A Hand In Supernature?
There are a set of trees in East Shipley, West Yorkshire, that give off particularly strange vibes. These trees are the home of a good number of Dryads and also, possibly some Nyads also hold court there, when it rains. As Bradford Beck and the old course of The Bradford Canal run nearby, it is a place that is heavy with these elemental nature creatures.
UFO Over Bradford Cathedral
A UFO?
Has Heaven’s Gate come to Bradford? Why has a strange spate of UFO’s been seen around the Bradford Cathedral area? (see one of our previous UFO posts) Has Sir Henry Clifford, of 16th Century Skipton Castle, communicated his mysterious spellbook, which fell in to the hands of Daniel Murgatroyd, who’s relatives owned East Riddlesden Hall and later came to the attention of David Lund? David Lund’s organisation, The Society of Dew and Light rivalled The Golden Dawn. The Society of Dew and Light was started in Keighley, West Yorkshire. One of the key points of magick from Sir Henry Clifford’s book, was the area of Bradford Cathedral, and is that why UFO’s regularly fly in the sky in this area? Could New Heaven’s Gate have moved to Bradford?
Ghostly Happenings In Shipley
The Frizinghall Jackrabbit, also known as the Frizinghall or Manningham Bunnyman, terrorized passengers on the stretch of railway line between Manningham and Shipley in Yorkshire between approximately 1903 and 1908. There were a number of sightings of the creature, which was said to be about seven feet tall with large rabbit like ears and wearing a sort of rabbit costume. The Rabbit Man would sometimes appear both on and under railway bridges in the area and appeared to be able to jump great heights. Some people who had seen the Jackrabbit Man said he had ‘burning orange eyes’ and that he could jump on to the railway bridge from the ground.
I recently came across another Bunnyman story that has several similarities to the Frizinghall Bunnyman and that is the Bunnyman of Clifton, Virginia, USA. The difference though is that the Frizinghall Bunnyman may well be a sort of cryptid and was seen at different times of the year, not just on Halloween.
Lyonesse, City of Lions, was supposedly drowned by a storm on November 11, 1099. This great city was supposed to have been on land between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Fishermen have seen both church steeples and megaliths rising out of the sea in certain weather conditions. Some ancient Phoenicians that traded with the Celtic peoples of the British Isles were reputed to have settled in Lyonesse, but were drowned in a great storm which sunk the City of Lions and made it a place of legend.
Bradford Argus 20/09/18
Yes, folks, we’ve been outed. Intrepid Telegraph and Argus reports in Bradford, West Yorkshire, quote our websites. We were trying to keep things low key, but have been forced to put our hands up and come clean.
A number of our Bradford, West Yorkshire, ancestors, were collectively, Freemasons, and/or Royal Ancient Order of Buffalo’s and Round Table members and yes, some of them were associated (and still are) with The Golden Dawn. What can we say? We have to uphold out beliefs at the end of the day.
The Golden Dawn Over Bradford
We have resurrected The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in Bradford and have a new Horus Temple, following in the footsteps of Mr Pattinson. The first meeting took place on 29th July 2009. See link for details of the proceedings.
Visit The New Society Of The Golden Dawn
Thomas H Pattinson was originally a Theosophist who became leader of the Golden Dawn’s Horus Temple in Bradford. During 1879-80, Thomas H Pattinson had premises at 44 Manchester Road, Bradford, and resided at 24 Chesham Street, Bradford. By 1894, He had acquired premises at 6 Piccadilly, Bradford, while residing at 20 Westfield Terrace, Baildon. He was a jeweller and watchmaker.
Bradford, West Yorkshire, was at that time the wool capital of the north of England. In 1897, Bradford became a city. The Golden Dawn were represented in Bradford because during the late 19th century it was one of the most important trading areas in the UK.
Frederick Leigh Gardener was a London stockbroker and a member of the Theosophical Society as well as the Golden Dawn. When Florence Farr, the companion of playwright George Bernard Shaw, became leader of the Isis-Urania temple, she complained about the way Gardner treated Adepts. Gardner was later transferred by MacGregor Mathers to the Horus Temple in Bradford. Mathers realised that women made very good trance mediums and were needed for the new Occultism movement, so he sat on the fence, attempting to keep everyone happy. Thomas Pattinson assured Gardner, ‘All the Horus fellows agree that they could not conform in any way to such treatment. ‘No petticoat government would do for us in any way’. Ironically, following his death it was Thomas Pattinson’s daughter who faithfully maintained her father’s interest in Occultism in Bradford, albeit as a minor name in the field.
