Ghost Stories

Cumbria, not unlike most areas of the British Isles, is rich in ghost stories and tales of strange apparitions. For this reason I’ve selected: a few of my favourite ones published elsewhere; tales told directly to me and not published elsewhere; and an apparition I have direct experience of.

The Furness Spaceman

You have perhaps heard about the Solway Spaceman, but who /what is the mystery figure in white at Furness Abbey? A modern-day mystery.

Headless Monk of Furness Abbey

“I wasn’t frightened, I’d always been told that the dead can’t hurt you”

This is a tale told to me by one of two friends, who watched a figure in black, dressed like a monk in the Abbey grounds one December evening in the 1970s. As this spectre got closer to the men, they noticed it was headless! As the headless monk walked through one of the Abbey’s ruins, it vanished. The man who recounted the tale was rather pragmatic with regards what he witnessed, however his friend was “terrified”.

The Ulverston Giant

A tale from Ulverston, as told to me by a good friend. Both he, his brother and a group of their friends witnessed this ghost. There have been a number of sightings since the 1940s.

Bjorn the Headless Ghost

Bjorn, an outlaw from the thirteenth century, is said to haunt the area of Styhead Pass between Wasdale and Borrowdale. This spectre is headless, and carries with him a sack full of cats.

Red Lady of Woodland

This is an apparition I personally witnessed in the spring of 2019 whilst walking through the village of Woodland, nr. Broughton-in-Furness. A slightly built figure dressed in a hooded robe, a bright red colour, was walking through trees parallel to the road. I climbed a stone wall, and walked over a field to get a better look, the apparition was still there for a few moments, then simply vanished. I made it to the area of trees and scrub a few minutes later, no birds were singing, there was a deathly silence. I definitely felt that I was unwelcome, so I left and carried on my journey.

Since posting the tale on Facebook, I have been contacted by a lady from Ulverston. She and her son have witnessed a similar ghost near Stonecross, Ulverston.

A Lady in Red or Red Lady is a type of female ghost, similar to the White Lady, but according to legend is more specifically attributed to a jilted lover, prostitute killed in a fit of passion, or woman of vanity. In all cases, the Lady in Red is wearing a scarlet or blood red dress or gown.

The Janet Tree

The ghost of the witch of Shap, who would sit in an elderly ash tree, knitting. Sadly, the tree was cut down some time ago.

Screaming Skulls of Calgarth

Perhaps one of our most well-known ghost stories, the screaming skulls of the Crook family, who cursed Calgarth Hall.

White Dobbie of Furness

A Dobbie / Dobby in Cumbrian dialect is a malevolent spirit, ghost, or poltergeist. The lonely road from Bardsea to Rampside was haunted by a wearied, odd-looking fellow. His companion was a white hare, thin to the bone.

Selected references:

Wainwright, A. A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells series

Birkett, B. 1994 Complete Lakeland Fells

Douglas, D. C; Greenway, G. W. 1953 English Historical Documents 1042–1189