A NEW tourist attraction in Skipton, which tours the town on foot in search of ghosties and ghoulies enjoyed a successful debut.

Not successful as far as sightings go - that was not the object of the exercise - but in that the tour attracted more than 40 people eager to learn about Skipton's dark alleyways and desperate deeds.

The one-hour walks have been organised by the Tourist Information Centre on Wednesdays and Sundays, beginning at 8pm.

Each walk is guided by Simon Entwistle, of Clitheroe, who conducts similar walks in other areas. His Victorian garb of top hat and tails lends itself perfectly to his role of spookmaster.

Simon is no stranger to audiences having had many slots on television and radio because of his amazing repertoire of vocal sound effects. These he put to good use throughout the walk although passing traffic muffled the sound somewhat.

The success of the walks depends largely on the accuracy of his historical knowledge. Certainly from an outsider's point of view he seemed well-read and informed though shadows of doubts did creep in when he spoke of King Charles III visiting the Royal Shepherd pub on Canal Street.

The fact that we have not yet had a Charles III reign - HRH The Prince of Wales is due to take up this mantle - did spoil things a bit. He of course meant King George III.

The walk began on Otley Street outside Skipton County Court.

Here we heard the story of Sir Miles Phillipson who had allegedly wrongfully sentenced a couple to death for theft. They swore to haunt him for the rest of his life, and from then on two skulls were said to follow him wherever he went until he took his own life.

From there a short walk to the rear of the Red Lion brought tales of a lone passenger's trip in a horse-drawn carriage complete with ghostly passengers. Strange goings-on in the pub cellar are still said to occur today.

Skipton Castle, home of the Cliffords, was the next port of call where Simon talked at length about four of the family's most colourful members. The Churchyard was then visited, followed by the Castle pub and the canal, where Elizabeth Trent met her untimely death in a ducking stool.

Known locally as the Water Witch, she is said to haunt the towpath to this day. As recently as 1987, two people on a passing barge swore they had seen a woman staring down at them.

We were told of The Royal Shepherd pub's Royal status - apparently it is the only pub in the country to boast such an accolade. Here the first flock of Spanish Merino sheep were said to have been brought by George III.

Hallams Yard, a particularly spooky setting with its cobbles and high walls, is haunted by the ghost of John Cresap, a soldier who left Skipton to serve in the American army. He was captured by Indians, whose favourite torture was death by a thousand cuts. His stubbornness to yield to the pain gained their respect and they released him.

Outside the old Town Hall in Sheep Street, we heard of an uprising among mill workers in 1842 which resulted in the Riot Act being read and the subsequent death of a young soldier.

His ghost is said to have been seen on many occasions at the railway station. Residents have even reported hearing the faint sounds of a train pulling into the station when no train could be seen.

The area around Barclays Bank, the site of the old stocks and whipping post, is still said to be haunted by the victims.

Favourable responses were obtained from those taking part in the walk. A couple from Keighley said it gave them the opportunity to see Skipton in the relative quiet of the evening and were able to appreciate the history of the town.

Another person who enjoyed the walk was resident Monica Duerden. She had recently read a book about the Cliffords and was naturally interested to hear what Simon had said about their history.

A couple of timed appearances from a ghost and monk along the circuit went down well and served to remind us of the object of the exercise which is to provide a tourist attraction.

The walk was certainly interesting although I felt everyone wanted our guide to take in more of the town and its rich history.

Were his facts correct? We hope so, and he said he had spent many months researching old copies of the paper and historical records in order to be as accurate as possible.

The fact is we can all read history books but a walk round the town with a narrator brings the past to life.

One last point. Simon is on the lookout for a local lad to act as his roving spectre - on his first night he had to bring one with him from Clitheroe.

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