Have You Visited The Most Haunted Pubs in York?

For me, the number of ghosts haunting somewhere is what makes a site ‘the most haunted’. 

Look for the ‘most haunted pubs’ on the internet and you get the same ones showing up: The Snickleways Inn, Guy Fawkes Inn, or Ye Olde Starre Inn. 

Where I agree with some of these, for me, there are pubs which hold more of a claim than some of the ones ‘traditionally’ mentioned. 

So, I’ve kinda gone against the grain of most people out there when compiling a list of the most haunted pubs in York, but I hope you’ll enjoy my list just as much. 

Some pubs will be old favorites, like the Golden Fleece in Goodramgate, but some may surprise you. Exorcism at the Golden Slipper anyone? 

I hope you like my selection

The Windmill Inn, Blossom St

14-16 Blossom St, YO24 1AJ

Once listed as one of the Top 5 haunted pubs in the city, I  think this pub has to be one of my personal favourites. 

The Windmill Inn, York, dates from 1735 and is one of the oldest Inns in the city holding a continuous license since 1770. Now a Grade II listed building, there are said to be two ghosts here and a poltergeist. They include a young girl killed by a brewer’s cart and a man with a ball and chain. 

Just reading about this one has the hairs on the back of my neck standing a little on end and dare I say, the air around my knees has gone decidedly cold all of a sudden!

Let’s take a look at its ghosts.

The Young Girl & Ostler

‘If she becomes bothersome, just open the window and let her out’  is just one of the stories I have seen written about this young ghost who is said to ‘live’ upstairs at the pub! 

My word! 

This girl, thought to have been killed sometime in the 1880s, either after being run over by a coach and horses or having been in the crash herself, seems a little more than mischievous. 

Staff have said that not only have they felt they’re being watched, but, a little girl’s voice has sometimes been heard coming from a cubicle in the toilets once the pub has closed the night. 

The pub’s former Ostler, employed to take care of the horses stabled at the Inn is often seen about the property.

Do the pair haunt together because of the girl’s tragic accident? I’ll let you decide.

The Man With a Ball & Chain

So casting aside any images that have just popped into your head about Jacob Marley, some accounts really have said that there’s a man clattering about in irons. 

The man is thought to have once been a writer and now haunts the cellar, making a slight commotion when he gently rattles his chains. 

This alone is enough to stop me from going into the Windmill for a drink!

Poltergeist Activity

Bottles spontaneously shatter. The sound of footsteps or ‘disembodied boots’ clattering across a wooden floor despite it being carpeted. 

Mists, 6ft high and 3ft wide, appear randomly along the upstairs corridor at the property. 

Is this poltergeist activity, as some people believe, or just the sounds and ‘mists’ of normal spirits going about their business? 

Either way, it’s up there with the man in chains and I’m not venturing into the Windmill to find out!

Ye Olde Starre Inne, Stonegate

40 Stonegate, YO1 8AS

Billed as the earliest pub in York to have been granted a license to sell beer, Ye Olde Starre Inne, now a Grade II listed building, is often listed as one of the most haunted pubs in York and has quite a few spectral secrets, especially lurking in its cellar.

Noted as the oldest pub in York, the timber-framed structure of Ye Olde Starre Inne dates back to the 16^th century. It is York’s oldest licensed pub, having held a license since 1644 when it was known as ‘The Starre’. It was used as a hospital and a mortuary after the Battle of Marston Moor, 1644.  

Walk down Stonegate today and you can still see the sign that straddles the pavement advertising the pub. It was the brainchild of Thomas Bulman, landlord to the Inn in the early 18^th century. 

Ye Olde Starre Inne Street Sign

Recognizing the marketing opportunities, he negotiated a deal with his neighbours and in 1733 asked them if he could attach one side of this huge sign to their building. 

They agreed, for an annual payment of five shillings to be paid at ‘Candlemas’ and a sign has been hanging here ever since.

Now That’s Marketing!

The street sign for Ye Olde Starre Inne has been advertising the pub for nearly 300 years!

The Haunted History of Ye Olde Starre Inne

Read anything about the hauntings at Ye Olde Starre Inne and it won’t take you long to realize that most of the activity seems to happen in the cellar. 