The Bradford Canal has long since been filled-in but in its time it was the filthiest canal in the UK and was closed down and drained, not once but twice since it was built in the 1770’s. Building canals was very dangerous work and there were a large number of casualties. The Bradford Canal, although full of dirt and disease was nonetheless well populated with traffic during its operational years.
Something dark and nasty lurks just by the bridge. A fellow ghost hunter had the nasty experience of his legs turning to jelly at the same spot some weeks previously. On dowsing the area the writer became extremely dizzy, had the experience of lots of brown water pouring down in a torrent and had an overwhelming compulsion to move away from the immediate area. The idea of torrents of water pouring down stayed well in to the next day. Altogether it was a very unpleasant experience, but one that all good ghost hunters have to go through from time to time. I would advise anyone with even slightly psychic tendencies not to visit this site at night.
The area nearby is now allotments and a football pitch but a chemical works used to stand on this site near the old Bradford Canal. Nearby is a narrow but busy road. Oswin Mill was previous situated on the other side of Gaisby Lane but was recently demolished after being set on fire in 2007. The mill was the former home of a double glazing company but had been unoccupied for some years. The area is directly on the cusp where Shipley meets Bradford. A few years ago a person was mugged on bridge according to reports in the local paper.
So who or what is the ghost or entity? Well, it could be someone formerly connected to Bradford Canal in some way or it could be someone who has had dealings with the area since. I could not find anything much on the internet about the area, but then the internet is only very recent. The reason for the ghostly happenings near the Gaisby Lane Bridge could well be lost in the mists of time. We used both an EMF meter and dowsing to ascertain a supernatural presence, but on top of this, everyone present had suffered unpleasant physical symptoms in the area either then, or previously.
Bolling Hall in East Bowling, Bradford, is a much noted old manor house which is now a council owned museum. Entrance is free and it is a really interesting place. Bolling Hall has also been the scene of many a ghost hunt, including being the subject of a previous ‘Most Haunted’ programme from the Living TV station.
There is a flight of stone steps which are supposed to have been the scene of a lot of paranormal activity. We haven’t seen a programme that has come up with conclusive footage though.
Have a look at this picture taken on Friday, April 4, 2008 at approximately 3.30pm near the bottom of the reputedly haunted staircase and see if you notice anything odd…
Off the beaten track of the renowned paranormal sites such as Bolling Hall, East Bowling, our everyday surroundings provide the backdrop to many a paranormal experience.
Starting in the centre of Bradford, a spectre known as ‘Chains Charlie’, apparently a prisoner in the cells in City Hall, appears carrying his head under his arm.
It is well known that Sir Henry Irving, the first actor to receive a knighthood, died on the main staircase of the Midland Hotel in 1905. Some people claim to have seen Sir Henry who was managed by Bram Stoker, author of ‘Dracula’.
Bradford Playhouse in Chapel Street, Bradford, is thought to have a number of ghosts given the various ghostly reports. Tina Watkin, leader of the Bradford Writers’ Circle and presenter of Scribe Slot and Afternoon Stretch on BCB Radio, told us about her own eerie experiences. At the Playhouse, the figure of a man sitting in the row behind tapped her on the shoulder before vanishing. Tina then recalled a strange story about a toy car. When her son was little, he picked up a toy car that someone threw out of the window of a real car. When it was turned over the car played a tune. Tina later gave the car to her mother. After her mother’s death, the car was kept next to her computer in the attic of her Denholme residence. One day, Tina heard a strange noise coming from the attic, it was music but not the same tune as the toy car normally played until she realised it was playing the tune backwards!
In the village of Denholme, near Bradford, many villagers will not venture onto the scrub land off Station Road near the former site of Denholme station after dark. For no apparent reason, a feeling of inexplicable terror has been felt by many people going there after sunset.
One of the flats down Carperley Crescent, Denholme, is haunted by an old woman who was abondened by her relatives after a family rift and was left to die alone in her flat. Her body was not found for a number of days. The woman’s vengeful spirit was well known to locals in the late 1990s and reports suggest many inexplicable happenings together with a number of orbs seen flying around in the evening. Accounts by former residents and neighbours describe people being shaken by an unseen hand as well as the woman appearing in her former bedroom at night, chuntering and spitting. Lights blowing constantly and the failure of various new electrical goods have also been attributed to this woman.
