Carlisle’s Most Haunted
Home to one of England’s most besieged castles, over the years there have been many tales told of ghostly goings on in the great border city.
With a rich, dark history stretching back over 2000 years, Carlisle and the surrounding areas have been the setting of some horrifying hauntings, some long ago and some not so.
A must-visit for any keen ghost hunter, is Carlisle Citadel Railway Station, or rather the Undercroft beneath it. Since the station was built in the 19th century, the suite of rooms have had many different uses, in one a former butcher’s hooks can still be seen fixed into the ceiling.
In the book, Cumbria Ghost Stories, it states that railway workers have previously reported a concoction of strange noises in the passages and rooms, as well as doors opening and closing by themselves. Meanwhile, station manager, Sue Haworth, informed Haunted Carlisle author and paranormalist, Darren Ritson of a number of apparitions allegedly seen at the station.
He wrote: “These include a small boy with a dog; a shadowy figure standing on the platform in a blizzard; a woman in a veil; and a man without his head.”
The Cathedral is also believed to be haunted. Founded as an Augustinian priory before becoming a cathedral in 1133, it may be the second smallest ancient cathedral in Britain, but it has plenty of stories to tell. In Darren Ritson’s book, he recounts sightings of a spectral monk at the Cathedral, seen by a former Dean and also a little girl.
More recently, another mystery was caught on CCTV in 2008. Outside the Simply Food and Drinks shop in Botcherby, a white mist was seen, by two members of staff, drifting in and out of the store.
Darren wrote: “The anomalous mist, it was said, could only be seen on the CCTV screen, with nothing odd or untoward being reported outside the store where the actual cameras were pointing.”
The footage has become very well known, not only in the Carlisle area, but across the world, being viewed in countries as far away as China and the USA.
On the outskirts of Carlisle, lies Dalston Hall, one of the most haunted buildings in the region, it even made an appearance on Living TV’s Most Haunted in 2005. The hall is said to be home to numerous spirits, with staff and guests reporting their own paranormal encounters within the walls.
Room four is the most haunted. Stories range from feeling a presence whilst sleeping in the room, to a dog snarling at the door and a guest waking up to find a lady sitting on the bed next to him. Then there’s the “grey lady” who haunts the gallery above the Baronial Hall, allegedly the buildings oldest ghost and the spectral caretaker who roams the cellars, believed to date back to the Victorian era.
Darren stated: “In October 1996, candles that were used for medieval banquets in the Baronial Hall were seen by staff to flare up by themselves. During the same month, glasses were also heard to smash in empty rooms…pint glasses rose into the air on their own, the library windows were once found flung open and the night porter reported the sound of planks banging together.”
And not even Talkin Tarn, one of Carlisle’s most scenic spots, can escape a dark past the lingers over the Country Park. Many people will be familiar with the famous folklore of Old Martha and the sunken village that lies beneath the tarn today. Rumour has it that on the anniversary of the fateful day, visitors have heard the faint sound of Martha’s voice calling out and on a midsummer’s day, supposedly, the bells ring out from the submerged school, calling the ghost children to their classes.
But according to Haunted Carlisle, there’s also another ghost who haunts the Tarn, a woman called Jessie whose lover murdered her, drowning her in the lake in 1850.
Darren wrote: “Her sad, confused ghost is said to forever haunt the lakeside, wondering just why her lover decided to take her life.”
These are, of course, just a handful of the sightings and stories which have been recorded over time and it is perhaps unsurprising, given the amount of conflict the border city has seen. With its historic buildings, cobbled streets and hidden alleyways, Carlisle is the perfect setting for a good ghost story.
Further reading:
Haunted Carlisle by Darren Ritson
Cumbra Ghost Stories, Bradwell Books.
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