At first glance, Lincoln seems to be a quiet and unassuming city to visitors that are unfamiliar with its history. However, researching and reading about the many ghost stories that take place in Lincoln shines a different light on the small city. In this article, I have picked out three places said to be haunted, choosing stories I personally find the most interesting.
1. Lincoln Castle
Lincoln Castle has many different ghost stories contained within its walls. A pair of infamous ghosts, a horse and a rider are said to haunt the castle. It is believed that the ghost was a friend of John Knox, who was once a local lord in Lincoln. John Knox was accused of murder and sentenced to be hung. However, the rider believed that his friend was wrongfully accused and rode all the way to London to get a pardon from the King. Unfortunately, by the time the rider had gained the pardon and ridden back to Newark, John Knox had been hung. When the rider woke up in the morning, he felt that he was too late and hung himself with the horse’s stirrups. The rider and horse are now said to charge Lincoln Castle, finishing the journey that he never managed to in life. There are also said to be other ghost sightings within the castle. In the old Victorian women’s prison, a figure of a lady holding her baby can be seen. There are also stories of doors opening and closing on their own. The men’s prison cell doors were allegedly being heard rattling along with keys, moans and screams also being heard.
2. White Hart Hotel
The White Hart Hotel is similar to Lincoln Castle when it concerns the numerous ghost sightings being reported. The hotel was built in 1710 on top of foundations belonging to a 15th-century Inn, with such old origins, multiple ghost stories now surround the hotel. Where the restaurant is situated in the hotel is where the stables used to be. The apparition of a man running through the restaurant, hiding his face with his cloak has been reported by people. This ghost was a highwayman (not to be confused with Rickard Turpin, the most well-known highwayman) that threatened a coachman. The coachman rebutted, shoving a torch into the highwayman’s face. From the injuries sustained, he shortly passed away and is now reported to haunt the restaurant, which is said to be always unnaturally cold, even on a hot day. Another ghost story that takes place in this hotel is a sad one. In the corner on the first floor, a young female ghost has been seen sobbing and cowering. A local ratcatcher developed an interest in the girl but when she did not reciprocate, he murdered her.
3. The Strugglers Inn
Only one ghost is rumoured to haunt this inn, it is also unique as it is said to be the ghost of a dog. The dog used to belong to William Clarke, a Lincolnshire countryman that killed a gamekeeper. Clarke was then hung for his crime, which sadly left his dog without an owner. The owner of the Inn at the time felt bad for the dog and took it in. When the dog later passed away, the Inn’s owner was so distraught that he had the dog stuffed by a taxidermist. The dog’s body is now displayed in the castle museum for all to see but the dog’s ghost is apparently still haunting the Inn itself. It has been reported that the scratching of the office door in the Inn can be heard, asking to be let in. If the person inside ignores it, the dog will begin to howl until the door is opened for it to enter. Customers have said that they have seen the dog sitting at the end of the bar and even feel it brush by their legs at times. Although the dog once lost its owner, the fact that it was taken in and looked after until death makes this haunting much less sinister than the other ghost stories.
Lincoln has many more haunted places but these places are my particular favourites. The wonder of these stories is that you can easily visit these places if you wish to, making for fun Halloween trips whilst discovering the history of the city!
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