed to have several spirits in residence – one of which snores in empty bedrooms.
Victoria Hospital has stories of several ghosts – mainly of nurses – who haunt various wards. The stories about wards 6 and 10 are the most commonly heard. Nurses today regularly scare new recruits with the tales whenever they are posted to those wards.
St Mary’s High School (once Layton Hill Convent) has several rumours of ghostly goings-on, including a grey lady walking the old orchard area and the ghost of a nun who fell to her death from the third floor.
Stanley Park Lake is the home of the ghost of a young woman, who walks down into the lake – possibly reliving her own suicide.
The Boar’s Head pub in Marton has been the location of several wandering spirits. A boy called Sean died on the site in 1855 and moves things, and a previous landlord, called Charlie, who died in 1838, still visits.
South Shore Hospital apparently has a ghostly nun who wanders wards at night making sure that all the patients are in bed asleep.
Robins Lane at Bispham is reputedly haunted by a green-faced ghost.
Lytham Hall is reputed to be haunted, one of the ghosts being a Clifton family member, seen in various parts of the grounds. One bedroom is said to be particularly haunted, the manifestation complete with clanking chains and stomping feet.
Blackpool Zoo has reports of hauntings in the keepers’ flats and in the Elephant House. The spirits are thought to belong to airmen, based there in its days as a aerodrome.
A house on
Ballam Road, Lytham had to be exorcised in the 1970s after many disturbing happenings frightened the residents into drastic action.
Does anyone know this address?Staining Hall was said to be haunted by the ghost of a Scottish pedlar who was murdered nearby.
Anthony House on St Georges Road, St Annes is reputed to be haunted by the spirit of a maintenance worker, who haunts the lift shaft at night.
Lytham’s Witchwood has many reports of a “white lady”.
The Ship & Royal Hotel at Lytham is said to be haunted by a tall, dark man who they call Charlie, thought to be possibly Squire John Talbot Clifton. A tall dark figure, thought to be the departed soul of the Squire, who died in Tenerife in 1928, was seen on the second floor in 1983. Also, in 1978, Charlie had ordered meat from suppliers and tampered with the inn’s files. Nowadays, the sound of running water is heard in empty rooms.
The Ashley Conservative Club in Thornton has reports of footsteps in the empty games room.
The Little Theatre at Thornton has been known to have lights switch on in empty rooms.
Customers at the
Burn Naze pub at Thornton have reported “presences”.
Fleetwood High School is said to be haunted by the spirit of a one-time headmaster, which wanders the grounds.
Fleetwood Hospital has its own ghost, called Gertie. She is said to have fallen down the stairs and been killed. Now she appears before patients are about to die.
Fleetwood Fish Market is apparently haunted by the spirit of a Mr Haig.
Fleetwood Marine Hall is haunted by the spirit of an old caretaker. The white-shirted figure of Old Bill has been seen walking through walls.
The Victoria pub, on Dock Street in Fleetwood has reports that the spirit of a former landlord haunts there. Door handles rattle and strange sensations are felt.
Blackpool Football Club’s boardroom was once said to be haunted by the ghost of Lord Nelson because its oak panelling was salvaged from his flagship!
If you want any further info on local ghostly happenings, please have a look at the Blackpool Ghosts Website:
http://www.blackpoolghosts.co.uk - Joolz will always be pleased to chat to you.