Ghost Stories for Halloween: Haunted Places at Raby Castle Park and Gardens

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This spine-chilling Halloween event brings together ghost story expert Dr Emma Liggins with theatrical performer and writer Adam Z. Robinson. It promises spooky stories, haunted histories and the terror of the unknown.

The evening begins with an illustrated talk on the development of the ghost story in the nineteenth century. The popularity of Gothic fiction made haunted places fashionable for both readers and tourists, from labyrinthine castles and medieval churches to remote country houses. Discussing writers such as Ann Radcliffe, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, E. Nesbit and Margaret Oliphant, Emma will consider the ways in which women’s ghost stories addressed concerns about property ownership, past secrets, gender inequalities and superstitious servants. She’ll also look at some of the myths and legends of Raby Castle, from white ladies and lost children to Lady Vane’s tale of a housekeeper returning from the dead.

Then, join master of the macabre Adam Z. Robinson for a lamp-lit ghost story performance. In The Bonehouse, historian Archie Witt takes a research trip to investigate the fabled roundhouse lock-up in the village of Abbot’s Knock, a place marred by witch trials, a wicked 17th-century magistrate and an ancient evil that may haunt the place still. A thrilling tale sure to chill the blood.