York is one of the oldest cities in Britain, it is also one of the most haunted. The Snickleway Inn in Goodramgate dates back as far as the medieval times and as you would expect it has been renovated many times over the years. The Inn has undergone several name changes, in 1994 it changed from the Anglers Arms to the Snickleway Inn. The Inn still has many of the buildings original features, the beams and woodwork in the pub has been kept in immaculate condition.
Derek Acorah names "The Snickleway" as being amongst Britain's 100 Scariest Places to Visit in his book. The Inn is thought to be haunted by at least 5 active spirits that make their presence felt around the premises.
On the first floor and particularly on the stairs the ghost of a young girl has been seen. Over the years there have been numerous sighting s of the little girl sitting on the stairs watching the customers at the bar. The landlords cat (now departed) often seemed to enjoy playing with an invisible partner and purring around the legs of an unseen figure. It is said that the spirit is that of a young girl who met her death when a horse and cart delivering beer ran her down and killed her just outside the pub.
The Bar area is home to two different spirits the first an old gentleman, who's ghost often enters the pub through a wall and then walks across the bar to take a seat as soon as he sits down he vanishes. Further investigation found that there used to be a door at the exact location in the wall, which not even the landlord had known about.
The ghost of a man in Elizabethan era clothing has been witnessed by members of staff, behind the bar. The identity of this spirit is not known it is thought that he may be a previous member of staff. The ghost is often seen either first thing in the morning or at closing up time.
Upstairs the ghost of Marmaduke Buckle is thought to reside. Born in 1697 of a wealthy family, but crippled, he was tormented and persecuted by his contemporaries. He retreated to his room at the Inn, suffering from a deep depression he hanged himself from the beam. Marmadukes ghost has been seen in his old room looking out of the bedroom window. His spirit is also believed to be responsible for doors mysteriously opening and closing and light turning on and off in the upstairs rooms.
On the top floor of the Snickleway Inn there is a presence that is not often seen, but is identified by the strong smell of lavender. The spirits identity is not known, the lavender may be related to perfume of a previous occupant. Lavender was used to stifle the smell of rotten corpses, during the great plague. In 1604 alone 3512 of the population of York succumbed to plague, the spirit maybe related to this much earlier point in time.
The ghost in the cellar is neither friendly nor playful, the only entrance to the cellar is through a trapdoor behind the bar. The gas taps which pump the beer up from the cellar are frequently turned off, by the entity. On investigation the taps are found to have been off with such force that it requires considerable strength to turn them back on again. Staff that have gone down to change the barrels have had tools and stones thrown at them by an unseen assailant. One medium who visited the property described the entity as a 'creature of great age and intelligence and surrounded by utter evil'
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