The Peak District's most haunted spots - from village pub to spooky moorland

The Peak District is home to some of the UK's most beautiful countryside, with snow capped hills, moorlands and picturesque villages on the surface it has a wholesome look, yet Richard Felix claims that there is a dark-side to the beloved landscape, with numerous stories of ancient legions and ghost planes haunting the area.

There are many different legends in the Peak District and the ghost expert claims that stories from the area are so common as the rural community would be cut off from eachother for the whole of winter. They would then reconvene when the spring came around, with their new stories of ghouls and spectres haunting the countryside.

So it is up to you whether to believe the legends, but the Peak District is definitely not short of horrifying tales with some still roaming the county to this day.

So what ancient ghouls still lurk in the Peak District? Well, Derby's local ghost expert has told us about some of the accounts he's heard.

Bleaklow

Richard claims that he has heard numerous accounts from scared hikers as they were walking near to Bleaklow, with legends stating that an old Roman legion were once lost there on the moorlands and disappeared.

Richard said: "They saw Roman soldiers marching across the moors and they appeared legless. The Roman road that was once there has sunk and is now under the ground, so they were floating across the moorland. Apparently they were following the same path across the National Park that was once a route that linked Snake Pass to Longdendale."

This isn't the only legend that haunts Bleaklow, as there have also been numerous sightings of ghost planes flying over the site of the crashed World War II B29 bomber site. This has also been reported around Ladybower reservoir, as often the reservoir was historically used as target practice for World War two planes.

Richard continued: "I've been up to the site myself where the crashed bomber was. I unfortunately didn't see anything myself but people report that there are often figures of American pilots still wandering around the site."

Winnats Pass

The limestone gorge that lies just west of Castleton is home to a spine chilling ordeal. According to the ghost expert, it is also home to the ghosts of two hikers who were murdered by a group of miners as they were on their way to be married.

Richard said: "The two lovers were on going through Winnats Pass, they were called Clara and Alan and some local miners spotted them on their way through the pass so they robbed and killed them, throwing their bodies down their mineshaft.

"The legend says that you can still hear their screams now, and even their ghostly presences up on the hills. The miners who murdered them all mysteriously died but one who was felt so guilty he confessed to the crimes on his deathbed a number of years later."

Wirksworth

Richard told the local legend that a lone coachman was riding into Wirksworth, he said: "In the days of stage coaches, the rider was sitting on top of his coach when his horse bolted forwards propelling him into the archway and decapitating him as he entered the Red Lion pub. I suppose he should have ducked but didn't have time. As a result his coach and cloaked headless body has been seen riding through Wirksworth,."

It is claimed that locals of the town can still see him riding across fields with his cloak billowing in the wind scaring locals with his ghostly presence.

Eyam

The Miners Arms pub in the small village of Eyam right in the heart of Northern Derbyshire, has been said to be extremely haunted, according to Mr Felix. The pub has reportedly had numerous problems with one ghost that has been there for hundreds of years.

He claims that the ghost of a murdered old woman is still seen to this day on numerous occasions walking through the middle of the pub, even when the pub is open.

Richard explained that the ghostly appearance was due to the fact the old lady was murdered in the 1700s by the previous landlord of the pub - and she is still trying to get her revenge to this day.

Tideswell

Richard claims that there was a secret passage in the local church, formerly a Catholic church, where church-goers would escape prosecution from the then protestant Queen. It has been claimed by Richard Felix that the old choir can be heard singing ghostly hymns below the ground of the church.

Richard continued: "The choir are said to appear just before someone in the village dies, they could be the local harbinger of death."

However there has been no discovery of the secret passage to this day, so it is unknown as to where this secret passage is that holds the ghostly remains of the choristers.