A cosy Leeds pub hides a chilling secret – phantom footsteps and giggling children haunt the upstairs room of The Pack Horse
In Leeds’ bustling Hyde Park lies The Pack Horse, a tavern known for its warm ale, mismatched chairs and thriving student crowd.
But behind the cosy glow and clatter of pint glasses lies a chilling tale.
This historic pub is one of the most haunted in Leeds, home to ghostly footsteps, phantom children and a spectral presence that seems to prefer the upstairs room.
A Spooky Setting: Shadows Over Hyde Park
As twilight settles over Woodhouse Lane, the familiar hum of student life begins to quieten.
The last buses hiss past, headlights smearing across the rain-darkened pavement.
Down a side street, glowing softly in the half-light, sits The Pack Horse, a timeworn building with gabled roof and crooked charm.
Its wooden sign creaks gently in the wind, and the yellow light spilling from its windows seems to hold something ancient at bay.
Step inside, and the scent of hops and varnished floorboards greets you.
Laughter bubbles from the bar, dartboards clack in the corner, and the jukebox occasionally stirs to life with an indie classic.
Yet in the stiller moments—between the songs, between the footsteps—something else lingers.
It’s in the hush that follows sudden laughter.
It’s in the inexplicable chill when you pass the stairs.
It’s in the feeling, as you sip your pint, that you are not alone.
The History of The Pack Horse, Leeds
The Pack Horse dates back to the early 19th century, originally built around 1800 as a turnpike keeper’s house.
It served the Leeds–Otley Turnpike Trust, an important road link during the Industrial Revolution, charging passing carts and carriages as they journeyed through Yorkshire’s smoke-stained towns.
By the late 1800s, the building had morphed into a public house, catering to workers, travellers and, eventually, university students.
While the city around it transformed, the pub remained remarkably preserved.
Inside, exposed brick and wooden beams speak of its age.
Though it underwent a renovation in 2022, the original character remains intact. And, if whispers are to be believed, so do its spirits.
These aren’t the spirits behind the bar, either.
The Hauntings: Giggling Children and Invisible Steps
Not all ghosts are sombre phantoms or tragic ladies in white.
Some arrive in the form of mischievous echoes, children whose laughter has long outlived their bodies.
In 1998, when a new landlord took over The Pack Horse, he was allegedly warned about the building’s reputation.
It didn’t take long before the warnings turned into something tangible.
Strange sounds began to emanate from the upstairs room—light footsteps, quick and playful, like children running.
Often, two distinct sets of small feet could be heard pacing or racing across the floor.
There were no children upstairs.
In fact, there was no one there at all.
Sometimes, the eerie sounds would be accompanied by faint giggling—high-pitched and fleeting, just enough to make the hairs on your neck rise.
One member of staff, unnerved by the persistent disturbances, called out for the presence to “be quiet”—and the sounds stopped.
Just like that.
Total silence.
But it wasn’t a comforting silence.
It was the sort that feels watched.
The hauntings didn’t stop there.
Musicians performing in the upstairs room have reported sudden cold draughts and the overwhelming feeling of being observed.
Equipment occasionally flickered or failed without explanation, and more than one person has refused to be left alone in the room for too long.
Some regulars joke that the spirits are just young fans eager for the next gig.
Others aren’t so sure.
Whispers From Staff and Patrons
Cherylynn Mallinson-Brown, operator of The Pack Horse, acknowledged the ghostly reputation in an interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post in October 2021.
She explained that while she hadn’t been explicitly told about the hauntings when taking over the pub, it was certainly “not unheard of” among staff.
“Stories like these,” she added, “give the pub its history and character.”
That character caught wider attention during the lockdowns of 2020, when pub giant Stonegate Group released a book called Short Stories from Down the Pub.
It collected eerie tales from their pubs across the UK – and The Pack Horse’s ghostly children made the cut.
From then on, the story entered the annals of local legend.
Though no one can say who these spectral children were—nor why they remain in that upstairs room—their presence is felt by more than just a few overactive imaginations.
Staff and customers alike have reported cold spots, strange sounds and that all-too-familiar sense that something unseen is sharing the space.
A Haunting That Endures
Today, The Pack Horse continues to draw locals and students alike, offering live music, poetry nights and a rich selection of craft ales.
But the upstairs remains the heart of its haunting—a room steeped in something unseen.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there’s something about The Pack Horse that stays with you.
Maybe it’s the atmosphere.
Maybe it’s the history.
Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the faint sound of footsteps on an empty floor above.
Have you seen or experienced ghostly footsteps or laughter at The Pack Horse? Tell us about it in the comments section below.
