Haunted Lancashire – Our beloved Lancashire, drenched in history and home to some of the most beautiful and enchanting architecture in the country. However, all is not as it seems and just like your classic horror movie, there is a sinister twist to the tale. 

Some of the county’s most well-known sites and buildings hold much more than meets the eye. Within them lies both historic and recent tales of ghouls and ghosts, witches who wander and soulless spirits. 

Haunted Lancashire – Dare You Experience

Here we share some of our top places to get “spooked” any time of year.

Lancaster Castle

The walls of Lancaster Castle have many a tale to tell. Used in 1612 for the infamous Lancashire Witch Trials, public hangings and more recently, imprisonment, it is one of the most famous haunted sites in the county and as a result, one of the most visited.

On 20th August 1612, ten people were convicted of witchcraft at the Summer Assize held in the castle and taken to the gallows on the moors overlooking the town and unjustifiably executed. Now more commonly known as the “Pendle Witches”, the accused included two men and a woman in her eighties and were charged with laming, causing madness and other witchcraft activities. It is believed that the accused still relentlessly haunt the castle, desperately trying to prove their innocence. 

To discover more of the castle’s haunting history, you can book castle tours to explore the courtrooms, prison cells and eerie execution sites. You may just join the many others who have reported the sounds of crying, figures within the shadows and floating orbs. 

Blackpool Grand Theatre

Designed by architect Frank Matcham, the theatre opened in 1984 and bought to it Shakespeare’s Hamlet for its first-ever performance. But beyond the splendor of “Matcham’s Masterpiece” and within the beauty of the Victorian walls lies a deep, dark tale of Charlie, a restless spirit who still haunts the upper circle today. 

Charlie, an employee of the theatre whose passionate love for a ballerina was unrequited, caused him to commit suicide by throwing himself off the balcony edge. Charlie who remains angry at this rejection is known to cause some real mischief around the theatre. Many guests have reported taps on the shoulder with no one there, chairs being flipped upwards, shadowy figures and woeful singing, echoing across the empty stage. Many of these reports are from staff working late, long after the curtains have come down. 

 “To be or not to be” is what Hamlet asks us of us in its opening line. In this case Charlie chose “not” and remains a huge part of the theatre’s chilling story. Perhaps you will experience the presence of our resident spirit during your next visit with us. 

Samlesbury Hall

Opened in 1325, Samlesbury Hall in Preston is often featured on TV’s most known paranormal finding shows and is considered to be one of the most haunted locations in Britain. Here you will discover stories of the brokenhearted and murdered. 

One well-known resident is the White Lady, Dorothy Southworth, who from a conservative Catholic family kept company with a Protestant boy. Her father fiercely forbode the relationship, and her brothers, discovering their plans to elope, killed the young man and his two friends. Dorothy was sadly sent away to a foreign convent in shame and died of a broken heart.  As well as her spirit form being seen in the halls and grounds of Salmesbury, it is said that if you listen very closely, you can also hear the haunting whispers of the White Lady’s voice across the gardens.

Legend also has it that the ghost of an angry Priest frequents Samlesbury with its presence. The story tells us that in c.1582 a barbaric murder of a Priest took place committed by soldiers. The Priest was decapitated in the Priest Room, where to this day you can see discoloration of the floorboards where he fell, which many believe to be bloodstains. Later occupants (the Harrison family) replaced the boards but the stain strangely re-appeared. 

Check out Samlesbury Hall’s Things to Do page where you can book guided tours, stay over visits, clairvoyance evenings and many more haunting experiences. 

Pendle Hill

Spirits do not just spook the beautiful buildings of Lancashire, they also haunt the land. Featured in the TV show ”Most Haunted”, Pendle Hill is famous for its none too often visits from the spirits of the 1612 Pendle Witches. Amongst the unsettling hills, visitors have made several reports of feeling unexplained anger, shadows that defy any logic and figures after dark. 

It is not only visited from wrongly accused witches you can expect at Pendle Hill, ghost hunting teams have also picked up on the spirits of children and airmen who died during the war as well as from people who have died on the hill. 

Due to fear, many locals living here today will not visit the hill after dark or in fact speak of the 1612 events in case of a visit from something a little sinister. 

Discover all of Pendle’s Halloween events this year and maybe if you dare, book onto a Pendle Witch Trail. 

Morecambe’s Winter Garden

Not only the town’s oldest theatre but one of its most haunted places is the Morecambe Winter Garden. Opened in 1897 as the Victoria Pavilion Concert Hall and Variety Theatre, an extension to the existing Winter Gardens Complex was opened in 1878. It has since then been home to a bitter ghost who never got to “live the dream”.

Believed to be haunted by a seamstress whose passion for dancing never came to fruition, reports have been of sightings of a figure seen in the auditorium, dressing rooms and bar area. Guests here have reported feeling like they were being slapped, prodded and pushed, none of which can be logically explained. 

Hogton Tower

At this beautiful 16th-century Elizabethan manor home set in stunning grounds, something is amiss.  For centuries reports have been made of ghostly goings-on and investigations have led it to become the third most haunted home in the United Kingdom. 

