CHRISTMAS time is traditionally associated with ghost stories and East Lancashire has many. Ghost walker Simon Entwistle from Clitheroe shares one of his favourites.

THERE can not be many hotels in the country that can boast a Christmas ghost - but The Dunkenhalgh Hotel, Clayton-le-Moors, has a very famous one. The ghost of Lucette.

Lets turn the clock back to the year 1778 and the American war of Independence had been raging for some two years.

Lucette was a very attractive young French girl. She had met a young, handsome British Army captain from the light horse regiment called Starkie.

By all accounts he had an eye for the ladies and Lucette was a maid employed by the Petre family.

Starkie was a guest of the family and it wasn't long before his attention focused on this young French girl.

He was aware that he would be posted overseas to fight George Washington's forces in the American War of Independance but he was determined to have his way with Lucette before his posting.

Apparently he was successful before then joining General Clinton's forces and being engaged in battle with the rebels.

Soon after Starkie had left Lancashire Lucette found to her horror that she was indeed carrying a child - a terreble sin outside marrage.

She wrote letters to his cavalry regiment but none came back - news in those days took months to arrive - and rumours came back informing her that it was very likely that Starkie had been killed in New Hampshire.

Lucette missed the captain so much.

She knew she could never go back to France as her family would treat her as an outcast.

So, believing her red-coated lover was dead she then decided to take her own life, on Christmas Day night 1778.

There is talk that the poor girl gave birth to a daughter, and then took her life by drowning, after inflicting cuts to her wrists in the moonlight as she made her way down the avenue of trees in front of the hall.

The following morning, Her cold limp body was found.

Two hours later a red coated officer came to the hall.

It was Captain Starkie, who discovered that he was a father but that he had lost Lucette.

The tears spilled down his cheeks as he looked at Lucette's cold and pale face.

Her Ghost is only seen at Christmas time and there have been many sightings over the centuries.

Apparently even her ghost is simply quite stunning.

A long white dress, with puffed up sleeves, her hair in droplets, and snow white complexion.

In 1965, 22-year-old John Beesley from Accrington, took his dog for a walk and in bright moonlight he made his way down the avenue of trees on the driveway to the Dunkenhalgh. It was December 28.

Suddenly his dog barked out and growled. John turned round and some ten feet away silloueted in the moonlight he made out a female shape in clothes from a different era.

His dog was absolutely terrified, and pulled the dog collar off in a desperate bid for freedom.

The Ghostly figure advanced towards John and his feet seemed to be frozen to the ground.

He noticed it was a female. "Are you all right?" he shouted.

Suddenly he became transfixed by her beauty exposed by the moonlight.

She gently turned to his right, And then vapourised.

As she vanished, he became aware of a very sweet scent, as he put it, a delicious purfume.

Who knows, perhaps Lucette may make an appearence this Christmas at the Dunkenhalgh.

  • For more information on Simon Entwistle's tours see the website below.