Haunted places in Leeds

[franwick]

I don`t know about public places but i have seen a ghost twice in a house i lived in during the 70`s. It was 26 brooklands drive, seacroft, which was my mother in law`s house and is now boarded up along with all the rest of the pre fabs there. One night i came out of the bathroom and standing on the landing was a figure which i did not get a close look at, as it seemed to disappear instantly. The only thing i saw clearly were the sandalled feet. Another night i was awoken by someone standing by my bed, very close to me - and this particular incident frightened me much more than the first one - i don`t know why. It was clearly a man dressed in some sort of dark coloured robe. I threw the covers on my head and stayed stock still. When i came out after a few minutes of nearly suffocating he was gone - to my great relief. I told the family about both these incidents, but they laughed and said i was mad. Later that night when everyone was in bed - apart from me and my father in law, he said, " You know i believe you about the figures you saw. " I said, " So why did you say you didn`t ? " He said, " I didn`t want to scare everyone - and i don`t want to worry you either - but one night i was last one up and when i turned on the landing light at the bottom of the stairs, i looked up the stairs and there was a figure like the one you described, and he was wearing sandals. I ignored the figure and just made my way up to bed. He didn`t appear to be there any more by the time i reached the top of the steps and turned the light off again. " You know folks that was really amazing and very spooky - as i hadn`t mentioned the sandals to anyone at all, it never crossed my mind to ! I have often wondered what was there before the pre fabs were built.

[Talloulabelle]

What a great web site this is!Just thought I'd add to the comment about Roman hauntings - I heard stories when I was a whipper snapper that Roman centurians could be seen marching near Guiseley, where I grew up. I'm not sure how accurate that is - kids love scaring kids! - but there are the remnants of the old Roman road that originally ran from Jorvik to Olicana (York to Ilkley - my history teacher would be proud!) up near the top of the Chevin which is not far away from my end of the town.Travel with The Royalty on your left and as you start to drop down the hill, there's a track on the left leading to a big stone house. At the house the Roman road forks off to the left. I only ever travel on this during the day (usually a bumpy bike journey) and I've never seen anything - shame!

[Beefish]

The Mustard Pot in Chapel Allerton has 2 ghosts - one behind the bar and one in the ladies. The one in the ladies is a woman in a long dress and the one behind the bar is some0ne in "old fashioned" clothes. The bar is not part of the old building but has been added on fairly recently.I have seen something that could be a ghost in the ginnel that runs from the Hollies up to Oxley Hall. I didn't see it on my own, I was walking up the ginnel with a friend about 30 odd years ago and we both saw a white mist that filled the gap between the walls at the top of the ginnel when we were coming past the school at Bardon Hill.Beefish

[Ian R P]

I love this stuff,Here's my list of Ghouls.There's the Blue lady and apparently maybe another one at Temple Newsam, at least one ghost in The Grand Theatre and one in the City Varieties. An apparition in one of the shops in the victorian street in the abbey house museum, and definately a ghost in the Tommy Wass pub at Beeston.In the early 70's my mum worked there and got my dad to do a bit of electrical work and he swore he saw a ghost in the cellar. I put it down to the Tetleys but years later the landlady told me her grandkids and the dog would not go in one of the rooms, and it was always freezing cold in there.The original building is years old, it was a farmhouse and people reckon the ghost is that of Ada Wass (Tommys Brother).

[Troll]

Hi, about three or four years ago I had to go into the cellars (or whatever they are called) of The Grand Theatre. I was there as part of my job and was there for about half an hour. I didn't see or hear anything while there but one thing the person that showed me to the area where I was working said that nothing would live down there, no rats, mice etc. I didn't hang around, but also I must say I didn't feel afraid or that anything was watching me.troll.

[stodge.]

hi, when i was about 3 (1975) i used to stay with my nan during the day,she lived in meanwood off stonegate road, down the side of Kirby's chippy. In the afternoon i used to get taken upstairs into the spare room for a story before my kip. One such afternoon, whilst in the middle of the story, my nan says i just started laughing looking over her shoulder into the corner of the room. When she asked what i was laughing at i described a funny looking man with a pointy hat with 3 corners, she told me not to worry and read the rest of the story. I found out later that this room used to be my aunty's bedroom and shed also seen the same figure and described it as a highway man.I was a bit too young to remember that sighting, but i definitely saw the same figure when i was 5. I was playing on the stairs, near the bottom, when i leaned backwards and looked up the stairwell. As i was looking up the same shadowy figure, looked over the banister and straight at me, and just stayed there looking.That really put the frighteners up me, and just ran into the room ,i never stayed there again. My nan, always one for the dramatic, told me that it was Dick Turpin, and he'd stopped somewhere round abouts on his way to York, this was purely to sweeten me up. Even at 5 though i remember trying to do the geography and figured it didn't add up.

[Festwerfer]

Ian R P wrote: I love this stuff,Here's my list of Ghouls.There's the Blue lady and apparently maybe another one at Temple Newsam, at least one ghost in The Grand Theatre and one in the City Varieties. An apparition in one of the shops in the victorian street in the abbey house museum, and definately a ghost in the Tommy Wass pub at Beeston.In the early 70's my mum worked there and got my dad to do a bit of electrical work and he swore he saw a ghost in the cellar. I put it down to the Tetleys but years later the landlady told me her grandkids and the dog would not go in one of the rooms, and it was always freezing cold in there.The original building is years old, it was a farmhouse and people reckon the ghost is that of Ada Wass (Tommys Brother). The Tommy Wass story does surprise me I have many connections with that pub over the years and I cant say I have ever heard of it being haunted I will have to check that one out for myself.One place I do know is haunted is a building at the back of quick fit on Kirkstall Road I checked in to this story after hearing unexplained noises for myself while working in this building the building was at one time a leather tanners and two men got in to a fight and one was hooked on his apron and pulled in to a vat and drown. He is supposed to walk the upper floors and heavy foot steps are heard. Yea yea yea I thought when I first heard this till one day I was working alone. The upper floors had been condemned as unsafe and we used the ground floor for storage Very clearly I heard loud heavy foot steps from above and this is were I freaked I had just unlocked the building and was alone but the show stopper is this the stairs to the upper floors had been ripped out to stop people going in to the unsafe areas. Impossible to gain access up there .I have to say I left the company shortly after this happened    

[IMOR]

I remember a family ghost story about a figure which appeared on May 1st in the building now taken by Harvey Nicks.Apparently it was that of a butcher, at least that's what they told we kids.Would be interested in anything further.Temple Newsam was another place for phantom wanderers.

[Ian R P]

Hi,Before Harvey Nicks it was the Empire Arcade ( which had in it Laserquest - if anyone remembers it ) and before that the Empire Theatre, which may have had a ghost (most theatres do). I remember a shop on Fish street that is now a hairdressers, used to be a butchers and there was a murder there in the 80's. That may have a connection.

[Festwerfer]

If you are in to local ghosts try www.leedshaunts.co.uk/