Winnats pass Ghost Investigation - Derbyshire - Castleton

project-reveal · Joined: 27 May 2010 Posts: 99 Location: rotherham

Hi i would like to share our paranormal Investigation write up on winnats pass.

The history & Ghost story.

Winnats Pass History and Ghost’s Sightings

based in Castleton, is a long collapsed limestone cave system. The name Winnats is short for 'Windygates' on a windy day you will see why it came by that name, for the wind seems to swirl around everywhere.
Winnats Pass was formed millions of years ago by underground rivers carving their way through limestone beds. Gradually, these rivers dug out huge caverns beneath the surface, thinning out the upper layers until eventually the ceiling collapsed - leaving a gorge of over a mile in length.
The road was surfaced during the Second World War as an alternative to Mam Tor. Now it is the only route out of the western end of the Hope Valley.

The 'pass' part of the name is something of a misnomer - Winnats is a steep-sided limestone valley with cliffs on all sides, which climbs out of the Hope Valley onto the limestone plateau area above. The valley was created by the action of water eating away at the limestone rock - water gradually dissolves the limestone and the streams tend to find their way underground by gradually enlarging the natural cracks and fissures in the rock.

There are numerous underground stream systems in this area and one of these created a large cave system beneath the edge of the cliff overlooking Castleton. Eventually the rock underground was worn away until the whole cave system collapsed, leaving the steep-sided valley you can see now.

The sides of the valley contain a number of known pot-holes and Speedwell Cavern (one of the area's many show caves) has its entrance at the foot of Winnats Pass.
The Ghost story
In 1758 a young couple, remembered only as Allan and Clara, were riding to Peak Forest to be married at the famous “runaway church”.

The lovers had travelled a long way, arriving at Castleton in the dark. They stopped briefly at a local inn, where a group of lead miners noticed that they were carrying a bag of money.

As Allan and Clara resumed their journey through the Winnats Pass, they were robbed and murdered by the three men, some say five. Their bodies were hidden and not discovered for many years.

Apparently one of the murderers broke his neck in the winnats, and the second was crushed by falling stones, the third was believed to have committed suicide.
The ghosts of the newlyweds are meant to be heard pleading for help, around the entrance to winnats, and down the hill towards the entrance is where the ghosts of the miners are heard.

You can see Clara’s red leather saddle in the shop of Speedwell Cavern, at the entrance to the pass.

Our Investigation log