CUMBRIA has been ranked highly for paranormal presences and sightings.

This is from data from counties across the United Kingdom to see which have had the highest number of paranormal sightings to date.

To do this, data was scraped to a total figure of 11,700 paranormal sightings for 59 counties across the UK by psychicworld.com, utilising a range of paranormal databases.

Cumbria was recorded to have had 232 paranormal sightings, ranking 18 out of 59.

It comes as no surprise for Cumbria, having had more than a few paranormal sightings, stories and legends related to it.

One, and perhaps the most well-known, Cumbrian legend is that of the Vampire of Croglin Grange.

The Vampire of Croglin Grange is a vampire legend that took place in the village of Croglin, near Wigton.

The story first appeared in Story of My Life by Augustus Hare, written in the 1890s.

In Augustus’ tale, several vampiric episodes took place between 1875 and 1876 in the village of Croglin, including a dark story that led to a ghoulish vampire feasting on someone late at night.

Slightly less horrific is the legendary creature, the ‘Eachy’.

Eachy is the name given to a lake monster in Bassenthwaite.

It is described as a large, slimy humanoid which occasionally emerges from the lake.

It was reported from 19th century until late 20th century; however, the latest report described it as a sea serpent rather than humanoid.

A scientific expedition was launched to find the mysterious creature in September 1961 to no avail.

Perhaps fairies (but perhaps something else) has been spotted at Castlerigg Stone Circle when in 1919, a man named T. Singleton and his friends witnessed balls of light ‘dancing’ slowly over the stones, something that has been reported in other stone circles.

Finally, and perhaps, Carlisle’s most famous haunted site, Carlisle Castle has been the location of many a spooky sight.

In 1823, a young soldier was on duty and was terrified by a ghost.

He tried to run through her with his bayonet and when it passed through her he fainted.

He never recovered, dying from shock the next day.

It is suggested that this phantom woman could be linked to the skeleton of a woman dressed in tartan and holding a baby which was found bricked up inside the captain’s tower in 1820.

She has been sighted every now and then ever since.

With Halloween around the corner, there may be more than just spooky costumes delivering a fright in Cumbria this year...