25 spooky Blackpool places and old haunting Halloween tales from Foxhall to Cloggy at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
By Claire Lark
Published 28th Oct 2022, 15:45 BST
Updated 23rd Oct 2023, 12:00 BST
Blackpool has plenty of spooky tales to tell, all entwined in its rich heritage, old buildings and notorious bloody crimes.
Who is the Carleton Ghost which scared the living daylights out of a cab driver one night, or how can heightened spiritual activity due to a ‘paranormal portal’ above the stage at The Grand Theatre, be explained? Whether you take it with a pinch of salt, or you are a firm believer in all things supernatural, some of these tales are unsettling and leave a trail of unanswered questions.
Here are 25 pictures which take you to the heart of creepy Blackpool. You may or may not have heard about them before but they will get you into the spirit for Halloween. (Thank you to local historian Juliette Gregson for her contributions)
Mains Hall. The Grade II-listed building in Singleton, is steeped in history, set on an estate with settlements dating back to 1066. Child ghosts, spirits of priests, cavaliers and former Lords and Ladies have long been seen in the manor house. The Gazette reported in 2009 that the owners had regularly reported seeing a spirit they called ‘Lily’, a lady who stood at the top of the stairs by the Tudor Room. Adele Yeomans (pictured) said: “Then a lady who used to live in the manor in the 1940s visited the house and said her mother had always said ‘If I could ever go back anywhere I would haunt Mains Hall’.“Her mother was called Lily." The owners also heard a glass smash and found it in a room where glasses have never been kept - at a time when no one was there. Photo: submit
The village of Kilgrimol is said to have been swallowed by the sea off the Blackpool coast during the Dark Ages. Ghostly lights have been reported shimmering on the horizon whilst bells can be heard ringing on stormy nights. The photo shows Kilgrimol School... it's long gone Photo: submit
This was the Blackpool Illuminations depot in 2001. Staff at the former premises on Rigby Road reported sightings of ghosts, unexplained noises and a sensation of cold air. One medium identified a restless spirit as Ted, who died in a drowning accident Photo: Robert Charles Norton Lock
18. The owners of The Grapevine pub in Poulton have called in Paranormal Intent, an investigative group who look into ghostly goings-on, following a series of strange incidents in the centuries-old building. Paranormal Intent co-founder Gaz Coward chats to Grapevine owner Abigail Woodcock on the gallery, where some of the strangest encounters have taken place. PIC BY ROB LOCK 14-10-2013
The owners of The Grapevine pub in Poulton called in Paranormal Intent in 2013, an investigative group who looked into ghostly goings-on, following a series of strange incidents in the centuries-old building. Paranormal Intent co-founder Gaz Coward chats to Grapevine owner Abigail Woodcock on the gallery, where some of the strangest encounters had taken place Photo: rob lock