Ghosts said to gather around the fire and relight it have made The Old White Swan York one of the city’s strangest pubs, writes DAVID SAUNDERSON
At The Old White Swan in York, the fire is not always left alone, some say figures still gather there after it has gone out.
People have seen figures upstairs. Others have heard footsteps when no one is there. Things are found slightly moved.
It is one of those York pubs where the same stories keep being told.
On Goodramgate, close to the Minster, The Old White Swan looks like a classic Tudor pub.
The street is open and busy, lighter than many of York’s tighter, darker lanes.
Inside, it changes. Low beams, dark wood, uneven floors. Rooms that seem to bend around each other.
It feels older than it looks from the outside.
History of The Old White Swan York
The Old White Swan dates back to the 16th century, and has been recorded as a public house since 1703.
But it is not one building.
It is made up of at least nine separate structures, brought together over time.
Parts of the rear courtyard are medieval, with timber-framed buildings that go back much further than the front. Later sections were added during the Georgian period, when Goodramgate was widened in 1775.
Inside, much of the timber was taken from other historic buildings in York. Some of it came from St Crux parish hall, once an important civic building in the city.
Even the courtyard carries traces of its past. Four worn steps can still be seen, once used to board stagecoaches. They are known as the “mountings”.
It is a pub built from different parts of York, joined together over centuries.
Ghosts and hauntings at The Old White Swan
The most well-known story is the one linked to the fire.
Figures, often described as “Papists”, have been seen gathering around it. In some accounts, they are said to relight the fire after it has gone out.
It is a simple story, but it has been told more than once.
Upstairs, a female figure is sometimes reported. She is not clearly seen, more a glimpse than anything else, but the reports are similar.
Other things are noticed rather than seen.
Footsteps in empty parts of the building. Not constant, but enough to be heard.
Objects slightly moved. A chair not quite where it was left.
Cold spots in certain areas, even when the rest of the pub feels warm.
None of it is dramatic on its own.
But it is repeated.
Visiting The Old White Swan in York today
Today, The Old White Swan is a working pub in the centre of York.
Inside, it is warm and welcoming. Dark wood, low ceilings and small rooms give it a close, enclosed feel, but not an uncomfortable one.
The layout is uneven, with spaces opening into each other in ways that do not always make sense at first.
The courtyard adds light and space, showing how different parts of the building have been joined together over time.
It is easy to spend time here without thinking too much about the stories.
What you need to know
- The Old White Swan is traditional Tudor-style pub made from multiple historic buildings, with a maze-like interior, courtyard, and real ales.
- Address: 80 Goodramgate, York YO1 7LF
- Contact: 01904 61168