But don’t go thinking that the rest of the pub is left without any ghostly sightings at all. 

Far from it.  

There are known sightings of two ghostly black cats in the bar at Ye Olde Starre Inne. The traditional ‘Lady in Black’ haunts the staircase and screams of Royalist soldiers undergoing surgery ring out around the walls of the 17th-century cellar.

The ‘Screaming Cavaliers’ or The Screams of Royalist Soldiers

If you’re lucky, or in my case, unlucky enough, to be invited into the cellar of Ye Olde Starre Inne then be prepared to hear ghostly screams and moans from soldiers long gone. 

The amputation saw would have removed a fair few limbs down here no doubt when the cellar was used as a hospital and mortuary after the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644. 

Dubbed the ‘Screaming Cavaliers’ by some, it’s no wonder these ghosts can be heard screaming in agony. No anesthetic and little chance of recovery – I think I’d be screaming for eternity too, wouldn’t you? 

If you’re interested in going down a rabbit hole and finding out about pre-anesthetic surgery, take a look at the work of Dr Lindesy Fitzharris, just be prepared to wince a little if you do.

The ‘Lady In Black’

Call me cynical but I’m always a little dubious about places that say that one of their ghosts is a ‘Lady in [insert the colour of your choice here]’. 

This particular ‘Lady in Black’ appears only to children. I’ve also read a few different accounts of how she appears. Some say she’s walking up the stairs, others that she’s making her way down, descending from an upper floor.  

No matter how dubious I am, there’s still no way I want to find out if this ghost is true or not. Nor do I wish to find out which way up the stairs she’s walking – I’ll leave that up to the ghost hunters among you.

Ghostly Black Cats

A few hundred years ago, it is said that two black cats were walled up in the Olde Starre Inn to act as a lucky charm. 

Back then, Yorkshire tradition – although the murky world of superstition and black cats could mean this was a superstition anywhere in Britain – said that bricking up two black cats would help to protect against fire and ill luck. 

But did it work? After a quick hour or so in the British Newspaper Archive, I could find nothing relating to cats – dead or otherwise – being found or bricked up at the Olde Starre Inn. 

Either way, head into the pub today for a drink with your dog, but don’t be surprised if they start to bark or growl at the pillar near the bar. 

Some dogs have even been known to knock themselves out going ’berserk’ over two phantom cats. 

But do three ghosts put this pub in the running as one of York’s most haunted… I’m not so sure. Still, it’s made my list as it’s definitely one to visit.

The Snickleway Inn, Goodramgate

47 Goodramgate, YO1 7LS

I’m hesitant to put The Snickleway Inn on my list mainly because when I visited recently it was all shut up and looked as though it had closed down – it hasn’t as I was there again recently and double checked. The outside of the pub however looked a little unloved, as though everyone had moved on (apart from the ghosts). 

Back ‘in the day’ the outside would be gleaming and the pub sported a very prominent sign reading ‘ The Snickleway Inn (formerly the Anglers Arms). Reputedly The Most Haunted Pub In Great Britain – Sunday Telegraph’.

This has disappeared on my last visit. Has The Sunday Telegraph taken it back and another pub now taking the top spot as the reputed Most Haunted in Great Britain? 

The Snickleway Inn, previously known as The Angler’s Arms, the front of the building dates back to the 15th century, making it one of the oldest pubs in York. There are 5 ghosts said to haunt here including a nasty and evil presence in the cellar. The most famous is Mrs Tulliver and her cat, Seamus.

Quite unusual are the pub’s former uses. Evidence shows that the Inn was once used as a brothel, and interestingly, it was also used by the Royalists as a powder magazine – a place to store ammunition and weapons – during the Civil War.

The pub is plagued with ghostly smells (whatever they are?) and the cries of an unknown baby, together with a well-dressed gentleman in an old-fashioned suit who walks straight through the wall at the back of the pub.  

Cat lovers amongst you will be pleased to know that The Snickleway Inn has a resident ‘ ghost cat’ I think that’s about the 3rd I’ve come across while reading for this post! 

But who is it and why is it haunting ‘Britain’s most haunted’ pub?

