York After Dark

Beyond the 1190 massacre, Clifford’s Tower holds a bloody history of civil war, public executions, and a catastrophic gunpowder explosion. In Part 2 of our deep dive on York After Dark, we uncover the gruesome story behind how the tower got its name, the blast that gutted its interior, and the phantom figures still seen walking the stone ramparts late at night.

Perched atop its iconic grassy mound, Clifford’s Tower looks like a peaceful historic landmark. But in March of 1190, it was the site of one of the most horrific anti-Semitic massacres in medieval history. In Part 1 of this two-part series on York After Dark, we explore the terrifying mob siege, the tragic fire inside the wooden keep, and the chilling legend of the stone walls that "weep" blood on the anniversary.

In 1806, a charismatic "wise woman" named Mary Bateman terrorized the countryside around York, using psychological fear, fake mystics, and deadly arsenic to rob and murder her victims. In this episode of York After Dark, we dive into the chilling true crime story of "The Yorkshire Witch," her gruesome public trial at York Castle, and the bizarre afterlife of her skin and bones.

Beneath the quiet cobbles of Bedern lies one of Victorian York's most horrific true-crime secrets. In this episode of York After Dark, we uncover the dark history of the Bedern Ragged School, the murderous neglect of schoolmaster George Pinder, and the phantom children who still reach out from the shadows to touch the hands of unsuspecting passersby.

Beneath the bright lights and velvet seats of the York Theatre Royal lie the 12th-century ruins of a medieval monastic hospital. In this episode of York After Dark, we explore the heartbreaking story of a young nun sealed alive behind a stone wall, and the phantom "Grey Lady" who still watches performances from the quiet shadows of the Dress Circle.

At 1:30 AM, long after the front doors were locked, a night-shift bartender at The Black Swan Inn heard footsteps behind the bar. What she saw standing in the shadows left her paralyzed with fear—a man with a hollow eye socket pointing an antique pistol directly at her chest. In this episode of York After Dark, we explore the 15th-century timber pub on Peasholme Green, a secret sibling blood pact that defied death, and the chilling legacy of "One-Eyed Jack."

Long before the National Trust took over the grand Edwardian manor behind York Minster, its eccentric owner issued a chilling warning: If you ever alter this house, I will return from the grave and haunt you... But the owner's spirit isn't the most unsettling thing lurking beneath the floorboards. Join us as we uncover the story of Harry Martindale, the eccentric legacy of Frank Green, and the ancient Roman bypass road hidden 15 inches beneath the cellar floor.