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13 November 2014

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You are in: Lancashire > Spooky > Haunted Houses > The ghost of Mary Lane

Swan Hotel, Whalley

The ghost of Mary Lane

Learn about the ghost of Mary Lane who haunts the Swan Hotel in Whalley...

Whalley is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque villages within the Ribble Valley. The village boasts some truly haunted places one of them being the Swan Hotel, haunted by the ghost of Mary Lane.

The Hotel was built in the year 1781 and the first landlord was a chap called Cunningham, who employed Mary as a scullery maid. Mary through no fault of her own suffered from learning difficulties. When the poor girl became pregnant to an unknown guest Cunningham told her that he did not think her fit to be a mother, and informed her that when she gave birth the baby would be fostered outside the Ribble Valley.

Mary gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby girl and Cunningham kept his promise - the baby was adopted . Mary pined and pined for her baby girl. She became so desperately depressed that she decided to terminate her life in the hotel. They say that Cunningham could not stand the guilt of Mary's death and left the premises soon after.

Mary's ghost has been seen on many occasions, one of the most famously talked about stories relating to her took place in 1967, when a family from Ipswich Suffolk were travelling through the village, and decided to break up the journey by staying the night in Whalley. They choose the Swan Hotel, but this family were not the average family, the mother was a medium. As soon as she entered the hotel she stopped in her tracks.

She went upstairs and placed her suitcase on the bed, Mary's ghost came to her and apparently they had quite a conversation, relating to Mary's death and her hatred for Cunningham. This lady from Suffolk who had only been in the building for some 15 minutes knew all about the poor girl's past. She went downstairs and had a word with the landlord, he was drying some glasses when she informed him of her ghostly encounter. The glass slipped through his hands smashing on the floor. He asked her if she had ever been to Whalley before, "No" she said "I have never been to Lancashire in my life."

Every December the village stages a truly fantastic event called the Pickwick Night, it has proved so successful that they have a park and ride from the railway station, the village comes alive with street entertainment, and everyone is encouraged to wear Dickensian clothing. All the shops and pubs are open to the public with thousands of visitors from far and wide. A couple from Manchester went in to the Swan and made their way to the restaurant area, and noticed a mirror on the wall, one of them quickly combed their hair and looked in to the mirror, but the face that looked out of the mirror was not their's. There was a scream and everyone in the bar turned round and a hush filled the room. The face in the mirror was non other than Mary Lane. The pair quickly made their way back to Manchester - no doubt with a story they would tell their grandchildren!

Article sent in by website user Simon Entwistle

The views expressed on this page are those of the contributor and the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the BBC.

last updated: 13/08/2008 at 12:22
created: 13/08/2008

Have Your Say

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Sarah
I have experanced a ghosty happening in my room. It was about 3 in the morning and I woke up wanting a drink of water and to my horrer when I leaded up a ghostly figure was staring at me I hid under my covers terrified.

Carolyn
I have recently opened up my house for a Psychic investigation, due to many happenings over the past 4 years.I knew I had a child in Spirit, as she runs around my bed and across the landing, sending the cats flying!We can hear her singing occassionally aswell.I also have a cat in Spirit, of whom I see quite often.Then I was told that both my husband's and my father, who are also in Spirit are often around us, keeping us safe and also our 2 children.It was very comforting to know that our loved ones are enjoying their life on the other side.Their love for their family etc, will always be around us.Having taken pics recently, I have captured many orbs in the sitting room and on the stairs, atleast I know why now!!

michelle
we moved here 6 months ago.its an old, end terrace.Ive always felt uneasy but never had a reason.Last month i woke up to what sounded like one of my boys playing with cars on the landing.I got out of bed to shout at them.It was nearly 3am.All the boys were fast asleep.I checked on the dog,she was snoring.Thinking i was dreaming,got back into bed.Next minute a toy car went off.You have to press a button on the toy.Oh my god,i put my head under covers and woke up in morning.Forgetting,last week,again in the night my 5 year old was shouting and crying.i went in to see what was up."Whats the matter?" I said.That baby over there keeps crying and woke me up."what baby?"Him there see.well i settled him as quick as i could and jumped back into bed,and i didnt move til morning.nothing happened since and it better not...

Michelle
I stayed at my friends house 5 years ago when I was 16. Everyone knew that there were ghostly goings on in the house she lived in as it was a old railway house, over 130 years old. Anyway I would'nt dare go anywhere in her house on my own especially not upstairs as I always felt something was watching me, some kind of presence. One night I decided to stay over at her house, I stayed in the same room as her and went to sleep about 11pm. In the middle of the night I woke up with the sound of the clock time going off (the time of the clock only goes of if you press the clock), I looked at the alarm clock and it stopped as soon as i sat up. My heart racing with fear by this time I lay back down on the bed, and as i was trying to calm down a figure appeared at the end of my bed, just standing there looking at me. By now i was totally scared out of my witts and I hid under the covers. In the morning I spoke to my friend and her family and asked if anyone had been in her room at night and no one had been in. Scary! I've never been in that house since!

luke
that is so a hoax

emily kelly jamie and cally
see all these names well we were just playing a game and emily and cally when in first did not see anything but when jamie and kelly when in they opend the certin and saw jamies unkles head

Paul Iannello
To heck with Harry Potter, these stories are great fun. I want to live in Lancashire.

howard davies
when I was a boy aged 11, I went to live with my nanna, only 4 doors away,as we only lived in a 2 up, 2 down,,,,,,this was in ;parker st,bradford, m/cr ;my gran & grandad were out one evening, I decided to do my homework,,,& I remember vividly looking up, the coal fire behind me, a lamp on top of the t.v,, & a white figure stood at the doorway' as if it was watching me,,,,,I could,nt see any eyes, or mouth, or hair?? but this white figure did,nt ;vanish; ,,it moved as if hiding, ,,even now, while I am writing this, my skin is chilling,,,,,,the houses were demolished in 1968

Kim
I hear people whistling outside my bedroom, when i am alone at home.

Claire from Clitheroe
The house my husband grew up in is haunted, one or two things have happened that were very spooky! One night he followed what he thought was his sister up the stairs, when he got to the top she wasn't there, in fact, she wasn't even in the house! On another occasion his sister came home from work one winters evening - the house was empty but somebody "switched"all the lights on to welcome her......

georgia
i was movinging in and i heard a bang and turned around to see that a little boy was looking at me

Julie
When my Dad was a nipper in Lancashire, he told me, there was a light that appeared at the bottom of the stairs, every night, in the shape of a candle light and it used to light the way for all the kids to go upstairs at bedtime.

hi im mickie im 12
a person was waving though my window

charlotte
i see figures in every room in my house its spooky

Harriet
I saw a boy walking across my room.

Sophie
I am 9 and I saw a ghost figure stood next to me was a clear white girl.

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