Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Country and County: North Yorkshire

Buried Treasure / Legends

Middleham Castle

The castle is reputed to be the site of a buried hoard of treasure, to find it you must run a round the castle three times, and where you stop the treasure will be found. Unfortunately there is no indication of where you should start.

Directions: Off the A6108 to the South of Leyburn.

Image Gallery

Hauntings

Scarborough Castle

The castle is said to be haunted by the headless phantom of Piers Gaveston, the favourite of Edward II.

Apparitions / Haunted Pubs / Hauntings

The Three Mariners Inn, Scarborough

The Three Mariners Inn – which is now a museum dedicated to the history of smuggling in the area – dates back to the 1300s and, is the earliest licensed premises in Scarborough.

It is said to be haunted by a headless woman, who warns fishermen of impending disaster.

Festivals / Folklore / Robin Hood

Scarborough

Scarborough also has a Robin Hood legend. On one of his adventures he joined the small fishing fleet, but turned out to be a useless fisherman, as he forgot to bait the hooks.

Apparitions / Haunted Pubs / Hauntings / Poltergiests

The Windmill, York

A whole host of acitivity has been reported at The Windmill, including cold spots, strange footsteps, the apparition of a 18th centry ostler and spontaneous glass and bottle shattering.

Hauntings

The National Railway Museum

The National Railway Museum is the worlds largest museum dedicated to rail travel and covers over 300 years of worldwide history. One of the many exhibits, a sleeping car, is supposed to be haunted by an unknown prescence.

Ancient Sites / Occult

Druids Temple, Ilton

The Druids Temple, situated near Ilton, about 4 miles west of Masham is a folly created by William Danby of nearby Swinton Hall in 1820. The structure sits deep within a private forest and includes a large stone table, a sheltered cave and an altar stone. The temple is approximately 100 feet long and 50 feet wide, with some of the stones standing over 10 feet high.

Legends / Occult

Knaresborough

Knaresborough is most famous for its connections with the prophetess Mother Shipton. She is said to have been born in a cave now known as Mother Shipton’s cave, now a popular tourist attraction.

English Fairies / Fairies / Folklore

Hob Hole, Runswick Bay

The haunt of a goblin, Hob, which is a generic term for a brownie of boggle in Yorkshire. This hob was unusual in that the was thought to be able to cure whooping cough, and parents would bring their afflicted child to the cave and recite a rhyme in the hope of a cure.

Directions: Runswick Bay reached via a minor road off the A174 to the Northwest of Whitby.

Apparitions / Haunted Pubs / Hauntings

The York Arms, York

The York Arms is haunted by a Grey Lady. She also haunts the Theatre RoyalTheatre Royal, which stands across from it, this sounds like a linked legend, and it may be worth noting if there is a legend about a connecting tunnel.