Built-in 1565, guests to Hogton Tower have included William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and King James 1 to name a few.  But they are not the only guests… spirits continue to haunt here to this day with many sightings reported by staff and visitors. These include a Tudor woman who frantically circles the courtyard, a little girl wandering throughout the house and a lost monk at the north entrance. Spirits here not only take the human form; you may also see the black dog who continues to haunt the Well House. 

What also lies underneath the beautiful staterooms of Hogton Tower are underground passages and dungeons, a connection to the Lancashire Witches which makes the tower an even more spine-chilling visit. Take a visit to the tower and book a tour this Halloween. 

By George Hopkins, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

Ruffold Old Hall

Part of the National Trust family, Ruffold Old Hall was built as a H-plan house in c.1530 for Sir Robert Hesketh, the illegitimate son of a family which had been lords of the manor for at least seven generations. Parts of the original home remain; however, many sections have been removed and re-built. Although through time, many adaptations of the home have been made, one thing remains a constant; its frequent visits and sightings of ghosts and things that go bump. 

Featured in TV’s “Most Haunted”, the home is believed to be haunted by three spirits. The first and most surprisingly is Queen Elizabeth 1 who many have reported to have connected with during their time there. The second, “The Grey Lady” who wanders the grounds searching for her husband who has not returned from war. And lastly, a gentleman in Elizabethan attire, often seen in the Great Hall, by the giant fireplace, a spot which was known for hiding Catholic priests during a period of unsettlement in religious history.

Take a look around Ruffold Old Hall; you may just meet royalty! 

Lytham Hall

Lytham Hall is considered one of the finest Georgian homes in Lancashire. Once the home of the Clifton Family, it spans back over four centuries with its original site dating back to the 12th century when it was home to a priory of Benedictine monks.

With a building this old and loaded in history, it is no surprise that there are reports of spirits and such. Sir Cuthbert Clifton, an early owner of the house is believed to wander the home, often heard in a bedroom stomping his feet… a previous resident not too happy with his eviction. 

The spirit of “Witch” a horse belonging to another resident, John Talbot Clifton was killed in a riding accident and is often sighted close to the spot where he died, now known as Witch Wood. 

There have been many reports of strange activity at Lytham Hall. Discover their very recent story of spooky behaviour at the Gatehouse. You can also plan your next visit.

Fulwood Barracks

The Preston barracks built in 1848 is home to the fine Lancashire Infantry Museum but also some seriously spooky happenings. Famous for not just resident ghosts, sightings have also been made of shadows like Roman soldiers, seen walking the path of the old Roman road across the parade square. What is even more shocking, they are only visible from the waist up!

In the Garrison Chapel lies the first of its residents. A woman who many believe to have been the chapel cleaner is often sighted and although believed to be a friendly presence, often causes havoc by moving objects around. There has also been strange activity when trying to film in the chapel with cameras not working or being moved. 

One spirit you may not want to come across at Fulwood is that of Private McCaffery, an angry soul who is often sighted. McCaffery was 19 when serving at the Barracks in 1861 under two very strict disciplinarians. McCaffery would often get into trouble and avoid orders, avoiding one given on 14 September which resulted in him being confined to barracks for two weeks. Following his confinement, he shot dead his two superiors and was later sentenced to hanging in Liverpool. Reported sightings often see him in the Officers’ Mess. 

Learn more about Fulwood’s spirit residents and Romans at the Lancashire Infantry Museum. 

Lancaster Grand Theatre

Our friends at the Lancaster Grand Theatre also have a spooky tale to tell. They are home to a “diva” like grey ghost who refuses to stay out of the spotlight. Famously known Georgian actress Sarah Siddons was related to the theatre’s owner and was best known for playing Lady Macbeth in 1795. 

If you feel an unexplained chill in the air or see a hollowly-like figure glide across the stage during a performance of the Shakespeare tragedy, it is sure to be Sarah making an appearance. Actors and staff have made many reports of being watched from the stalls but no one is to be found. Very strange indeed!

The theatre which has been in use for over 200 years is a hot spot for ghost hunters and those intrigued by the afterlife. If you are feeling really brave, try reciting Macbeth during a visit. 

Heskin Hall

Built in c1545 and occupied by the Heskin family through the generations, this manor home’s most talked about inhabitants are its ghosts. Throughout history, the hall and surrounding areas were at the centre of many battles fought with some of the most brutal atrocities taking place in this part of the country. 

Haunted by three spirits, with one believed to have now departed, many sightings and uncomfortable feelings have been experienced here. The two remaining spirits include a girl and an older man who date from the Civil War. Mathilda, a Roman Catholic was hanged by a Priest in the presence of Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers, as evidence of his conversion to Protestantism. The priest too, was hung in the same spot when the soldiers became unconvinced. 

Many visitors leave the house in quick haste due to the incidents and sightings in the hall. Book a visit and experience the peculiar for yourself.

Whether a believer or not in the paranormal, the terrifying tales at some of Lancashire’s most iconic places are ones to be enjoyed and experience at Halloween and beyond.