Cumbria Gazetteer

Armboth House was haunted following the drowning of the households daughter on the night before her wedding day. It is said that bells could be heard, a ghostly dog could be seen swimming in Thirlmere Lake (where she was murdered) and reception meal places laid out by some spirit, all taking place on the anniversary of that fateful night, which just happens to be Halloween. Read More »

Is there a large Black Cat prowling West Cumbria? On Friday 8 January 2010 the following article by John Walsh entitled ‘Footprints fuel rumours of the beast of Workington's Borough Park’ appeared in the News & Star. Read More »

The fairy steps, West of the church are steps cut into the limestone rock. If you can climb them without touching either side you will be granted a wish by the fairies.

Directions: Reached from a footpath through woodland to the South West of Beetham and South East of Storth.

This impressive site is the remains of a Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall. The area was occupied from much earlier times and recently a Neolithic burial has been found. There is also evidence of a large Dark Age Hall on the site. Traditionally the site has been identified with Camlan, the site of King Arthur's last battle. Read More »

This mountain is one of the locations associated with an army of sleeping knights, this time King Arthur and his men, waiting for the call to arms when he is most needed. In old Cumbrian, Blencathra means 'Devils Peak'

Directions: A footpath leads to the hill from Blencathra Centre. Read More »

Brigham Church is reputed to be haunted by a hangman named Joseph Wilson, who was interred in the churchyard in the year 1757. He committed suicide by throwing himself from the Cocker Bridge in Cocker Mouth. Read More »

24th May 1964, Jim Templeton (then 44) on an outing with his wife and two daughters, took a picture of his daughter holding a posy of wild flowers near a stretch of marshland by the Solway Firth. When this was developed it showed what appeared to be a white-suited entity wearing a black visor standing behind his daughter in a strange perspective. Read More »

According to legend, the owners, a Mr and Mrs Kraster Cook were framed one Christmas by Myles Phillipson, a magistrate. He planted a silver cup upon their persons when they came around to visit him. The crime was punishable by death and Phillipson gained control of Calgarth Hall, a sixteenth century manor house, but not before being cursed by Mrs Dorothy Cook. Read More »

This building is reputed to be haunted by a ghostly woman. A soldier in 1823 was so frightened when he encountered her, that he bayoneted the apparition, impaling the wall behind it. The soldier fainted and died of shock the following day. Read More »

In 1868, a midget wearing old fashioned clothes and silver buckles on his shoes, was seen in the streets near the Cathedral but quickly vanished.

Recent articles in the Cumberland News and Carlisle Living Magazine mention the re-opening of the Undercroft below Carlisle Railway Station for special tours this Halloween (2010) and mention the haunting like experiences that have reported both above and below ground at the station. Read More »

As it will be Halloween soon I thought I would take a look at the haunting history of my home city of Carlisle and the surrounding areas. I decided to go on the late night tour of Carlisle city and train station. The tour (known more commonly as the Ghost walk) begins in the centuries-old station. Read More »

The site of a fairy home on the banks of Bassenthwaite Lake.

Castlerigg Stone Circle is one of the finest in Cumbria, it is spectacularly situated within a panorama of rugged hills of ever changing character, depending on the mercurial Lakeland weather. Read More »

On the 15 February 1954 Stephen Derbyshire, then 14, saw and photographed a UFO on the slopes of the Old Man of Coniston, above Coniston Village. The picture was blurred but the case became a classic of UFO literature of the time. Read More »

Corby Castle lies on the banks of the river Eden, not far from Carlisle. The castle was the seat of the Howard family and is haunted by a spirit known as the radiant boy who has been sighted infrequently. The apparition haunts a room in the oldest part of the castle, which is reached by a passage running through a wall. Read More »

Devil's Bridge over the river Lune, is associated with a legend that can be found throughout Britain, with minor variations from region to region. A woman who was separated from her cow by the river made a pact with the Devil. He would build a bridge across the river, in return for the soul of the first living thing to cross the bridge. Read More »

Dunmail Raise was the scene of a bloody battle for control of the lands of Cumbria. The battle took place against King Dunmail, the last King of Cumbria, against the united forces of Malcolm, the King of Scotland and Edmund, a Saxon King. Dunmail was defeated and slain and his sons were mutilated, his men were made to build a stone cairn over the spot where he fell. Read More »

Two prehistoric henge monuments have become known as Arthur's round table, a common theme in folklore were ancient structures become romanticised into legendary sites.  A cave near Eamont Bridge called giants cave is associated with two legendary giants called Tarquin and Isir. Read More »

Held on the nearest Saturday to the 18th October, the festival was established in 1267 and involved the distribution of crab-apples amid fun, games and traditional Cumberland Wrestling.

The News & Star published the following article by Matthew Legg entitled ‘Cumbrian pub woman claims hand dryer is haunted’ on 7 April 2011. The article concerns a pub in Workington called Elliotts where the staff have had some strange experiences. Read More »

Elva Hill is known as a fairy hill and the name may be derived from an old Viking name meaning place of the elves. A stone circle on its slope suggests ancient ritual use of the area, only 15 stones of the original 30 remain. The circle is on private land belonging to Elva Farm, but there is a nearby footpath. The site is thought to date from Neolithic times. Read More »

A skeletal apparition of a man still trapped in the gibbet, which displayed his corpse, was said to haunt Gibbet Hill, Beacon Edge, Penrith. The ghost is said to be that of a man called Nicholson who bludgeoned to death his godfather Thomas Parker whilst he was returning home from the Cross Keys Inn at Carleton. Read More »

During World War II Gill House was used as a dormitory for the Woman's Land Army, during this time a great deal of strange phenomena occurred, which led to an investigation by the Canon of Carlisle the Late W. J. Phythian Adams. Read More »

I was intrigued to come across mentions of a Big Foot sighting in Beckermet, Cumbria and sought out the original source, a copy of the Whitehaven News, dated 5 March 1998. Read More »

This must have been an important place of worship to the Norse invaders, and to later generations judging by the wealth of important early Christian relics here. The actual church has been renovated several times and much of the older structure has been destroyed. Read More »

Room 11 of this old building dating back to 1658 is reputedly haunted by a figure some have described as resembling a friar. He sits by the entrance to the 'priests hole' which leads from this room to the bar fireplace in the bar below. Pewtar tankards have also been known to fly across the bar after unhooking themselves and an old man is supposed to glide through the bar. Read More »

There is an interesting piece of folklore relating to a curse connected to an early Quaker named Francis Howgill (born 1618 – died 1669) and Grayrigg Hall, ancestral home of the Duckett family. Read More »

The Roman Fort of Mediobogdvm, above Hardknott Pass, is said to hold a fairy rath where King Eveling holds his court. Hardnott Pass can be found at the end of the Eskdale Valley and is also one of the steepest roads in Cumbria.

There are two Celtic Crosses in Irton Churchyard, one is truly ancient and the other is a copy of the former incorporated into more modern grave. The ancient cross is thought to date from the early ninth century, before the Norsemen invaded the area. Read More »

The News & Star reported the following in an article by Ross Brewster on Thursday 8 March 2001. 'Men working on a facelift for Keswicks Moot Hall have been.. spooked by a ghost in the tower. The first sighting was reported by a labourer sweeping up in the corner of the tower. Read More »