The Paranormal Database

Old woodcut of a hound with a burning tail.

Dog of Ill Omen

Location: Hurstwood - General area
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Banished by an unknown holy man, this creature would once walk through the town warning the inhabitants of misfortune.

Woman in a Taxi

Location: Kendal - Lonsdale Road, between Kendal and Kirkby
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1974
Further Comments: A taxi driver driving his empty cab along the road gazed the rear-view mirror and saw a woman sitting in the back of the car. He pulled over, but the figure had vanished. When he started off again, the figure reappeared - the driver was too scared to stop a second time, and the woman vanished soon after.

HALO

Location: Kendal - RAF Wharton, outside of the town
Type: UFO
Date / Time: 1990s
Further Comments: RAF Wharton was believed to be the home of the UK stealth aircraft project, HALO (High Altitude, Low Observable) being the project name. Some believe this to be the result of back engineering a downed UFO.

Children

Location: Kirkby - Council Flats in Tedbury Close
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1971
Further Comments: Six families reported dozens of spooky incidents involving ghostly children. One woman watched a spectral ten year old boy walk by her, holding his hand in the air as if holding someone's hand. Other figures and strange laughter were also reported.

Lady Darlington

Location: Kirkby - Melling Hall Hotel
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: A former owner of the property, this woman could be perceived as unwilling to surrender her ownership. A spectral lap dog has also been seen on site, as has a small figure that is said to possess legs like a chicken.

Drifting Monk

Location: Kirkby - Unnamed sports centre, Westvale
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early twenty-first century
Further Comments: Two witnesses watched a hooded figure drifting across the local sports club football field - as they turned away, they were amazed to see the figure had materialised a short distance in front of them. One of the pair felt that the entity was 'violent', and quickly moved away in the opposite direction. The ghost followed them briefly before disappearing.

Stable Lad

Location: Kirkham - Bell and Bottle public house
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1960s / 1970s?
Further Comments: Trampled to death in the stable many years ago, this shade was said to have put in an occasional appearance after the building was converted into a restaurant.

George's Severed Head

Location: Kirkham - Mowbreak Hall
Type: Crisis Manifestation
Date / Time: Mid twentieth century
Further Comments: George's severed, bloody head first manifested in 1583, when it appeared to his father - George had just been arrested in London, and was executed shortly after. Though the head is no longer considered to be a warning of impending doom, it did make periodic appearances, sometimes accompanied by the sounds of cries, groaning and footfalls.

Screaming

Location: Lancaster - 2 Dalton Square (as of 2024, City Council offices)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The site of a 1935 double murder, one story says that screaming can be heard coming from within, while another places a ghostly figure on the top floor.

Shuffling Steps

Location: Lancaster - 7 Church Street (no longer standing)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Twentieth century
Further Comments: This unseen entity would take nightly walks around the building, opening and closing doors along its route. A phantom dog was also reported on the site.

White Lady

Location: Lancaster - Ashton Hall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This lady's untrusting husband locked her in a room as he went overseas to war - by the time he returned, all that remained was her shade, which now haunts the tower.

Sarah Siddons

Location: Lancaster - Grand Theatre
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Sarah's brother managed this theatre, so she came here quite a few times. Her grey form is sometimes seen watching the new performances.

An old postcard of Lancaster Castle.

Women

Location: Lancaster - Lancaster Castle (prison, closed 2011)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Stories from twentieth century, and experiences in 2008, 2010, 2023
Further Comments: This building is said to hold both prisoners and several ghosts. A middle-aged woman with a young girl were reported moving around near a cell, while another prisoner again reported the young girl, but his time with a haggard old woman. Also, the grey form of a monk has been seen, reportedly once hanged here. An inmate experienced a shadowy figure which walked past him and mild poltergeist effects in 2008, while in 2010 another prisoner was awoken by their bed violently shaking and the sound of horses' hooves. A ghost hunting team in May 2023 recorded EVP that said 'Thomas, Priest'.

Scared to Death

Location: Lancaster - Priory
Type: Unknown Ghost Type
Date / Time: Nineteenth century?
Further Comments: A story dating back a good few years documents how a thief, who came into the building late one night to try to steal some candlesticks, was scared to death by an unknown entity.

Body at the Base of the Stairs

Location: Lancaster - Private house along Sibsey Street
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Early to mid twentieth century (likely)
Further Comments: A woman living here reported seeing several times the ghostly body of a lady lying at the bottom of the staircase. The body was reportedly a former occupant of the building who slipped and fell down the stairs, breaking her neck upon hitting the ground.

Elderly Lady

Location: Lancaster - Private house, Whalley Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000s
Further Comments: A house along this road was said to be haunted by an elderly lady who crossed the landing holding a cup. A man in old fashioned clothing was also reported here.

Bony Finger

Location: Lancaster - Private residence along Higher Church Street
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1960s
Further Comments: This unnamed property was said to be haunted by a long bony finger, the presence of which left the occupiers terrified.

Noises

Location: Lancaster - Private residence along Longlands Road
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2000s
Further Comments: A witness living at this property reported hearing a disembodied voice say their name close to their ear. Footsteps, the sounds of tearing paper and a loud bang without cause were also reported.

Man in a Baggy Shirt

Location: Lancaster - Radio Station, St George's Quay
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: November / December 2003
Further Comments: One radio presenter in the building reported seeing a person in the board room wearing a white baggy shirt. The figure left the room by walking through a wall. Another DJ watched an incredibly heavy door open and close by itself. Phantom coughing has also been heard.

Standing Man

Location: Lancaster - Reebok UK, Moor Lane Mill
Type: Other
Date / Time: 17 April 1999
Further Comments: Two security guards spotted a man standing in the reception area on the CCTV system. One guard went to investigate but could not see the figure in reception, even though the other guard continued to watch the ghostly on the monitor. Although it was first reported as a ghost, a SPR investigation discovered it was most likely to be a fault caused by a brief power outage.

Stock Room Haunting

Location: Lancaster - Shoe shop on corner of Cheapside and Horseshoe Corner (no longer trading)
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 1960s
Further Comments: A phantom which was said to haunt the stockroom would leave the staff severely unnerved.

Jacobite

Location: Lancaster - Three Mariners public house, and lane outside
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A Jacobite man has been observed by the fireplace, and also wandering inside the pub and the lane outside. A blonde woman in a dress haunts the corridor outside the ladies' toilets, while other female forms also haunt the site. Mild poltergeist activity has been reported.

Elizabeth Dalton

Location: Lancaster - Thurnham Hall
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: One of three shades to be found in this hall, Dalton's green ghost lurks around her former property, and has been seen in the garden picking up sticks. The other spirits consist of a Cavalier and a poltergeist like entity. The site has been used as a sleepover to raise money for charity.

Shadowy Figure

Location: Lancaster - Vue Cinema
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2006
Further Comments: Staff have claimed that screen five is home to a shadowy figure only seen from the corner of one's eye. Whispering has also been heard.

Buckshaw Beast

Location: Leyland - Buckshaw area
Type: Cryptozoology
Date / Time: Late 2009 - Early 2010
Further Comments: Locals reported an animal prowling the area, which may have been responsible for killing several deer. A creature photographed in the area on a camera phone was too poor to be properly identified, although a boar, hyena, wolf and big cat have all been named as the 'beast'.