The Cavern of Lost Souls: an interactive show for Halloween

The Yorkshire Dales isn't just an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – it's also an area of heart-stopping supernatural stories.

The region teems with tales of unquiet souls that walk the towns and moors with vengeance or redemption in mind.

From the Roman apparitions at Treasurer's House in York to the restlessly pacing monk at Bolton Abbey, the area is a who's who of boos and spooks. A directory of dire spectres.


Just up the road from us here at Stump Cross Caverns is Greenhow Hill, a village that was once a centre of lead mining. In 1939, Mr George Gill heard the ghostly clack of clogs on the cobblestones. Could it have been a phantom miner?

And at Stump Cross Caverns, we have our own eldritch tale to tell. For us, this Halloween is no ordinary festival of frights – it's the 200th anniversary of a calamity that took place within the walls of our caves.

Two hundred years ago, six local lead miners were killed. With only a naked candle flame to light their way, they were caught up in an explosion that brought boulders crashing down around them – and left them to their sorry fate.

Listen closely, and you can still hear their desperate cries floating on the chill October winds, pleading with passersby to release them from their rocky prison.

One hundred years after "The Event" (as it's known locally) a rescue team descended into the caves to try to end their captivity – but history repeated itself and the caverns collapsed once more.

Legend has it that every 100 years, the phantom six are reincarnated in their old bodies, indistinguishable from the day they perished. Could it be that it was they  who brought the boulders down on their rescuers' innocent heads?

This October, we're combing the area for another rescue team – one brave enough to enter the Caverns, knowing what they do.

How about you? Do you dare to join us in the gorgeous but ghostly depths of the caves this Halloween?

The Cavern of Lost Souls

On the evening of Friday 28 October, Stump Cross Caverns is hosting a spine-chilling theatre event – an immersive, interactive experience for thrill-seekers aged 14 and over.

It's not for the faint of heart. But if you want to feel a ghostly chill in your very bones, book today . It's a haunting spectacle that you won't forget in a hurry.

The show lasts 45 minutes. Afterwards, you can warm up in our Time Cafe with a panini or toastie – plus special Halloween cocktails including Bloody Marys and poison apples.

The cafe looks out onto the stark beauty of the moors – but you might find that after the show they have an even more haunted look…


Join us in the caves for a night to terrify and entertain in equal measure. Tickets cost £20 for over-14s or £17 per person for groups of six or more. Book online today.