The Ghost of Mrs Tulliver & Her Cat

Read any account of the hauntings at The Snickleway Inn and they ALL mention Mrs Tullilver and her cat, Seamus. 

Seamus the cat, now long dead, has often been felt rubbing his way between the legs of patrons at The Snickleway Inn. But who on earth was Mrs Tulliver?

Other than a character in James Frey’s Mill on the Floss, I can find nothing on this lady other than her dead cat, Seamus. 

If anyone knows anything, please do enlighten me. Nicely. 

Mrs Tulliver herself, however, seems to enjoy the odd drink or two and customers have seen her sitting quietly at the bar in an evening. 

The Haunted Cellar

When someone describes a place as ‘dark and broody’ which has the presence of something ‘great and evil’ then I’m sorry, I don’t really want to know. You know how scared of ghosts I am right? 

But, there’s something going on in the cellar at The Snickleway Inn that’s a cause for concern for sure. Some have even called it poltergeist activity. 

It’s said an old man sits on the barrels down here, throwing tools at staff who dare to venture into his space. 

The Girl on The Stairs

It seems that there were a lot of children killed by dray horses after running out into the street in the 1900s and this next ghost is no exception. 

Thought to be the daughter of a previous landlord, the ghostly image of a young girl can be seen sitting quietly on the stairs.

The Haunting of Marmaduke Buckle

Back in the 17th century, when Marmaduke was born, it didn’t take much to conjure up ideas that someone had been possessed by the devil or accuse them of witchcraft.  

Sadly, young Marmaduke was born unable to walk, destined to spend his days gazing down from his bedroom window rather than suffer the torment and ridicule on the streets below. 

At the age of 17, Marmaduke could suffer no longer. He scratched his birth date (1698) and death date (1715) into a beam (or plasterwork depending on where you get your information) and hung himself from a beam in his bedroom. 

Other accounts of course give different dates for Marmaduke’s passing. 

Marmaduke is a friendly ghost if you ever see him. Gazing down from his window onto the street below. Perhaps playing with a few doors or lights whenever he has a care.

It’s also said that he’s been seen hanging in one of the rooms. Gulp!

But, like everything you read on the internet, an alternative account of Marmaduke has also been written. It’s said that not only does he wander between buildings playing with light BUT he’s also been suspected of trying to push someone down the stairs in The Snickleway Inn!

Interestingly, Marmaduke doesn’t seem to stay in the one spot. 

He’s also said to haunt La Piazza, where you can actually see the carving that he made on the beams in the attic space here. The Inn obviously occupied both buildings in Marmaduke’s day. 

Please don’t all go rushing here off at once to see if you can check!  

Former Names of The Snickleway Inn

Before you check out the other haunted pubs on my list, just look at how many different names The Snickleway Inn, a Grade II listed building has had over the years – it may help if you’re trying to do some research on the place at all. 

The pub had no less than 6  different names in the 19th century. 

Names of The Snickleway Inn | York

Painters Arms ~ Its original name in the 18th- century

Square & Compass ~ c. 1818

The Masons Arms ~ c.1823

The Board ~ c.1841

The Joiners Arms ~c. 1851

The Anglers Arms ~c. 1872

The Snickleway Inn ~ 1994

Former Names of The Snickleway Inn

The pub didn’t get its current name until 1994 ~ research it before then and you’re going to need this handy list.

The Black Swan, Peaseholme Green

Peaseholme Green, YO1 7PR

Oh, this one should be way further up the list for the ghosts here will have the hairs on the back of your neck stand up! Well, ok, they will if you’re a bit of a wimp like I am. 

A favourite on many lists that showcase the most haunted pubs in York, and it’s easy to see why.

Originally built in 1417, there are at least five ghosts that haunt The Black Swan in York. From a jilted bride that renders male onlookers dead to a pair of male legs that walk around the landlord’s living quarters, the sightings here have a genteel or mischievous disposition when encountered. 

Found slightly away from the other pubs in the town center, The Black Swan ‘a fine timber-framed house’  wasn’t actually built until the 17^th century. Built originally as a house for merchant and sheriff of York, William Bowes in the 15^th century, the house would stay in the family for 3 generations. 

