In honour of All Hallows’ Eve, we present our three most haunted hostels. Delve into our creepy chronicles for chilling tales of ghostly goings-on in some of our oldest and most atmospheric accommodation. Are the stories believable or total bunkum? We’ll let you be the judge.
YHA St Briavels Castle
Regarded in ghost hunting circles as one of the UK’s most haunted hostels, reports of supernatural activity here are many. A baby has been heard crying on multiple occasions, clothes and bedsheets have been tugged by unseen hands and a black dog without an owner lurks in its grounds. A Grey Lady often visits the top corridor, and an armoured knight continues to guard the castle. Is it all creaking floorboards and ancient walls stirring the imagination of those who want to believe, or is there something more?
YHA Hartington Hall
Who is that little girl? For years she’s been spotted wandering between the rooms of this remarkable manor house, once a teacher even reported that she’d seen her standing at the bottom of her bed. The identity of the apparition remains a mystery. Other spirits sighted include an old woman reputed to be the former lady of the hall. Could it be a member of the original Bateman family from the 15th century, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s hostess (he stayed here during the Jacobite Rising of 1745), or a resident of the Victorian era? It could be a trick of the light, right? Well, hostel staff have also reported the vacuum cleaner turning on for no reason, being tapped on the shoulder by an invisible entity, and doors slamming with no obvious explanation. Spooky!
Stay at YHA Hartington Hall
YHA Beverley Friary
In the 80s, three tradesmen were working in the closed building one weekend. No one else was around and the doors were locked. So, who was that white figure, stalking the top floor? Yes, if you want atmospheric, try a site that witnessed the Dissolution of the Monasteries. As mentioned by Geoffrey Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales, a Dominican friary was first established here circa 1240. The foundations for the stone building you see today were laid in the early 14th century and the building dates back at least 600 years; interior wall paintings from the medieval and Tudor period are still visible on the wall.
For years, people have reported strange goings-on in the property; phantom voices, unexplained footsteps and objects with a life of their own all suggest spectral as well as paying guests stay.
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