16 October 2023 , 13:59
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A young girl had a chilling encounter while walking home from choir practice as she spotted a dark figure under the street light near a cemetery.
Pam Bond, who had the terrifying encounter Ince Blundell, Merseyside, in 1956, said she now believes in ghosts after seeing the figure head towards her. She said: "We all started screaming and ran home." The village has a rich history tied to the powerful Weld Blundell family.
Their manor, Ince Blundell Hall, built in 1729, still stands at the end of the village. Pam, who has lived in the village for 79 years, said: "You are not allowed in but everyone used to work there. Most of the time the gates to the manor are locked up and only the nuns are in there now."
The Cross in the village (Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)The village is steeped in mystery, with tales of unexplained car crashes and ghostly monks wandering the manor's chilly corridors. But the most enduring tale is that of the 'Grey Lady', a Catholic nun said to haunt a white cross on Park Wall Road.
Pam shared: "I have always heard that she was called the Pink Lady, that is what my parents told me. My parents were going past the Holy Family Church when they said they saw her. I don't know if it is true or not but the story goes the Pink Lady had an affair with one of the Weld Blundell's. She was expecting and threw herself in the lake."
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Some villagers believe the tale dates back to the English Reformation when the Church of England split from the Pope and the Catholic Church. This theory holds some weight as the Weld Blundells were recusant, meaning they remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the Reformation.
There have been a few ghost stories in the village (Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)A local woman born in the village revealed: "There has always been a rumour that Oliver Cromwell came here and there are tunnels under the manor so that catholic priests could escape in a hurry. Apparently, when the nuns moved into the manor they put an extra step in their hall up to their rooms. It is said that the ghost of the nun would miss the step.
"I used to work in the kitchen at the manor and one day I thought I saw a nun walk into the room but when I turned there was nothing there but I don't think it was a ghost. Most of the people who have seen them are all dead now."
The most likely explanation for the cross, which sits on the boundary of Ince Blundell Hall, is it was part of a funeral procession. These medieval wayside crosses were once a common sight and mourners would rest in prayer before continuing on their journey to the Church of St Helen in Sefton.
The ghost stories are an oral tradition passed down through generations (Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)Across Merseyside, there are a number of buildings described as "the most haunted" - and with such a vast and interesting past it is no wonder Merseyside is host to a number of unexplained and haunting goings on, reports the Liverpool Echo. The stories are an oral tradition, passed down through generations and they have changed over time. The village has created its own contained mythology but as the years pass it becomes less prevalent.
Brenda, 60, shared: "There has always been the story of the 'Gray Lady of Ince' and I heard it many years ago. I have lived here for 39 years and the majority of people who lived when I moved were born here. There are not many left so it is few and far between that you will find someone who is old enough to tell these tales, so they start to disappear. It is sad and I think they are important."
Residents want to ensure the tales are not forgotten (Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)Pam, a local resident whose family has lived in Ince Blundell for generations, also contributed to these ghost stories. She revealed: "I used to be a Blundell and everyone was either a cousin or related in some way. There are a lot of strangers now and I can still name everyone who lived here when I was young.
"Years ago everybody worked at the hall, one of my uncles was a gardener, and the other looked after the horses. Most of the women worked as maids. So these stories were part of growing up and passed down through word of mouth. I don't know half the people here now...and the stories are told less and less."
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