One city in the North of England was once labelled ‘the most haunted city in Europe’ by the Ghost Research Society
York, a city steeped in history from the Romans and Vikings to violent episodes, has earned its place on the list of Britain’s most haunted places.
However, it may still be rather surprising that it’s touted as the most haunted city in Europe.
The city, christened Eboracum by the Romans in 71 AD, is rife with tales of hauntings, including suggestions that some Romans may have never left after 400 AD.
In the 1950s, several visitors to Treasurer’s House reported sightings of a Roman soldier. One guest even recounted an encounter with the ghostly figure blocking her path while she was searching for wine in the cellar.
In another eerie incident, an apprentice heating engineer claimed he heard a trumpet sound followed by the sight of a Roman emerging from the wall.
Chillingly, later excavations revealed that the house was built along one of the main Roman roads in the city, close to the former Roman headquarters.
The Roman soldier at Treasurer’s House is just one among an estimated 500 hauntings within the city walls. Another heart-wrenching tale is that of Mad Alice, believed to haunt Lund’s Court, formerly known as Mad Alice Lane.
Alice Smith, who resided on the lane in the 1800s, was hanged at York Castle in 1825 for ‘insanity’ after murdering her abusive husband. Some claim to have seen Alice’s face peering at them from the windows overlooking the alley.
Another tragic ghost tale is that of the York Theatre Royal’s Grey Lady, who is believed to have been the inspiration for one of the ghosts in Harry Potter.
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The theatre, built on the site of the medieval St Leonard’s Hospital, is reportedly haunted by a nun who worked at the hospital. During her time there the nun fell in love with a nobleman patient and the pair began an affair.
Upon discovery of their forbidden romance, she was sealed into a windowless room, left with no means of escape. Despite its grim origins, sightings of the Grey Lady are now considered a good omen, indicating an exceptional performance for the evening.
Another haunting tale from York involves the Ye Olde Starre Inne, where patrons and staff claim to hear the screams of Royalist soldiers in the basement. While it may seem an odd location for such a haunting, the pub’s basement served as a makeshift hospital during the English Civil War.
These are just a few examples of the numerous ghost sightings reported in York, which has certainly earned the title of the most haunted city in Europe.
To learn more about the history of York and its reported hauntings go to VisitYork.org.
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