As the popularity of 'haunted tourism' grows, we highlight some well-known spooky places in our patch, including a decapitated maid at Wakefield’s very own Nostell Priory...
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. Photo: s
6. Nostell Priory, Wakefield
The 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. Locals who live close to Nostell Priory and those who visit and work there know all about Nancy, some claiming to have seen her from time to time. Although Nostell is haunted by the ghost of Nancy, rumours and stories make her out to be a ghost with a friendly nature. Photo: s
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. Photo: s
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. Photo: s