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The Mill of the Black Monks

This ancient building in Cundy Cross, just outside Barnsley, was originally a watermill. Built in 1150 by the Cluniac Monks from nearby Monk Bretton Priory, it passed into the hands of the Benedictines, and in the 17th century the mill was taken over by the Quakers. The building lay in ruins for many years before extensive renovations returned its former glory, and today it is a beautiful roadside tavern.

Rather than its haunted history putting off the drinkers, psychic experts who have claimed to be in contact with the Mill’s several ghosts have encouraged the curious to visit. Conversion work, which began in 1991, saw a number of disturbances - a common factor in haunted houses. Barmaids have described how unseen hands have touched them, and white shapes have floated through the walls. Customers have seen small objects such as ashtrays and glasses move of their own free will, and the figure of a ‘solid-looking’ ghostly monk standing in the shadows has manifested itself on several occasions.

The phantom monk is not alone in his haunting of the site: the spirits of a church minister and a teenage girl also share his domain! One psychic researcher claimed that he had persuaded the phantom monk to leave the site, but explained that he would be able to ‘bring him back’ again and communicate at length at some point. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the atmosphere inside the Mill of the Black Monks is something to be sampled at leisure; many fine old beams and ancient stone walls add to the character of the place, and in summer, the picturesque beer garden is well worth a visit. Ireland | South Anston | South Anston | The Swale Sailor |