East Yorkshire’s spookiest spots

Burton Agnes Hall, a beautiful Elizabethan manor house near Driffield, is renowned for its stunning architecture and beautiful gardens. However, it is also famous for its chilling ghost story which revolves around Katherine (Anne) Griffith, one of the daughters of Sir Henry Griffith, who built the house.

Legend has it that Anne was deeply in love with her family home. After being attacked and robbed, she was brought home to Burton Agnes but sadly died a few days later. Before she passed away, she made her sisters promise that her head would be severed and kept in the hall so that her spirit could remain with it, and she could continue to watch over the home she loved so much. Her sisters agreed, but when Anne died, she was buried in the churchyard.

This decision unleashed a series of disturbing paranormal events, and it wasn’t until Anne’s skull was returned to its rightful place that the hauntings stopped. Anne’s skull is still in the house, built into the walls, but nobody knows for sure where. You can see Anne’s portrait which still hangs in the Inner Hall.

Learn more about Burton Agnes Hall

Burton Constable Hall, another of East Yorkshire’s historic houses, is reputed to be one of the region’s most haunted locations. It has been home to the Constable family for over 400 years and the oldest part of the hall dates as far back as the 12^th century.

Over the years, staff and visitors have reported sightings of several ghosts, including that of William Constable, who once lived in the house. His spirit has been seen several times in the vicinity of his old bedroom.

Another frequent visitor is Bunter, the family’s black Labrador. Bunter died in 1976 and is buried in the grounds of Burton Constable Hall but he can often be seen running through the hall’s grand rooms or felt brushing past visitors’ legs on the staircase.

Head down to the wine cellar and you might just have an encounter with a brewer who apparently hanged himself more than 150 years ago. Lights are known to turn on and off and things mysteriously move.

Other ghostly sightings include the nanny who cared for the Constable children during the 19^th century, a nun who has been seen floating down the Long Gallery, and Roman soldiers marching through the woods.

Learn more about Burton Constable Hall

The 600 year old Beverley Friary, which is just a short stroll from the iconic Beverley Minster, has long held a spooky reputation. For years, it has been the source of spine-chilling stories of ghostly monks, phantom footsteps, and mysterious white figures.

Many people have reported sightings of a smiling Dominican friar appearing in the kitchen doorway, while another ghostly monk is often seen wandering the dining room. Head to Friars Lane just after midnight and you might see a headless monk who apparently roams the area in the darkness of night. Some believe that the monks lived at the priory in the medieval period and met a tragic end, while others think they may be guarding some long-lost secret of the Friary.

One of the most famous ghostly sightings happened in the 1980s when three workmen saw a figure dressed in white walking along the top floor of the building. Knowing the building was locked, they were shocked by what they saw, sparking yet another mystery about the Friary’s hauntings.

Today, the building is a youth hostel, and staff and guests have reported strange sightings and eerie occurrences. Some visitors have heard footsteps echoing down the corridors, only to find no one there, while others have seen shadowy figures flitting through doorways.

Learn more about Beverley Friary

Wharram Percy is one of the most famous deserted medieval villages in England, and its ruins lie in a remote valley in the Yorkshire Wolds. The village was abandoned in the 16th century, and today, only the remnants of the church and a few other structures remain. However, Wharram Percy is not as empty as it seems—according to legend, it is haunted by the spirits of its former inhabitants.

And a few years back, archaeologists discovered the mutilated and burned bones of at least 17 people, who were found buried just outside the village. It's believed the mutilations were carried out after their death, out of fear that the dead might rise and walk among the living.

The Sun Inn is one of East Yorkshire’s oldest and most haunted pubs. Dating back to the 15th century, it has long been a hub for ghostly encounters. Legend says that the historic inn is a junction point in the secret underground passage from Beverley Minster to various sites in Beverley. Former publicans have spoken of feeling a presence, and the sensation of something brushing past them when nobody was there. A shadowy figure has also been seen in the pub’s cellar making staff reluctant to go down there alone. Both staff and customers have also experienced sudden drops in temperature and eerie sensations of being watched while sitting at the bar.

Learn more about The Sun Inn