With a history as old as this, and with the remains of a medieval inn right under the current foundations of the site, there’s bound to be a ghostly tale or two to tell. 

Let’s take a look.

Jack The Highwayman

I love it when I hear tales of ghosts haunting locations that have, in modern times, changed their use. Jack the Highwayman is no exception. 

Jack haunts what was once the original stableyard, now the pub’s kitchen. He’s frequently seen, dressed in his usual attire – long black cloak and riding boots. 

Listen carefully and you may just hear him singing along to Irish folksongs, sitting on his own in the corner of the bar late at night. 

The Male Legs

I’m sorry, but if I saw a pair of male legs walking across my lounge, then I’d be off faster than I care to mention! 

These disembodied legs appear frequently, it is believed. Some say in the landlord’s flat itself, others walking up the stairs, heading in that direction. 

Either way, I’m outta there!

The Man In A Bowler Hat

Believed to originate after 1850, this next ghost is described either as a ‘Victorian gentleman’ or a ‘workman’ and seems to have something praying on his mind. 

I’ve read two different accounts of the whereabouts of this ghost. One has him pacing around the rooms of the pub, the other he is standing at the bar flitting and tutting to himself.

In both accounts, however, after a while, he slowly fades away. According to the pub’s website, the ghost has the appearance of Charlie Chaplin. 

The Jilted Bride

Sitting at the bar looking deep into the fireplace, can be found a young woman dressed in white. 

Thought to be a jilted bride, the lady means no harm. But be warned gentlemen, should you look in her face, you run the risk of dying in ecstasy. 

Matthew The Pickpocket

If you don’t conjure up images of Dicken’s ‘Dodger’ then you should do, for Matthew is said to be a small Victorian boy blamed for things that go missing in the bar. 

Matthew is often seen in both the bar and the passageway – not at the same time I hasten to add – wearing Victorian clothing. Was he a pickpocket before he died or is this a skill he’s learned in the afterlife? 

A Ghostly Black Cat

Just like Ye Olde Starre Inn, The Black Swan also has a ghostly cat. This one is said to wander around the pub, causing confusion and getting mistaken for the pub’s current cat, Salem. 

The Cursed Fireside Chair

The pub’s website recommends ‘standing’ rather than sitting in this seemingly inviting chair by the fireside. 

It’s said that the chair is cursed and if anyone cares to sit here, then a curse will fall upon them. 

The Golden Fleece, Pavement

16 Pavement, YO19UP

If the Golden Fleece isn’t one of the most haunted pubs in York then I don’t know what is. Chances are if you asked anyone on the streets of the city to name a haunted pub, then this would be it for sure.

Dating back to 1503, there are said to be 15 ghosts haunting The Golden Fleece. Among them, a Canadian Airman haunts Room 4 after falling to his death from a window and the ghost of Lady Alice Peckett haunts the corridors late at night. Ghosts also appear in the cellar, once utilized as a mortuary.

Grumpy Old Man & One-Eyed Jack

Nowhere in this pub seems safe. Sit at the bottom bar and you chance meeting the ‘Grumpy Old Man’ or even ‘One-Eyed Jack’ brandishing a pistol while decked out in a 16-17^th century red coat.

If you don’t bump into these two then you could be unlucky enough to bump into the ghost of a young Victorian boy who is said to have been trampled to death outside the pub by horses. He’s ok though, a bit mischievous if anything. 

Roman Soldiers & The Creepy Cellar

The last place you want to be though is in the cellar. Haunted by Roman soldiers and the ghosts of criminals who’d swung on the end of a rope at York’s Tyburn, it sounds like there’s no escape if you go down into the cellar. 

Death Masks & A Stolen Skull

I also popped in for a quick drink recently mainly to check to see if the death masks still lined the corridor between the two bars. 

I’m pleased to say they most certainly do! Only one is named though, the others, who knows. Replicas of famous executions perhaps or the staff having a great time with Plaster of Paris…?

Don’t forget to grab a glimpse of Elizabeth Johnson’s skull as you’re heading out the door ~ it’s not long been returned after being stolen on New Year’s Eve 2022. 

