Centuries-old and over 2,000 miles long, our canals are steeped in ghostly legends and helpful spirits.
Whether it’s the phantom at Bingley Five Rise or a glimpse of our kind ghostly volunteer at Market Drayton, the canals are full of spooky tales to tell this Halloween.
The centurion of Chester
If you venture along the Shropshire Union into the ancient city of Chester, you may encounter the spirit of an old Roman centurion still standing guard at the Northgate. In the 18th century, the canal was dug into the city’s former Roman moat, and it seems the centurion never left his post.
But he’s not alone. Chester’s rich history has birthed many ghostly tales.
The old coaching house, the King’s Inn, is believed to have three spirits roaming its grounds. Boaters have also reported hearing a shrieking spectre near Betton Cutting and glimpsing the ghost of a WWII American pilot haunting his crash site in Little Onn, Staffordshire.
Not all our ghosts are ominous, though. At Tyrley Middle Lock, just past Market Drayton, there waits a helpful resident ghost. When darkness falls, this kind spectre will shut lock gates behind passing boats.
Market Drayton is rumoured to have a helpful resident ghost.
Beware at Blisworth Tunnel
On the Grand Union, Blisworth Tunnel at Stoke Bruerne welcomes boaters daily, but they’re not the only ones passing through this long, dark tunnel. When the last of the light disappears behind you, beware of the 14 navvies who still roam with their picks and shovels.
At 2,811 metres, this tunnel was a major engineering feat when construction began in 1793. After three years of digging by hand, tragedy struck. A section collapsed into quicksand, claiming the lives of 14 workers.
A new tunnel was eventually completed in 1805, but some say the original, ill-fated route still lingers in the shadows. As you pass through, you might catch a glimpse of lantern-lit figures continuing their eternal labours…
Have you spotted the ghostly residents of Blisworth Tunnel?
The phantom at Bingley Five Rise
Bingley Five Rise might be a spectacular sight during the day, but when darkness falls, locals whisper of a spectral figure tending to the locks. This phantom boatman appears to be real until he mysteriously vanishes on approach.
Others tell of ghostly footsteps and the echo of ropes being pulled that haunt the lock flight at night.
