Of Ghosts and Ghoulies (and Boggats)
The ghost of Cross House farm
Strange and unaccountable noises have been heard on several occasions and a lady dressin white has been seen in one of the attic windows looking over the garden.
Cross House Farm dates back to 1332 and was owned by the White family. This is an ancient non-listed building.
The ghost of the Cartford Arms
A ghost has been felt at the Cartford Arms and been seen to turn lights on and off.
A boggart is a mischievous, often malevolent supernatural spirit or household goblin from English folklore, particularly prominent in Northern England. The boggart was prevelant in England in Medieval times.
The Boggart Stone lies in a gutter, near Cross House Farm on White House Lane. The stone is actually a base of a cross. What was the cross used for? It could have been used as a roadside cross or as a marker on the road to Armageddon. An Armageddon stione like the ones at Highcross and Lowcross in Poulton were used as resting stops for the coffin as the body was used carried from a home to the church / graveyard. Was this used as a staging stop bebetween Great Eccleston and St Michaels / Churchtown?
The Boggart Stone is situated near the farm house. As the base filled with water during heavy rain it suggests there is a natural dip in the stone. This lends itself to the stone being a road pointer. In ancient times people tended to put coins in these dips to help fellow travellers. In heavy rain this dip fills with water which the locals believed had healing powers so they washed their hands and feet in this water.