Haunted Derbyshire

Visitors flock to Derbyshire, but it's not just the living who are fans...

Derby in the East Midlands might have a vibrant night life and some great places to eat and shop, but that hasn't stopped it being dubbed the 'Dead Centre of England'. Thats because there are more than 1000 sightings of ghosts, both in the city and around the scenic county of Derbyshire itself.
A big majority of these have been spotted in buildings along the old A6. many believe that this is because ley lines, which are thought to convey psychic energy, converge here. Derbyshire has a fascinating history, but be very wary if you chose to take a trip there. These ghosts are very much in the present too!

Under lock and key
The place where the country's prisoners waited to be executed was Derby Gaol, which is now a museum and is said to be the most haunted place in the city.
It was bought and restored by local celebrity Richard Felix who has appeared as a historian on Living TV's 'Most Haunted'. He reported seeing a ghost in the form of a grey haze gliding down one of the gaol's corridors.
One of his workmen was terrified when a cell door closed on him by itself, and people have reported feeling sick as they explore the same room.
Others have actually seen men hanging from a beam, while many have felt something pressing on their neck as they explored the cells.
Staff have noticed that these incidents occur mostly from October to December, before picking up again in July.
The Gaol currently has two cells: The Condemned Cell and The Debtors Cell. you can even read the graffiti left by the prisoners.
If you're really lucky, you might even get to see one too!

Beautifully Executed
Derby Cathedral is the smallest Anglican cathedral in England, but that doesn't been it isn't big on spectral activity.
One of the many ghosts said to haunt it is that of a crying woman who walks up and down the steps of the church with a small boy.
The ghost of a famous executioner is also said to wander around the cathedral in search of some peace for his tormented soul.
John Crossland was one of the busiest executioners in the country. he was granted a pardon from his own crimes in return for executing his own father and brother.

Headless wonders
If you manage to get out of the city, then be careful not to lose your head. Near the stately home of Thornbridge Hall, close to the village of Ashford in the Water, 12 headless men have been spotted carrying a coffin down one of the lanes.
There have also been ghostly sightings of a similarly-challenged horseman riding his white horse across the Peak District's manifold Valley.

Who goes there?
Yo Olde Dolphin Inne in Queen Street, Derby, got its license in 1530 and is said to have been a stopping off point for highwaymen.
Gas taps in the cellar are mysteriously turned on and off, and recently a hidden room was found on the first floor of the pub.

Creepy Check-ins
At the Castle Hotel in the village of Castleton, Derbyshire, you're bound to meet a ghost of one sort or another. To mention just a few, there's the jilted bride in room 4, a nurse and a legless soldier in the cellar, and a middle aged man in a pinstripe suit in rooms 7 and 10.

On the beat.
Derby's most famous ghost was a policeman called PC Joseph Moss. he was actually murdered in the lock up yard at the police station and is said to haunt the citys fish market - where the police station once stood - looking for revenge on those who took his life.
A tombstone in his memory is on display at the rear of Derby Gaol.

Fleas of fear
The Derbyshire village of Eyam is one of the most fascinating and tragic places in the country.
Back in 1665, the plague rampaged through the village after some flea ridden cloth was sent from London to a local tailor. He became the first to die from the plague, which soon spread and wuikly killed nearly a third of the village population.
By 1666, with the plague still raging, the reverend William Mompesson persuaded the village to quarantine themselves to stop the disease spreading to other villages.
Its hardly surprising then that the village is home to a few restless souls.
A visitor to the rectory, for instance claimed to have seen the vicars wife Catherine climbing the stairs wearing a large hat. Sometimes the sound of her whispers can be heard too.

Dessert Course
We've all heard of Bakewell Pudding or Tart, but the small market town where this famous dessert came from is also famous for its ghosts.
It was here in 1501, that 15 year old Prince Arthur saw the vision of a woman in white appear in the yard of the towns All Saints Church. She predicted both an early marriage and an early death for the bewildered teenager.
Shortly after, prince Arthur, who was the eldest son of King Henry VII, married Catherine of Aragon - his brother Henry VIII's future wife.
Sure enough, just a few months after his wedding, Prince Arthur fell ill and died. When Arthur saw the vision he was staying at Bakewell's Haddon Hall, his last words were 'O the vision of the cross at Haddon'.

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