Sunday, October 18, 2020

UK ghost tales book: "The Haunted North Country"

  • Title: The Haunted North Country
  • Subtitle: A Ghost Tour of the Northern Counties
  • Author: C.T. Oxley
  • Interior photographs: J. Leach
  • Publisher: Unclear. Possibly Dobson/Dobsons of Harrogate, which I believe printed the book
  • Price: 35 pence
  • Dimensions: 5 inches by 7¼ inches
  • Pages: 76
  • Year: Possibly 1975. This is the "Second impression with appendix" and there are other online references indicating that makes this publication date 1975. There's also a reference in the text to January 1973, so the book must have come out after that.
  • Is there an appendix? No.
  • Format: Staplebound
  • From the introduction: "Some ghosts it seems are humorous, others grim and malicious, and many appear to have no apparent reason for haunting a particular spot. ... Man knows a great deal concerning his immediate environment, but there is a great deal on the misty boundaries of this life of which he knows nothing. ... The stories and accounts haunted places in this booklet are merely a selection, there are many others."
  • Sampling of hauntings detailed within: The Gray Man of Bellister, the White Lady at Blenkinsopp Castle, the Martindale Boggle, the Radiant Boy of Corby Castle, the Grey Lady of Levens Hall, the skull of Wardley Hall, the Bloody Footstep of Smithhills Hall, the phantom horseman of Wycoller Hall, the haunted chamber of Bolling Hall, "Charlie" of Lumb Hall, and the knocking ghost of Morley.
  • Bonus witch content: There's mention of a "notorious" witch near Samlesbury Hall named Grace Sowerbutts. But according to this Wikipedia article, Grace was the accuser, not the accused.

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