York After Dark

Hosted by Aaron Blanchard, York After Dark is a collection of true stories from ghosts to madmen, and the strange happenings hidden just beneath the surface of Europe’s most haunted city.

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Episodes

• Stand and Deliver | Dick Turpin

  Friday, 18 September 2026

  13 minutes

  Dashing rogue or cold-blooded killer? In Episode 8 of York After Dark, Aaron strips away the romantic myths surrounding Britain's most famous highwayman, Dick Turpin. From violent house invasions in Essex to his downfall in a York jail cell over a unpaid letter, we trace the bloody real history of "John Palmer" and the ghostly encounters still reported across York today.

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• Chains, Fire and Shadows | Clifford's Tower Pt 2

  Friday, 11 September 2026

  10 minutes

  Beyond the 1190 massacre, Clifford’s Tower holds a bloody history of civil war, public executions, and a catastrophic gunpowder explosion. In Part 2 of our deep dive on York After Dark, we uncover the gruesome story behind how the tower got its name, the blast that gutted its interior, and the phantom figures still seen walking the stone ramparts late at night.

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• The Castle Massacre | Clifford's Tower Pt 1

  Friday, 4 September 2026

  11 minutes

  Perched atop its iconic grassy mound, Clifford’s Tower looks like a peaceful historic landmark. But in March of 1190, it was the site of one of the most horrific anti-Semitic massacres in medieval history. In Part 1 of this two-part series on York After Dark, we explore the terrifying mob siege, the tragic fire inside the wooden keep, and the chilling legend of the stone walls that "weep" blood on the anniversary.

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• The Yorkshire Witch | Mary Bateman

  Friday, 28 August 2026

  12 minutes

  In 1806, a charismatic "wise woman" named Mary Bateman terrorized the countryside around York, using psychological fear, fake mystics, and deadly arsenic to rob and murder her victims. In this episode of York After Dark, we dive into the chilling true crime story of "The Yorkshire Witch," her gruesome public trial at York Castle, and the bizarre afterlife of her skin and bones.

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• Bodies in the School | Bedern

  Friday, 21 August 2026

  13 minutes

  Beneath the quiet cobbles of Bedern lies one of Victorian York's most horrific true-crime secrets. In this episode of York After Dark, we uncover the dark history of the Bedern Ragged School, the murderous neglect of schoolmaster George Pinder, and the phantom children who still reach out from the shadows to touch the hands of unsuspecting passersby.

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• Phantom of the Theatre | The York Theatre Royal

  Friday, 14 August 2026

  12 minutes

  Beneath the bright lights and velvet seats of the York Theatre Royal lie the 12th-century ruins of a medieval monastic hospital. In this episode of York After Dark, we explore the heartbreaking story of a young nun sealed alive behind a stone wall, and the phantom "Grey Lady" who still watches performances from the quiet shadows of the Dress Circle.

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• The Ghost at the Bar | The Black Swan Inn

  Wednesday, 5 August 2026

  9 minutes

  At 1:30 AM, long after the front doors were locked, a night-shift bartender at The Black Swan Inn heard footsteps behind the bar. What she saw standing in the shadows left her paralyzed with fear—a man with a hollow eye socket pointing an antique pistol directly at her chest. In this episode of York After Dark, we explore the 15th-century timber pub on Peasholme Green, a secret sibling blood pact that defied death, and the chilling legacy of "One-Eyed Jack."

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• The Legion in the Mud | The Treasurer’s House

  Thursday, 30 July 2026

  11 minutes

  Long before the National Trust took over the grand Edwardian manor behind York Minster, its eccentric owner issued a chilling warning: If you ever alter this house, I will return from the grave and haunt you... But the owner's spirit isn't the most unsettling thing lurking beneath the floorboards. Join us as we uncover the story of Harry Martindale, the eccentric legacy of Frank Green, and the ancient Roman bypass road hidden 15 inches beneath the cellar floor.

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More episodes...