Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Country and County: United Kingdom

Devil / English Folktales / Folklore / Folktales

The Unbidden Guest

The following folktale entitled ‘The Unbidden Guest’ was published in ‘Goblin Tales of Lancashire’ by James Bowker (1878). ‘On a little lane leading from the town of Clitheroe there once lived a noted ‘cunning man,’ to whom all sorts of applications were made, not only by the residents, but also by people from distant places, for the fame of the wizard had spread over the whole country side.

Apparitions / Hauntings

Goring-by-Sea Dancing Ghost

The following article entitled ‘Ghostly Goring scared out of its wits’ was published in the Worthing Herald, on Tuesday 30 October 2007. It concerns a spree of ghost sightings in Goring-by-Sea at the end of the 1920’s. The article mentions that sightings took place around Goring Hall.

English Folktales / Folklore / Folktales

Th’ Skriker (Shrieker)

The following story entitled "Th’ Skriker (Shrieker)" was published in ‘Goblin Tales of Lancashire’ by James Bowker (1878).  ‘On a fine night, about the middle of December, many years ago, a sturdy-looking young fellow left Chipping for his cottage, three or four miles away, upon the banks of the Hodder.

English Folktales / Folklore / Folktales / Hauntings

Nogworth Cross

Only the base remains of The Nogworth Cross (aka Northwood Cross) which can be found beside a lane near Shay Lane and the Todmorden Road.  According to ‘A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6’ (1911), ‘In the Extwistle part, on the high moorland, are some tumuli and the sites of supposed British and Roman camps; there is another camp above Thursden.

Apparitions / Hauntings / Road Ghosts

A4146 Monk, Edlesborough

A phantom monk in a black habit is said to have been witnessed by a car driver near the parish church of St Mary the Virgin as he drove through Edlesborough on the A4146 in the 1970’s.  The monk vanished when the driver stopped and shone a torch at it.

English Fairies / Fairies / Folklore

Extwistle Hall

Now in ruins, the Grade II listed, Tudor style Extwistle Hall was built by the Parker family in the 16th century.   Once land owned by Kirkstall Abbey, Exwistle passed to William Ramsden following the Dissolution of the Monasteries and then to Robert Parker. The Hall remained their seat until the tragic event of 1718.