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28 May 2012
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Spooky Stories

Who is the mysterious figure near the Broughton estate?

Wendy's been getting spooked on her journey home from work... Has anybody else seen the ghostly figure of a man and his dog?

I live in Barnoldswick, on the NorthYorks/Lancs border with Colne and Burnley on one side and Skipton on the other. Because of the position of Barnoldswick and it's sister town Earby, lots of local people feel as much a part of the Skipton community as they do the Lancs one and often travel back and forth between the two. One of the main roads that links the two areas across the border is the A59, and this is the fastest route for locals in and out of Skipton...it's a busy, fast road which is used day and night. Along this road is Broughton Hall, once a stately home and now a commercial business venture and development. At the edge of the grounds is a Gatehouse which is often rented privately, and a series of laybys on that side of the road, cutting into Broughton land.

"It didn't scare me at the time, but it does now, as I know what I saw was real."

I was driving back from Skipton along that road one night (quite late) when I had the distinct impression of a man in his late 30's/early forties standing at the edge of one of these laybys, looking out to the road as it is now. He was wearing a green hunting outfit from the 20's/30's perhaps, with plus four trousers and a jacket and peaked cap. He also had a dark moustache and a black/dark coloured dog standing beside him. He seemed to have a glow around him, and was the 'white figure' we always think of, but I could still see clearly what he was wearing, and looked like. I have seen him twice now, both late at night, on different laybys that border the estate.

It didn't scare me at the time, but it does now, as I know what I saw was real. I've tried to find out about him, and if he was part of the family and ancestors that owned Broughton, or staff there, but can't find anything out. Friends have told me that others have seen him too...who was he, and I have wondered if anyone has been able to find out more about him than I have?

last updated: 07/02/06

Have Your Say

Have you seen the figure? Or had a spooky experience in Lancashire? Tell us about it...

Stephen BROUGHTON
Yah, that's really wierd. My dad was telling me about this and... well... I wonder if I have any heretage

Kathleen Broughton
Haven't even been there-But my name is Broughton so it's kinda cool that they have a place such as this with my name on it. I live in Phoenix,Arizona USA Cool Story though. PLF><>Kathleen

Lorraine
During the 1980's I was the landlady of The Hamilton Arms, Cabus, a Grade ll-listed building,(now know as Quattro's).Whilst living there my husband and I had many unusual experiences and sightings of a lady in white. We later disscovered that local legend suggested that Lady Hamilton and Lord Nelson used to meet there in secret. Family and friends who visited, frequently heard and saw things that cannot be explained to this day! I'd like to know if the present residents have noticed any of these things?

Paul Almond
I was driving past Samlesbury Hall on my way back from KFC at 9:30 pm in November 2005 and my gearbox wouldn't change gear. I stopped and parked up near Quattro's. I got out and I felt a sudden wind sweep past me and then a strange noise. I rang the RAC and they came, I told the man about what happened and he said he experienced the same thing when he came out of Quattro's after a famliy meal.

Michaela
ive seen a few figures in my life but theres something about broughton ive been inside the estate quite a few times in my life and because my family own the place but theres nothing weird or abnormal about the place but sometimes at night when i was a little i used to sleep in my dad's old bedroom which is really nice and i always used to have the light of and the door open a fraction and i used to think i saw a figure walk past so i always got out of bed and followed it and i always ended up on the top floor i think i used to sleep walk!! but in the end i realised there was nothing there so there really is nothing unusual there at all it was just me at night that wanted an adventure but ive never heard about a figure by laybys that border the estate? unless there is and its got something to do with the place?

Michael
On a saturday night, quite recently, I was going upstairs when I saw a dark figure coming down the stairs. I moved out of the way, thinking it was my brother, but then I saw my brother coming out of a room downstairs!( my mum and dad were in the dining room, talking) I whirled around, but the figure had gone! The following saturday, I was talking to my dad who was in the kitchen making pizza ( my mum and brother were out) and I was leaning on the dining room doorway. Suddenly, I got the feeling I should look up, Idid so and saw the figure of an old man climbing the stairs! I looked again and he was gone! An old man used to live in our house! Also, where I saw the man, there is a hole! It is very cold, and my bro saw a finger coming out of it one day! Also, the kettle keeps switching itself on!

Arthur Russell-Dallamore
As i was walking home one night at 2 am from the Talbot street area behind the sparrow hawk hotel in burnley i was chased down church street a main road into burnley from the brierfield end by a massive black shaggy dog with red eyes the "animal" was the size of a small car like a mini i ran to the bus station but the beast never caught up with me which is a miracle as the "creature" was bounding down church street. i have since found out that this is not uncommon on this particular road as the entity has been named as blach shuk or shriker as is to foretel death to the viewer but this was a few years ago before the intrusion of cctv cameras and the like there was no vehicles and i had not taken any alchohol or drugs. i refuse to travel along church street after dark and i am aprehensive about church street during the day

karen
I have seen this man aswell. Myfriends and family didnt believe me but I was sure that somebody was there. Thanks, I'm not going mad after all!!

Gail
My sister once saw a figure on her way home from work in Todmorden to Burnley. Just after the bad bend where the farm is situated just after that there is a set of houses that have a dirt track on either side, one usually has a car parked at the end. Well she was driving home on her motorbike and saw what looked like a human crawling on all fours on to the road but it had no skin it looked like it had been skinned and it sat in the road as my sister drove past it she nearly lost control of her bike as she looked into its bloody eyes as she looked back for the second time it had gone.