The city of York is renowned for its rich history and beautiful, winding streets. Tucked away within this history is a fascinating tapestry of folklore and tragedy that has given rise to some of England's most compelling ghost stories. The city's ancient stones bear the weight of a complex and often brutal past, and two of its most famous landmarks, Clifford's Tower and the Plague House, stand as solemn reminders of the lives and events that have shaped its haunting legends.
Clifford's Tower: A Monument to Tragedy
Clifford's Tower stands today as the most prominent remnant of York Castle. Built by William the Conqueror to quell rebellion, the site holds a brutal history, and one of its darkest chapters unfolded in 1190. Tensions between the Christian and Jewish communities in York were simmering. Seeking refuge from a mob, the entire Jewish community, around 150 people, fled to the wooden tower that stood on the mound where Clifford's Tower now stands.
With escape impossible, a rabbi tragically urged the community to take their own lives rather than face the brutality of their attackers. Historical accounts describe fathers taking the lives of their families and setting fire to the tower before taking their own lives. Those that didn’t either succumbed to the fire or were murdered by the mob.
A haunting legend surrounds the tower's rebuilding in the 13th century. Soon after its construction, the stones are said to have turned blood red, a phenomenon attributed to the massacre. While modern science points to iron oxide within the sandstone as the culprit, no other stone ever supplied by the quarry has ever contained traces of it, leaving the legend to endure.
The Plague House: A Terrifying Legacy
On a quiet York street, dwarfed by the towering York Minster, stands a small house at 5 College Street. Unremarkable to most passersby, this small house carries a dark nickname: "The Plague House." Local whispers speak of a tragedy etched into its very walls from the Black Death that arrived in York in 1349.
Legend tells of a young girl who lived here with her parents. One fateful night, the mother noticed bubonic swellings on her daughter—a horrifying sign of the plague's touch. Consumed by terror, they locked the girl in her room, marking the door with a stark red "X" and the plea, "LORD HAVE MERCY UPON US." Then, the parents fled York, abandoning their daughter.
Stories claim the young girl's cries of despair echoed through the streets, and her desperate attempts to escape were met only with fearful silence. She eventually succumbed to the plague's grasp. The Plague House is said to be haunted by her restless spirit. Some claim to have witnessed a young girl's form at the window, and others have been so concerned that they knocked on the door to ask if the occupants' daughter was alright. The response, they say, remains the same: "We do not have a daughter." There are even whispers of poltergeist activity, claims the church has consistently denied.