The White Lady of the Angel Inn. For a short period in 1982 the story circulated the town and a report appeared in the Evening Gazette titled
Inn where Angels fear to tread. Needless to say, there was no definite proof just the words of those who had seen the spectre in the Inn. [see paper cutting in library]. Ghost hunters have investigated.
The Flying Glasses of the Spread Eagle. 2023 saw an incident caught on the CCTV in the pub one quiet Sunday night. It records a glass moving imperceptibly towards the edge of the table before it threw itself over one of the customers sat at the table. This might have been forgotten except for the CCTV was checked straight after showing the incident. To make the occurrence more serious was a similar incident happened in another part of the pub in the same week.
Seen by a customer was the Man who disappeared through a wall at The White Swan in Stokesley. His shock reinforced the feelings he had had seeing beer clips being thrown to the floor on more than one occasion with no-one around.
The Flaming Carriage on the Stripe. Once called Tweddell's Stripe, a ghostly form appears as a flaming carriage drawn by six grey hounds. The occupant a woman without a head is whisked up and down the lane at speeds unseen until railway engines began appearing.
Lady Cross 'Tabernacle of Satan'. Situated where the old Broughton and Ayton roads branched apart, it appears to be the 'rendezvous of everything evil'. Here nightly have appeared Ghosts, Hobgoblins, Witches, Warlocks and even Pluto himself who held undisputed sway.
One wanderer at night was confronted by a headless lady dressed in the remnants of blazing garments. She accompanied the wanderer step by step until they reached Kirby Lane End where with a terrific screech, she disappeared.
Another gentleman wending his way from Ayton to Stokesley on a dark night, on reaching the 'cross', was accosted by a demonic yell. A woman dressed in white and on a white charger, appeared before him. She rode alongside the terrified man before spurring her horse on, she disappeared in an instant.
The Council later sited an extension to the Churchyard here which has not improved the atmosphere on dark nights.
Troublesome Broughton Bridge. Many are the tales told of this location about those brave enough to pass. One man was riding from Broughton to Stokesley and when he reached the bridge, a thing like an ass's foal came and trotted alongside. All at once, the man tumbled right over his mare's head onto the ground. When he came to and got up, the apparition had gone.
Jack Raby was going along at night with a dog. Something suddenly appeared which looked like a white rabbit, which ran off pursued by the dog. They ran over a field and into a cowshed at one end and the dog ran out the other end. It came straight back to Jack with its tail between its legs and scared. Now scared too, Jack and his dog made his way home sharpish.
There was on old Blacksmith who lived at Broughton who often stopped very late at Stokesley on market nights. He didn't like going home as he was afraid of Broughton Brig. However, one night he decided to head home and took with him a leg of Mutton. As he approached the bridge, he had tied a rope to the leg of mutton and proceeded to pull it behind him. He spoke out loud, 'You can take my leg of Mutton Devil, if you leave me alone'. When he was well passed, he picked the Mutton up and carried it home, the leg and himself intact.
'Broughton Brig awlus had a bad neeam'
Apparitions on Neasham Lane. Neasham lane has rumours of a ghostly coach and horses.
The 'Crowing Witch' of Stokesley was reputed to be able to bewitch cows, horses, cats, dogs and humans. Her name was Mary Marshall but sometimes it was recorded as Polly Marshall. Locals were heard to say 'Ay she wor nobbut an ard meddlin' piece 'o nowt, wor same ald hag. She wad bewitch folks even on the way to Chetch or cheppell.'' Eventually it seems she was 'God struck' and ceased her actions except as punishment, she had to loudly crow three times whenever a fowl crossed her path.
A ghostly Coach and Horses haunt the Coach Road to Busby Hall. This local story may have been taken from the similar story at Angrove Hall. However the locals (my grandfather included), always told the story about Busby Hall and looking for it.
The Ghost of Madame Turner was once seen in the kitchen of Busby Hall drinking tea, the phantom was also said to haunt the corridors of her former home and the road leading to the hall. A large portrait of her hanging in the Hall was said to unsettle people if they were alone.
There was a frightful WORM at Sexhow, which was a menace and a dread to the local people. They suffered terribly from the depredations of the beast, hoping always to be rescued by some gallant knight in shining armour.
When at last the Worm of Sexhow was slain, the happy villagers carried its pelt to the parish church in Hutton Rudby, and hung it in triumph against the wall, where it remained for many long years.
The tale of Awd Nan of Sexhow. Awd Nan had been the village witch. One night, her ghost appeared to a Sexhow farmer to tell him the whereabouts of some buried treasure. The silver he was told to keep for himself, but the gold must be given to Awd Nan's niece, who lived in Stokesley. At the end of a year, the ghost warned him, she would be back to see what he had done. But the foolish man kept both the gold and the silver. At last Awd Nan reappeared to him and jumped up behind him on his horse at Stokesley. Seizing him by the throat, she gripped him tighter and tighter until he fell dead at his own door.
WHORL HILL near Swainby. A winged fire breathing dragon once terrorised this area, demanding the milk of nine cows every day, the creature took residence on the hill. As well as breathing fire it spouted poison gas which killed anyone venturing too close. It was finally killed after a long battle by a wandering knight who then went on his way without demanding a reward or revealing his name.
Great Ayton (Area near the river).The haunting sounds of poisoned horses neighing has been reported here - a story tells how thirty men and over a dozen horses died after drinking poisoned water from this river. The river itself is said to reflect those dead soldiers, if one examines it for long enough
Great Ayton had its own witch of repute, her name was Nan garbutt.
ANGROVE HALL near Great Ayton. The Coach and Horses that haunt the Coach Road to Angrove Hall is recorded in the book by John Fairfax-Blakeborough as follows.
He recounts the story of a coachman, Henry Edwards, who tried to elope with the daughter of the Hall's owner (unnamed in the story), and who was murdered by this gentleman and buried in the stackyard behind the Hall. Peter Meadows and Geoffrey Stout of Stokesley tried to investigate this story, which Fairfax-Blakeborough had obtained from oral accounts collated and noted down by his father, Richard. They decided that the murder and the ghost story might have had a grain of truth in them because in 1818 it had indeed been reported that a coachman from Angrove had attempted to burgle another house in the area and when his crime was discovered had shot himself.
The White Lady of Skutterskelfe (though she might be just the mist over the beck) has been talked of.
Gisborough Hall. A ghost butler, walks around the corridors performing tasks which are no longer required, this phantom may not realise he is dead. Another ghost haunts the lobby area (though can only be glimpsed out of the corner of one's eye), while a shadowy old woman haunts the old nursery.
Gisborough Priory. At the time of the first new moon of the year, the Black Monk walks in the grounds. He is reportedly protecting buried treasure, and would appear once a year to ensure that the hiding place hasn't been discovered. He has rarely been seen since the 1960s. However the chest of gold is also said to be watched over by a raven.