The Royal public house in Denholme is also reputedly haunted according to locals who told the story of a white mist was seen floating around the rear bar’s fireplace and when a local said she didn’t believe in ghosts, a glass suddenly jumped in the air and smashed of its own accord.
A headless policeman rides across the fields towards St. Paul’s Church, Denholme Gate and a ghostly Roman Legion tramps down the site of the old Roman road, now Old Road.
West of Denholme and what is reputed to be the ghost of Emily Bronte has been seen in a pub in Haworth’s Main Street. A ghostly woman wearing a long white dress also thought to be Emily Bronte has been seen walking near the Bronte Falls area of Haworth. These sightings date back some time. The Haworth area is also home to a snow ghost, the ghost of a woman draped in long clothes seen only when it has snowed, her appearance being accompanied by the sound of a galloping horse.
The railway through Denholme was only opened around 1884, but closed to passengers after World War II in the late 1940s. Queensbury railway station, also known as the ‘Queensbury Triangle’ ran to Bradford, Halifax and to Keighley via Denholme. Queensbury station is famous for the Queensbury tunnel stretching almost 2.3 kilometres. In 1992, the tunnel gate was still open and although dripping with water it was possible to enter the tunnel by walking along a railway cutting, either side of which was a steep, tree-topped embankment. A ghostly train has been seen entering the tunnel by a number of people. On walking down the cutting to the tunnel mouth it actually gave the strong impression of being chased by a train to the extent of feeling the urge to keep looking behind. Some reports have suggested that the area also be haunted by a lady in white.
Not far from Queensbury and visible from Halifax railway station car park is Halifax Parish Church with its distinctive blue clock face. This site was haunted by a headless ghost that used to appear when anyone tried to wind up the clock.
Back towards Bradford and the ghost of a miner has been seen in the St Mary’s Crescent area of Wyke. There was mining in the area during the 19th century. In the part of Wyke, a procession of ghostly monks can be seen on only one summer’s day each year.
Sightings of a spectral being in Manchester Road and also in Bierley were reported in the 19th and early part of the 20th century. An apparition bearing resemblance to the modern day Ghostface character from the Scream films would jump out and frighten women.
A corridor in Hanson School, Swain House, Bradford, is haunted by the ghost of a former caretaker. He was seen on a number of occasions in the 1970s.
In 1982, a number of people out walking dogs in the evening reported seeing figures in white robes walking in the Dawson Wood area linking Thackley and Esholt.
During the 1980s in nearby Shipley, there were several reports of an Owlet vampire. In all reported cases, a tall, thin man dressed in black with a chalk white face and reddened lips appeared as if from nowhere, near Windhill Cemetery. This character would appear out of the blue, sporting a pair of long fang-like teeth and grinning menacingly at victims, he would seemingly float just above the ground before vanishing into thin air.
The former Pricking Mill and Pricking Locks site in Valley Road, Shipley, is haunted by strange swirling energies which leave a feeling of foreboding and great unease in some people.
There are reports of a ghostly woman who appears from the bushes and runs across a person’s path before disappearing in to the murky waters of Chellow Dean, a former reservoir near Pearson Lane, Bradford. It is believed to be the spirit of a former nursing sister who became depressed after being rejected by her lover and so took an overdose before throwing herself in Chellow Dean’s lower reservoir.
The bell tower at the former Allerton Middle School in Garforth Stret, Bradford, was haunted by a headless ghost, seen throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.
And finally, concluding our journey in Allerton, a tale about a ghost called Rebecca was rife in the area during the early 1990s. Some stories claimed that if a person went to the old viaduct in Thornton and said Rebecca three times she would appear. Other legends claimed Rebecca haunted Allerton Lane, a steep hill connecting Allerton Road with School Green, Thornton. There is some folklore evidence to suggest that a girl called Rebecca would journey up Allerton Lane, to meet her fiancé who lived in nearby Clayton. For reasons unknown, her fiancé tired of her and apparently murdered her at the spot of the dip in the road running over the beck, near the end of what is now Bracewell Avenue. Many people who have walked down Allerton Lane claim to have seen a hooded woman in a long brown dress who is purported to be Rebecca.
