Having visited Yorkshire a few months ago, I particularly enjoyed looking through Paranormal Yorkshire. Amberley Publishing has built up an impressive shelf of regional books, and this is a lovely addition to its Paranormal series.
Yorkshire is ideal territory for a book like this. Its ancient houses, ruined abbeys, castles, old towns, moors and coastline already feel close to the past, and Meryl James makes full use of that atmosphere.
James casts the net wide. There are the places you would expect — old houses, mansions, castles and religious buildings — but the book also heads into hospitals, theatres, museums, roads, bridges and coastal locations.
That variety is part of the fun. The spectres range from Roman soldiers to the Barghest, Yorkshire’s monstrous black dog, so the book moves comfortably between classic haunting reports and older strands of folklore.
James is a Yorkshire native and that local connection matters. Many of these tales will be familiar to readers of Spooky Isles and Spooky Yorkshire, where we have covered them over the years, but it is a pleasure to see Meryl James give them a fresh take.
The book is clearly laid out and easy to use, whether you read it from cover to cover or look up a place that catches your eye. I found it a quick and enjoyable read, and it makes a lovely addition to the Spooky Library.
Amberley’s Paranormal books work best when they make you want to know more about both the ghost story and the location. Paranormal Yorkshire does that well, and the county gives James an unusually rich field to work with.
I always enjoy reading about Mad Alice in York, and the stories from Whitby stood out for me too. Yorkshire is so full of ghosts and spooky places that James has had to include a whole set of memorable mentions as well as the main stories.
From the Roman ghosts of the Treasurer’s House in York to Yorkshire’s black dog traditions, it is a county with more haunting tales than one compact book could ever hold.
Amberley has a real knack for producing attractive, accessible local history books that invite you to explore further. Paranormal Yorkshire is an easy recommendation for anyone interested in the county’s ghosts, folklore and history.
Paranormal Yorkshire by Meryl James is available from Amberley Publishing.
