Things that go bump in the night
There have been many visitors to Windermere in history, not all of them earthbound!
The haunting of Calgarth Hall
This sixteenth century manor house was owned by Kraster Cook and his wife Dorothy. Their neightbour was local Justice of the Peace Myles Philipson and wanted to buy the house, but the Cooks didn't want to sell.
To get his hands on the property, Myles accused the Cooks of theft, judged them and condemned them to death. However before she died, Dorothy cursed Calgarth promising that their screaming skulls would haunt the Hall night and day until the Philipsons left and that the family would never prosper.
Two skulls did indeed take up residence in Calgarth, and despite many attempts to get rid of them, including throwing them into the lake, they always returned. Myles Philipson had to sell his land to pay off debts, leaving only Calgarth which his son sold after his death.
The skulls never appeared again. And in 1705 the last member of the Philipson family died.
Gylpin's wild boar
In the 12th century a wild boar terrorised pilgrims who entered the woods between Kendal and Windermere. Richard de Gylpin killed the boar and was rewarded with the manor of Kentmere.
The Crier of Claife
On stormy nights centuries ago, the ferrymen at Ferry Nab would often hear strange calls for the boat to come across the water but were too afraid to go. One night a young ferryman scoffed at their fears and rowed across. On his return whatever he had seen had terrified him so much that he couldn't speak, and the next day he died.
The local people asked a monk who lived on one of the islands in Windermere to exorcise the ghost. On Christmas Day he took a bell and bible across the lake, and confined the ghost to the quarry and woods "until men should walk dryshod across the lake".
To this day there are stories of walkers being followed by a hooded figure at dusk on the heights of Claife...
The white horse of Windermere
When harm is about to come to the neighbourhood around the lake, it is said a ghostly white horse walks on the water from shore to shore.
The mysterious Tizzie-Wizzie
The Tizzie-Wizzie was allegedly first spotted by a Bowness boatman around 1900. He regaled tourists in the town’s Stag’s Head Hotel about his thrilling encounter with the extraordinary creature.
Shy, water-loving creatures, Tizzie-Wizzies are reputed to have the body of a hedgehog, the tail of a squirrel and a pair of bee-like wings.
You can make your own Beast of Bowness - check out our Funzone!
Bownessie?
There have been repeated sightings of an unidentified creature in the southern end of Windermere. You can read more on Bownessie.com (opens in new window).
Want even more visitor information?
Visit Golakes (opens in new window), the official website of the tourist board for The Lake District and Cumbria. Browse and book accommodation and attractions online and see what's on in the area.
