Country and County: Yorkshire

The Devil’s Arrows

The Devil’s Arrows are three Neolithic Megaliths – the tallest of which is 23 feet high – standing in a crooked alignment of around 580 feet. The fourth stone was destroyed in the 16th century, when Camden noted that it had been pulled down by treasure seekers.

In legend they were thrown by the Devil from Howe Hill to destroy Aldborough, hence their common name.

The Bridestones

The Bridestones are a set of natural weathered stones that are thought to have been used for ancient worship. A weathered horned head is carved into one of the stones, the date of the carving unknown.

Directions: To the East of the A169 Northeast of Lockton.

Middleham Moor

Haunted by the ghost of a lady in a black dress. Peat cutters are reputed to have discovered a body dressed in the rotting remains of a black shawl. She was meant to have been murdered by one of her admirers after he discovered she was to run away with another man.

Byland Abbey

William of Newburgh’s Chronicle of 1290AD is said to mention the sighting of a round silvery object flying over the Byland Abbey in Yorkshire.

Upsall

Upsall is associated with a common tale: A man from the village dreamed for three consecutive nights that he should go to London and stand on London Bridge. Conceding to impulse he went to London and while on the bridge he was approached by a Quaker, to whom he told his dream.

A64 between York and Norton

Traditionally haunted by the spirit of Nance, who is said to guide travellers when there are dense mists. The story goes that she was due to marry a mail-coach driver but fell for the charms of a highwayman. He turned out to be a bad choice, as he left her and their baby to die of exposure on the lonely road.

Fountains Abbey

The abbey was founded in 1132 by the Benedictines, but was destroyed 30 years later, and then reconstructed. The abbey became one of the wealthiest in Britain due to the booming medieval wool trade. Its wealth was also to be its downfall, and it was one of the first abbeys to be crushed under the dissolution of the monasteries in 1540.

The Screaming Skull of Burton Agnes Hall

The skull at Burton Agnes Hall is another famous screaming skull, although its exact whereabouts in the hall is unknown. It is thought to reside behind one of the walls, having been bricked up and forgotten about years before.

The Manor Castle, Sheffield

This pub sits in the grounds of the now ruined Manor Castle (or Manor Lodge) in Sheffield and is haunted by the apparition of a figure. When encountered by Jack Wright, the new Landlord he moved his family straight back out after three weeks of being continuously haunted, if not by seeing the figure then by feeling a presence.

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Mother Shipton

Mother Shipton is the most famous prophetess of the British Isles. She is one of the many figures of romance who achieve widespread fame and notoriety many years after the real exploits of their lives have faded from the pages of history. With such a passage of time, and lack of historical evidence, there is even debate as to whether she existed at all.