The ancient town of Wetherby has as diverse a gathering of ghosts as one might find anywhere in England. They include Royalist soldiers escaping from Marston Moor, 1644; a coven of witches from the 1700s; and children who died at Wetherby Workhouse in the late 1800s. The town stands on the A1, historically the most important road through England, built along the path of the old Roman road.
A hostelry for more than 400 years, The Swan and Talbot was a major coaching inn by its proximity to Wetherby Bridge, which dates back to the 13th century. The Wetherby witches coven was formed by the Walker sisters, Aggie, Emma and Sage. All had been expelled from St James’s Church, charged with witchcraft, and said to haunt the streets of Wetherby still. Paranormal investigators were invited to conjure up the spirits of the three sisters. During a séance, the team reported that, after a trial, they had been burned at the stake for heresy and witchcraft.
Frequently, the ghosts of soldiers in English Civil War uniform have terrified motorists on the outskirts of the town. Witnesses claim to have seen four of this phantom militia standing at a bus stop.
The ghosts of two boy urchins haunt the first floor of the pub overlooking the main street. Legend has it that they were inmates at the workhouse, who had died whilst working in the pub.
Originally named the Dog and Swan, the pub was allowed to bear the coat of arms of the Swann family, who lived at Askham Manor.
Over the years, there have been frequent accounts of that manor being haunted by at least two cavalier officers from the rout at Marston Moor.
Talbot was a type of white hunting dog. It is now extinct and has been credited with being an ancestor of the modern beagle and bloodhound. However, the Talbots were also an influential family in the area and the name change could have been in reference to them.
This Story was found at Ghostpubs.com
