The Black Swan

The ghostly legs of a man have been seen walking down the stairs here. In the bar, the ghost of a plump Victorian workman has been encountered sitting in the corner where he impatiently waits for someone or something. A beautiful young woman with long blonde hair staring at the mantelpiece is also to be seen, where she is said to emit a white glow. There are also claims of a cat that sits on the end of guest's beds, a highwayman and a figure in a bowler hat, who seems to be waiting for somebody at the bar. Apparently, in the passageway is the ghost of a boy, thought to be a Victorian pickpocket and is responsible for items disappear; he has been nicknamed 'Matthew'. The ghost of a man in the kitchen, dressed for riding, has been heard to sing; apparently the modern kitchen is supposedly built on the site of the stable yard.

Update: 18/2/20: Staff member Maggie Anderton informed me that she has worked at the pub so long that she doesn't notice the ghosts as much these days. But she did admit that they have quite a few ghosts, including "We have a little boy that moves things, we have a man dressed in riding clothes who walks through the kitchen, we have a cat that looks like the real cat." When I asked about recent sightings, she said, "The one that knocks on doors is active at the moment, the staff see Jack quite regularly (he’s the one dressed for riding)."

Link: Yorkshire Post

Link: York Press

Link: The Mirror

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