Elizabeth was the last woman to be hanged on The Tyburn in York way back in 1800 after being a repeat offender. The crime that secured the noose around her neck this time though was the ‘uttering a forged £1 with intent to defraud the Bank of England’.

The Punch Bowl, Stonegate

 7 Stonegate, YO1 8AN

Standing nearly opposite Ye Olde Starre Inne on Stonegate lies the once-former coffeehouse, known now as The Punch Bowl. 

This gorgeous building dates back to 1675 when, while being used as a coffee house, became associated with the city’s Whigs.

Whig ~ a member of a British political party in the 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th centuries that supported political and social change

Cambridge Dictionary

Unfortunately, there have been two major fires on the site, and the building that you now stand informant of dates from 1931. I know, I thought it was the original too, quite disappointing aye?

This is another pub that had held a license for over 200 years, although not as long as The Olde Starre Inne across the street. The Punch Bowl received its license to sell beer in 1761, making it the fifth oldest pub in York. 

There are three ghosts haunting The Punch Bowl, York, a building that can trace its history back to the 17^th century. The ghost of a former landlord who died in a fire is sighted, along with the ghost of Isabella, a woman said to have been strangled to death.  Also, a Grey Lady upset over a cheating lover.  

The hauntings at the Punch Bowl seem to be friendly ones, even if the stories behind them are sad. 

The Grey Lady

Let us start with the story of the Grey Lady. A lady who killed herself under tragic circumstances. 

She haunts throughout the pub, having committed suicide on discovering her lover was cheating on her. Her ghost remains restless, wandering the bar and corridors looking for men being unfaithful in the living world. 

Is this the lady who’s been seen floating behind the bar at a 25-degree angle said to be looking for her lover? Or is it Isabella, who we’ll meet in a moment?

The Death of A Landlord

Trapped in his own cellar when a fire broke out in the pub, this former landlord of the Punch Bowl can often be seen where the old steps led down into the cellar. 

When the floor of the current pub was lowered, the position of the steps changed and the landlord’s ghost walked the path he once did all those years ago. 

His presence has also been made known by a glowing orb that moves around the bar area. I’m not sure why but this orb is believed to be the head of the landlord killed in the flames all those years ago.  Was he decapitated while trapped in the flames or is this the only rational explanation that can be given for the glowing light?  

The Ghost of Isabella

Links with brothels and the Punch Bowl in Stonegate seem to have rumbled on through the ages and the advances of men would have no doubt have been rejected on many an occasion. 

One particular rejection however has left its mark on the Inn where Isabella, believed to have been working at the brothel one night refused a certain gentleman who didn’t take too well to the rejection. 

Isabella – or a ghost believed to have been her – is seen running and screaming down the stairs. This terrified ghost is thought to be trapped running away from her killer for eternity.

Could This be Isabella?

Back in October 1880, the landlord of the pub was cautioned for letting known prostitutes stay in the pub longer ‘than was necessary’ to get refreshments. 

Nine ladies were counted in the Smoke Room of the pub, along with fourteen to fifteen men, all no doubt trying to stay warm and earn some money for board and lodge. 

CUrious? discover more in the British Newspaper library

The Golden Slipper

20 Goodramgate, YO1 7LG

As soon as I read the words ‘coffin drop’ I knew I had to look at this pub more closely. And am I glad I did! 

Billed as a ‘special little pub’ the building originally started out as a house in 1500. After going through a range of names, such as ‘The Slipper’ in 1812, it finally became ‘The Golden Slipper’ in the 20th century. 

A Medieval child’s shoe was discovered built into the wall at The Golden Slipper during renovations in 1984 where it has since been linked to sightings of ghosts. An exorcism was performed here in the same year and ghostly sightings have all since stopped. The pubs also boasts a ‘coffin drop’. 

This Grade II listed building is sadly not haunted anymore. I know, I know, so why is it on my list of most haunted then? Well, because there’s been an exorcism here of course! 

And, as far as these things go, quite recently too!

