Boggart Hole Clough in Blackley, Greater Manchester, hides a chilling legend of vanishing children and a lurking troll-like creature, writes GEMMA JOHNSON
Blackley – pronounced Blakely by us locals – is a town close to Manchester city centre, sitting between the hustle and bustle of the city and the quieter town of Middleton.
A major road runs through it, thousands of people commuting to and from work each day. An unlikely home for a 190-acre park known as Boggart Hole Clough.
The Clough is steeped in history, with parts of it thought to date back to the Bronze Age. The term ‘clough’ is a local word that refers to a steep valley leading to a stream at the bottom.
The Boggart Hole Brook weaves around the base of the Clough, under tunnels, through dense trees and beyond. Some of the trees that nestle along its banks are thousands of years old, witness to historical and cultural change – if only they could talk.
It was a prime site for activists to gather and speak during the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1906, 15,000 suffragettes marched in the Clough demanding better rights for women.
Emmeline Pankhurst was likely among them, having grown up in Manchester and played a key role in the suffragette movement.
But there is a more mysterious history to the Clough, fuelled by local folklore and urban legend – the Boggart.
What is the Boggart?
Boggarts are said to reside in Manchester and Lancashire. To some, they are mischievous entities that enjoy having fun and playing tricks on people.
Ask others, and they will tell you Boggarts are negative and evil. One thing everyone agrees on is that Boggarts resemble trolls.
Ask most locals, and they’ll know someone who claims to have seen the Boggart in the Clough.
It is thought to reside mainly within an old abandoned farmhouse in the park. There are few traces of the building left – it has decayed and been absorbed back into the land.
Yet it is still believed to be the favoured haunt of the Boggart. It is occasionally spotted emerging, hiding under bridges, in bushes and within the darkest corners of the park.
Dog walkers go through the park with caution. Local legend says the Boggart has a negative effect on dogs, causing them to stop walking and become highly reactive – barking and growling into thin air.
The Boggart also has a particular fondness for children. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, many children reportedly disappeared in the park.
Local folklore links these vanishings back to the Boggart, which is said to enjoy eating children.
Boggart Hole Clough, a fascinating story
The tale of the Boggart in the Clough is a fascinating one. A legend passed down for hundreds of years, from generation to generation.
One that both intrigues and frightens the locals.
Dare you walk through the Clough after dark? Locals won’t.
Have you experienced anything strange at Boggart Hole Clough? Tell us your story in the comments section!
