Ghosts of York Minster, Haunted England

Ghosts of York Minster, Haunted England

York Minster

York Minster is undoubtedly one of the proudest buildings in York. The stunning church seen today has endured a long and turbulent past, having been rebuilt several times after the first church structure was erected on the site sometime in the 600s. Although its appearance and grandiosity have changed over the years, the York Minster remains a place of great historical and religious significance within England.

York Minster England.c
Looking up at the haunted York Minster.

This being said, the magnificent York Minster also has a dark side. This stretches far beyond its imposing gargoyle-lined, gothic appearance into tales of death and ghosts.

Ghosts of York Minster

Many ghostly stories surrounding York Minster have been told. Perhaps the most prevalent and unique of these stories dates back to the 1820s. At this time, tours of the Minster were being conducted and two women decided to join one for themselves. During their tour, a tall man wearing a neat naval uniform approached the two women, whispered into one of their ears and then incredibly disappeared into thin air before their eyes.

One of these women recognized the man as being her brother, who had died while serving in the Navy in recent times. Rumor has it that this sister had made a pact with her brother while they were both alive. They had agreed whoever was first to pass away would return to the other still living sibling and give them definitive proof that there was an afterlife. If this story is forged in truth, it seems as though this woman received some pretty compelling proof from her brother.

York Minster ghosts.
This intricately decorated gothic church is said to be one of the most haunted places in the country.

Other ghost stories about the church exist, which may account for the strange paranormal activity many have claimed to experience in the building. A lot of people have purported to see a ghostly man within the York Minster. Most of these people have spotted him sitting in the pews. He is always still and silent, appearing to intently listen to sermons, before disappearing into thin air. While the identity of this spirit isn’t really known, many have speculated who it could. General consensus would have you believe this man is Dean Gale, who died towards the beginning of the eighteenth century and has allegedly haunted the church ever since.

Haunted building in York, England.
Exploring one of the most magnificent and haunted buildings in York, England.

The final ghost story surrounding York Minster is a sad one. It connects to the eerie sounds of a dog crying and barking emanating from the empty York Minster late at night. Many have wondered why these sounds exist and according to legend, they could be created by a ghost dog. There are rumors that state a man’s dog was walled up within the minster as part of a revenge plot that spelled a sad fate for the canine. Although there is weight to this legend, due to the disembodied barking heard late at night, some question whether animals’ deaths could result in ghosts. Either way, there is no shortage of animal ghost stories scattered across the world.

Visiting the Haunted York Minster

York Minster is a sight that should not be missed by anyone visiting the historic city of York. Various tours are available throughout the building and it remains open daily.

If you enjoyed this article you might be interested in reading about the Golden Fleece Inn, one of the most notorious haunted places in York.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

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About Amy

Amy is a world traveller and explorer of creepy locations. She has visited some of the most famously haunted places around the world in search of evidence of the paranormal. Follow Amy's Journey:

Comments (2)

  • john Bentley

    Posted by john Bentley on June 10, 2020

    Hi Amy
    I relay enjoyed reading this blog on York minster i live in York and Walk past the Minster every Day and have been able to go up to the top of the Minster twice i was aware of some of the ghosts but not all of them so i found this blog of great interest with your being a tourist city there a lot of ghosts tours but not very much is made of the minsters Paranormal things so its very nice to see someone highlighting the minster instead of the more regular places that ghosts hunters want to visit hopefully you can come back and do a video on York minsters . i don’t know if you are aware but the guy Fawkes inn is opposite the minster on high peter gate which i believe is haunted by guy Fawkes himself if that’s of any interest to you?

    Looking forward to your next video

    John Bentley

      Amy

      Posted by Amy on July 17, 2020

      Thanks for reading and leaving a comment John. I thoroughly loved visiting York, learning about its history and ghost stories. The Minster was amazingly beautiful, one of my favorite places. Thanks also for sharing your suggestion about the Fawkes Inn, too. I’ll have to visit next time.

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