The Exorcism 1984

In 1984, Rev. Tom Willis is quoted as knowing of ‘eight ministers in the York Dioseces who could be called upon to help people oppressed by supernatural phenomena’.  He also says that he’s helped successfully exorcise spirits from troubled people…I wonder if he did the exorcism at the Golden Slipper?  

The shoe that was found now sits in a glass case on the wall of the pub for all to see. 

The Coffin Drop

And the coffin drop? Well, these are also called ‘coffin hatches’ and were once used to literally bring out the dead. 

The one at The Golden Slipper can be found in the front lounge, where it’s said that it’s unlucky to carry the dead over the threshold.

More ‘Most Haunted Pubs In York’

You’ve no doubt noticed that my list of the most haunted pubs in York differs from other sites. 

I’ve left some of your favourites off no doubt, but I hope you enjoyed my own personal selection. 

Those pubs traditionally mentioned as being the most haunted in York but which didn’t make my own personal choice include: 

Guy Fawkes Inn, High Petergate

25 High Petergate, YO1 7HP

Standing opposite the very church in which Guy Fawkes himself was baptized, in 1570, St Michael le Belfry, this pub often makes the most haunted list. 

Not heard of Guy Fawkes before? 

Fawkes was put in charge of guarding the gunpowder intended to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London in what is now known as The Gunpowder Plot, a failed attempt to put a Catholic monarch back on the throne of England, getting rid of the Protestant James I in 1605. 

But what about the hauntings at the pub? 

Well, sadly, Fawkes can’t be seen wandering around the pub now built on the site of his former childhood home, although there are a few legends that say he does. 

Nor can he be seen in the 16^th century cottage which stands at the beer garden at the back of the Inn, the building where Fawkes is said to actually have been born. 

Instead, the pub is haunted by only two ghosts. Yes, you did read that right. One of the most haunted pubs in York only has two ghosts, supposedly.

The Cholera Children

I’ve found no other stories about ghosts at Guy Fawkes Inn other than those of two children who died of Cholera in the 1700s, despite reading many claims that the pub is very ‘active’. 

The children are said to haunt the Belfry Suite, named presumably after the church opposite. 

In passing I’ve read about a ‘Grey Lady’ and ‘The Priest’ but other than being mentioned by ‘Dead Air’ on their YouTube channel, I’ve struggled to find anything else. 

I’m happy to be corrected if you want to get in touch. Nicely. 

Intrigued to see a snapshot of the inside of the pub? Just like in my post about caged lairs and Glasgow Cathedral, you can use Google Maps to wander inside Guy Fawkes Inn if you want to view things from the comfort of your sofa. It’s not much but it does show you a bit more than a photograph if you can’t make the trip for yourself. 

Check out the board on the right-hand side opposite the staircase for a brief history of the Gunpowder Plot.

The Old White Swan, Goodramgate

80 Goodramgate, YO1 7LF

Despite being one of the oldest pubs in York, the Old White Swan on Goodramgate has surprisingly few ghosts. 

I’m going on the belief that to me anyway, the most haunted pub should have a high ghost count and The Old White Swan only has three ghostly goings on at most, that I can find. 

I know it’s VERY controversial to disagree with what is traditionally said but wouldn’t it be a dull world -and blog post – if we all agreed with each other? 

Let’s look at the ghosts from the Old White Swan, Goodramgate.

A Ghostly Group of Papists

This small group is the most cited apparition at the pub and presumably the most seen.

They are seen sitting ( or standing) around a fire in the early hours of the morning, thought to be planning their escape to France. Although, other accounts say the group is laughing.

Not something I would expect them to be doing if they are indeed planning their getaway.  

The fire that they sit around often re-ignites by itself even when staff have put it out. 

The Case of the Moving Furniture

Within the walls of the Old White Swan, furniture is said to move of its own accord. 

Thrown and toppled about by an invisible force, the furniture seems to be in the way of something or someone. 

The sound of muffled voices and footsteps are often heard in the rooms at the Old Swan. Are these invisible hands and ghostly voices attached in some way? 

You could go on forever disputing which pub holds the title of one of ‘most haunted pubs in York’ or is within the top five pubs with this accolade. 

These are my favourites.

If you want to go down into a wee rabbit hole, then take a look at these links below to explore a little more.