THORNHILL HALL, RECTORY PARK, DEWSBURY, WEST YORKSHIRE
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| Remains of Thornhill Hall |
This is local legend, I'm not sure how accurate this story is as it was passed down to me personally by someone who was in the pub at the time when this happened. One night back in the mid 1980's a local man was walking through the Rectory Park and ruined Thornhill Hall near Dewsbury, when he was set upon by a man on a black horse, the rider had no head! He ran like hell and the headless horseman galloped after him and then it just disappeared. The man ran to the nearest public house for safety, still hysterical with fear and fright, babbling uncontrollably, crying in-front of a pub full of people he recounted what he had just seen. That's as much of the story I know, but it is a very well known account of an alleged haunting manifestation in the area.
History
The former hall is a moated medieval manor house of archaeological importance.
Thornhill was the seat of the Savile family in the 14th - 17th century. The hall was built around 1450 and comprised a stone built manor with moat and gatehouse in its own park, which was redeveloped around 1600. Immediately to the north of the island is the site of a 17th century bowling green while to the west lie three earthwork terraces which are probably the remains of a formal garden of the later hall.
During the Civil War, in August 1648, troops of Lady Anne Savile defended the hall against the Parliamentarians, but were forced to surrender and the hall was accidentally blown up and destroyed.
Today, the site is largely overgrown and the only visible remains are the moat, part of the fireplace and front wall, two damaged statues which may have been on a gatehouse plus loose stones from the former buildings. The remains are grade 2 listed and currently classed as 'at risk' by English Heritage and the site, moat, former bowling green and site of the formal gardens are a scheduled ancient monument.
Eyewitness account
Another local resident who I have met personally, recounted the story of when he allegedly saw Richard Beaumont with his own eyes, sat on a horse, down by Black Dicks temple, he is adamant that what he saw was black dick himself. Now, human memory is totally unreliable, I am not saying he didn't see it or has embellished this story over the years, as it happened a long time ago, but what he said was very convincing. But, the brain has a good ability to fill in the gaps. What he could have seen is just a man on a black horse nothing more nothing less (Occam's razor). He is now researching about him and has now become an investigator of the paranormal because of his experience.
Footnote: Witness testimony Retelling old experiences can lead to confabulation, the experiencer should immediately record or write down exactly what they saw. Getting a witness soon after their experience is important (paranormal investigators)
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| Gargoyles - Gog and Magog |
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