Singer songwriter Eddie Lawler has put a dark chapter of Calverley’s history to music for the village’s Folk Day tomorrow.

The balladeer will be on stage at Calverley’s New Inn pub to recount the tale of gambler and drinker Walter Calverley, driven to madness and murder by debt.

On April 23, 1605 he killed his two eldest sons, tried to murder his wife, who was saved by her whalebone corset, and frantically rode off on horseback through the woods to kill his infant son being nursed in a nearby village.

But on the way his steed's foot got caught in a rabbit hole, sending him him crashing to the ground. He was caught and taken to York, where he was pressed to death by stones.

Walter’s ghost is said to ride through Calverley woods at night as a headless horseman, says Eddie (pictured above).

Eddie will be one of a number of musicians gathering at The New Inn tomorrow for a day of free live music from 1pm.

Other acts include bluegrass, skiffle and folk band Redgrass, and acoustic duo Rumdoodle.

Informal singarounds and jamming sessions will be on at The Thornhill during the afternoon, high energy folk-rock band The Heathen Kings play there from 7.30pm and the the quirky Free Sandwiches will be at The New Inn from 9pm.

For details, visit calverley www.folkday.wordpress.com, twitter @calverley-folk, e-mail calverleyfolkday@gmail.com.