Samlesbury Hall

A "White Lady" has been seen in the corridors and grounds during the evening. It is in the grounds that she meets a knight and they proceed to their graves where they fade away wailing. It is said that this is a remnant of an event in the 16th (or 14th!) century where Dorothy Southworth was forbidden from seeing a neighbour, Richard de Hoghton by her father due to his religious views. The two lovers tried to escape but the man was killed by Dorothy's brothers who also dispatched two others who were aiding the elopement. Dorothy was taken to a nunnery where she died insane. However, some versions say that Dorothy died "normally" in France - and yet other versions say that her lover, the knight, has never been seen (yet another version say that he has been seen near the moat, where his body was found, but never in the hall). The White Lady is more often seen outside, on the road, where she has caused at least one driver to veer sharply to avoid her; she was seen at recently as 2006. Other ghosts include a suicide victim in the Minstrel's Gallery, a small boy looking in through a window where the entrance used to be, as well as "headless priest, three women cleared of witchcraft and the spirits of the tragic Harrison family." In addition, a staff member felt a slap on the back of her head early one morning, "eerie" shadows have been sighted and a visitor said that something bustled past her on the stairs.

A 2025 newspaper adds more details; "Sir John Southworth, the original builder, has reportedly appeared in the Priest’s Room three times, according to historical records. Another ghostly presence is Father Cuthbert, a priest who was beheaded on the grounds. His bloodstain is said to reappear on the spot where he died. The “Face in the Fireplace” terrified a 19th-century worker so much that he fled the hall and never returned. Two separate witnesses have reported seeing a phantom funeral procession, including a six-horse carriage driven by a man with missing teeth and a patch over his eye. In more recent times, an employee claimed to have heard a funeral taking place in the same area. The hall’s resident poltergeist is said to move between rooms, while sightings of a large black “Ghost Dog” date back to 1612 and continue to this day. Another recurring figure is “The Rose Lady,” a Georgian-era apparition spotted in The Rosarium. Witnesses have reported smelling roses when none are present. There are also accounts of ghostly schoolchildren, thought to date from when the hall was used as a private boarding school. Visitors and staff alike have reported hearing the ring of a “Psychic Doorbell,” even though the original bell was removed decades ago. William Harrison, who took his own life in the late 19th century, is said to still wander the corridors. Several blonde women have reported feeling an invisible hand gently stroke their hair."

Link: Great British Ghosts

Link: Northern Life

Link: Daily Mirror

Link: Lancashire Evening Post

Link: Lancs Live

Link: Lancashire Telegraph

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