The Crier of Claife

The Lake District in England is home to beautiful landscapes, with lush greenery and serene lakes that have inspired poets and artists for centuries. However, alongside this natural beauty there’s an eerie tale that has been passed down through generations, the story of ‘The Crier of Claife’. The story goes that in the 18th century, a ferryman was rowing on the Windermere Lake, near Hawkshead, Cumbria, when he heard a voice calling for a ferry from Claife Heights on the western side of the lake. Despite the night being excessively stormy, he went to fetch the guest. The passenger was a cloaked figure that remained silent throughout the journey back. Once on the eastern shore, the figure disappeared without trace, leaving behind an unsettling echo. From that night, strange cries and moans would emanate from Claife Heights, terrifying the locals. The unnerved ferryman, and those after him, would hear these cries whenever they were on the lake, always from the same spot on Claife Heights, and always the same eerie, unexplained noise. Some said it was a spectral hound, others a distressed woman, but no one could pinpoint the source. Local clergy were brought in to exorcise the spot, and while their rituals seemed to bring some peace, the echoes of this haunting tale still remain. Even today, some claim to hear unexplainable sounds near the area, particularly on stormy nights. Despite the growth in tourism and advancements in the region, the tale of ‘The Crier of Claife’ is an enduring part of the local folklore that adds a touch of mystery to these otherwise peaceful shores.

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