Haunted HotelsUK

Haunted pub in York

The Black Swan Inn

A timber-framed former merchant's house with a long list of ghosts, from a man in a bowler hat at the bar to a jilted bride by the fire. The landlady has described her own experiences to the York Press.

DocumentedA named witness or a dated first-hand account

The ghosts

  • A man in a bowler hat who seems to wait impatiently at the bar, then fades away
  • A young woman, thought to be a jilted bride, staring into the bar fire
  • A figure in boots and a long coat in the kitchen, known as Jack
  • A small boy in Victorian clothes
  • A pair of legs seen climbing the stairs
  • Knocking on doors at night, heard by the landlady

History

The Grade II* listed house dates from the late 16th century, with 17th-century extensions. Inside are 17th-century panelling, a fine staircase and an upstairs room with painted panelling. The pub says it stands on the site of an earlier medieval inn.

Visiting

Address
23 Peasholme Green, YO1 7PR
Food
Home-cooked food served daily
Children
Families welcome
Dogs
Not confirmed yet: check with the pub
Rooms
The pub lets rooms

Details last checked 24 October 2026. Check opening times on the pub’s website.

Ghost tours nearby

Tours starting within a short walk of the pub.

Haunted hotels nearby

More haunted pubs in York

Often called York's most haunted pub, with a whole cast of resident ghosts and named staff who have described their own experiences. It also lets rooms upstairs.

  • 16 Pavement
  • Food
  • Rooms
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York's oldest licensed inn, whose cellar is said to have served as a hospital and mortuary for soldiers in the Civil War. Customers and staff report cries from below and lights switching on by themselves.

  • 40 Stonegate
  • Food
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A former coaching inn just outside Micklegate Bar, said to be haunted by a girl killed by a cart in the 19th century. A chef has reported seeing a dark figure of a girl several times.

  • 14-16 Blossom Street
  • Food
The ghost story

Sources