Fans of the supernatural are invited to find out more about the dark side of Tavistock on a guided tour.

Lawrence McNeela is taking paid guests on ghost tours of the town while he relates the tales behind the apparitions.

The tours are on Friday, June 19, from 8.15pm in Bedford Square, with their guide dressed in Victorian period costume complete with decorated waistcoat, jacket and top hat and swinging a silver-topped cane.

He said: “Tavistock is rich with stories of tales of the supernatural. The old buildings are hosting many an apparition and interesting stories to go with them.

“But the idea is not to frighten people and put them off the town. I’m mixing chilling tales with humour.

“I know there are people that are obviously sceptical about ghosts, but there will be many who are just interested in a place through its history and folklore. These stories do bring Tavistock’s past alive in a way history books and ordinary guides don’t.”

One of Lawrence’s most lurid tales is about Mary Howard and her ‘ghastly cavalcade’. She is said to have ridden from the original Fitzford Gatehouse (now a home) to Okehampton Castle in a coach made of bones from her murdered husband and drawn by skeletal horses and followed by her one-eyed dog.

On a more prosaic level the former landlord of the reputedly haunted Royal Standard pub in Mary Tavy is working for the Make Stuff Happen CIC social enterprise promoting civic pride.

Lawrence tells of a woman haunted by a ‘sex pest’ ghost and a woman hearing ‘invisible’ high heels following her in Tavistock and the town’s most famous spook Betsy Grimbal, a young lady murdered by a jealous monk.

More information on the ghost walks in Tavistock and Launceston a this link: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/makestuffhappencic

Abbey Gateway: There are claimed to be secret tunnels leading beneath Bedford Square, through which ghostly monks are said to walk in solemn procession.
Abbey Gateway: There are claimed to be secret tunnels leading beneath Bedford Square, through which ghostly monks are said to walk in solemn procession. (Submitted)
Betsy Grimbal’s Tower: Does the ghost of Betsy herself still haunt the tower bearing her name?
Betsy Grimbal’s Tower: Does the ghost of Betsy herself still haunt the tower bearing her name? (Submitted)
Tavistock Hotel and Inn: The ghost tour will finish our tour at an atmospheric local pub with ghost stories of its own to share.
Tavistock Hotel and Inn: The ghost tour will finish our tour at an atmospheric local pub with ghost stories of its own to share. (Submitted)
Paddons Row: Tavistock’s historic streets and alleys all have ghost stories waiting to be shared.
Paddons Row: Tavistock’s historic streets and alleys all have ghost stories waiting to be shared. (Submitted)
Lawrence McNeela is inviting visitors and residents to be spooked and entertained by his ghostly tours of Tavistock.
Lawrence McNeela is inviting visitors and residents to be spooked and entertained by his ghostly tours of Tavistock. (Tindle)