The city of York is renowned for its rich history and beautiful, winding streets. Tucked away within this history is a fascinating creature of northern English folklore known as the Barghast. While not exclusive to York, tales of this entity are particularly prominent in the surrounding county of Yorkshire.

The Barghast is most often described as a monstrous, goblin-like dog with fiery eyes and rattling chains. It is a terrifying omen, as a sighting is said to foretell a person's imminent death. Some reports from the 1870s suggest the creature is a shapeshifter, capable of taking on the form of a headless man or woman, a white cat, or even a rabbit. According to folklore, the Barghast, much like a vampire, cannot cross running water and only appears at night.

The word "Barghast" itself is believed to be a combination of several older words. A common theory suggests it combines the Anglo-Saxon word "Burr" (a fortified town) and the German "geist" (ghost), giving it the meaning of a "town ghost."

Tales suggest that a Barghast stalks the city's narrow, cobbled alleyways. In York, these are known by the charming local term "snickleways," a word created in 1983 from "snicket," "ginnel," and "alleyway." While the term is modern, the history of these tight, shadowy passages is ancient, providing the perfect setting for a creature of such old and ominous legend.

The Treasurer's House in York is widely considered one of England's most haunted buildings, with a history of ghostly encounters spanning centuries. While the house has a long list of spirits, none are as famous as its phantom Roman legion.

The most celebrated sighting occurred in 1953, when an apprentice builder named Harry Martindale was working in the basement. He was startled by the sound of trumpets and watched in terror as a procession of Roman soldiers emerged from a solid wall. The soldiers, a group of about 20, marched silently to the opposite wall before disappearing. The most bizarre detail was that the soldiers were only visible from the knees up, as if they were walking on an ancient floor that had long since been buried.

Martindale's story, while initially met with ridicule, was later validated. The uniforms, equipment, and unkempt appearance he described did not match the famous Roman legions of popular media. Instead, they were a perfect match for the late Roman auxiliaries who would have occupied York during the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Martindale never changed his story and never sought financial gain, lending a strong air of credibility to his account.

His sighting, however, was not the first or the last. A housekeeper in 1957 reported hearing the sound of hooves and trumpets from the basement, and her young ward later confessed to hearing the sounds as well. A dinner guest in the 1800s also reported being blocked by a man dressed as a Roman soldier while attempting to retrieve wine from the cellar.

The Roman soldiers are not the only ghosts to make their presence known. Staff and visitors have reported numerous other hauntings, including:

The Scent of Cigars: The distinct smell of cigar smoke, a trademark of a former owner named Frank Green, has been known to appear and disappear in the hallways.
A Grey Lady: A phantom figure in grey has been seen encouraging visiting children to misbehave and cause mischief.
Phantom Animals: Dogs and cats have been seen roaming the halls before vanishing.
Moved Objects: Staff have often arrived in the morning to find chairs stacked against a wall mysteriously pushed into the middle of the room.
Eerie Sounds: Laughter, rattling, and the sound of children playing marbles have been heard in empty rooms.

The consistent and varied paranormal activity reported at the Treasurer's House suggests it is one of the most actively haunted locations in all of York.

The Barghest: Unraveling the Folklore of York's Snickleways

The Eerie Hauntings of the Treasurer's House