What is a hoodie? The word normally means a hooded figure terrorizing a town. Not the kind of person Bob and Jean Ritchie expected to see after moving to Burscough Village.  The hooded figure walks through their side gate and past their kitchen window.

The gatecrasher comes every four years. It made its first visit in 1963. The last visitation occurred on 19 July 1999.

Bob said: "The figure traditionally walks in the month of August between 6pm and 7pm.

"It was about my height, five feet seven or eight with a big dark brown hood. I couldn't see any face. I went out after it had drifted past the window, but there was no-one there."

Jean won't forget when she saw the hooded figure.

She said: "I was at the sink washing dishes. It was just there at the window, it went and when I told Bob's sister who was with me at the time, she nearly went under the table."

Why the Ritchie home is haunted is a mystery. Could this have something to do with the fact that their home looks on to the ruins of Burscough Priory?

We looked into this story and our findings suggest the figure is a friar and he left his priory to work in the area and preach (this is what friars did every year for a week, or a fortnight) at St John's RC Church.

Ghosts & Legends