Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Hornby Castle

The Grade I listed Hornby Castle is a private residence and is not open to the public, though the castle gardens are opened up a few times a year for special events.

Saint Cybi’s Holy Well

Saint Cybi’s Holy Well at Llangybi in North Wales is one of those mysterious and difficult to find places which turn out to be well worth the effort. Certain places have an almost otherworldly atmosphere about them and Saint Cybi’s Well is certainly one of these.

The Cardigan Arms, Leeds

On 13th October 2006 strange experiences was reported by three separate women at the Cardigan Arms, 364 Kirkstall Road, Leeds. One of the women briefly saw the reflection of a middle-aged/elderly woman with long, straight grey hair in the mirror of the ladies toilet. No one was there when she turned around. One of the girls waited for a cubicle to be vacated.

Miley Railway Tunnel, Preston

The Miley Tunnel running under Preston is 862 yards long and linked the Longridge line to the main Preston line. Opening in around 1840 for freight, the first passenger trains used the tunnel in 1856, though these stopped by 1930. Goods traffic also declined and by the 1980’s the line was unused. The tracks are still present but they are overgrown and the tunnel is abandoned.

Peg O’Nell of Waddow Hall, Waddington

The Grade II listed 17th century Waddow Hall has been owned by the Girl Guides Association since 1928. There is an old folk tradition associated with Waddow Hall and the ghost of Peg O’Nell or Peg o’ th’ Well. The following account of the tradition is extracted from ‘Lancashire Folk-lore’ (1867) by John Harland and T. T. Wilkinson.

Waddington Hall

Waddington Hall near Clitheroe is one of the locations that sheltered King Henry VI following his defeat at the Battle of Hexham in 1464 and it was shortly after leaving here that his was captured and taken to the Tower of London. The following story entitled ‘The Grey Man of the Wood or The Secret Mine’ appeared in John Roby’s ‘Traditions of Lancashire’ (1872)

Nutwood Big Cat (2012)

Add to that the eerie atmosphere of dense woodland at night and it is enough to make the hairs on your neck stand on end.

But, that is what greeted two men who were out on a shooting trip in an East Yorkshire wood.

Ravensworth Big Cat (2010)

Jennifer Bell published the following story entitled ‘North Yorkshire big cat fears after sheep is savaged’ in The York Press on 1st December 2010.

A BIG cat is feared to be on the prowl in North Yorkshire after a sheep was savaged and killed.

Tadcaster Tiger (2006)

In 2006 there was a tiger scare in North Yorkshire around Tadcaster. The following article appeared on the BBC News Website [23 June 2006] entitled ‘Police alert over ‘tiger’ reports’ and includes details of a sighting on the B1223, also known as Boggart Lane.

Shepley Big Cat (2011)

The following article by Chris Slack was published in the Daily Mail on 7 November 2011 and was entitles ‘Lion on the line: Passengers are locked on train for two hours after sighting of big cat… in YORKSHIRE’