York, North Yorkshire
“A place tied to Guy Fawkes, filled with history, tourists, and just enough strange reports to keep the ghost stories alive.” David Saunderson
Ah, remember remember, yes it is Bonfire Night. So, let’s whip over to York to explore the supposed birthplace of the main man himself - Guy Fawkes.
It is said that Guido Fawkes was born at 25–29 High Petergate in 1570 and baptised in St. Michael Le Belfrey, just across the street. Grade I and Grade II listed structures, with the main Georgian-era terrace being constructed around 1700–1707, the buildings sit on medieval foundations. Lots of history here, but more notably our Guy.
Guy Fawkes, of course, being a member of the group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Fawkes left York for mainland Europe after converting to Catholicism and went on to fight for Catholic Spain in the Eighty Years' War against Protestant Dutch reformers in the Low Countries.
‘Guy Fawkes or The Anniversary of the Popish Plot’ by John Doyle, 1830
We all know the story of Guy and his explosives, the reason why we decide to let off colourful fireworks despite not having an opinion either way on the failed attempt of dismantling parliament in the 1600s. These days, the building in which Fawkes supposedly was born is now an Inn… Guy Fawkes Inn to be exact. So, who is said to haunt this joint?
Locals have reported seeing a male figure dressed in historical clothing in the Inn, many claiming that it must be Guy Fawkes himself but given he did not die in York, it seems a long way for his ghost to travel!
Despite its ties to Guy Fawkes, the most haunted room in the Inn is supposedly the The Belfy Suite. It is said that two children passed away up there in the 1700s due to a nasty bout of cholera. Visitors have reported seeing apparitions of small children in the eves of the attic. Many say there’s a rather melancholy feeling when entering this area…
More of an ominous feeling than a full apparition, visitors have reported experiencing the presence of something in the quieter parts of the building, away from the bar area itself.
Ghostly sounds have also been heard by visitors to the Inn. Footsteps in the dead of night echoing down the corridors, doors opening and closing by themselves, objects inside rooms being moved or going missing entirely. Could these all be linked to either Guy or the two children of the Belfy Suite?
Sources
Guy Fawkes, The Gunpowder Plot Society. Archived from the original on 18 March 2010, accessed at: The Gunpowder Plot Society.
What Haunts The Guy Fawkes Inn In York? | Spooky Isles
Guy Fawkes Birthplace | Exploring The Guy Fawkes Inn and Haunted History Of York - Brocarde
