The story of the little girl is altogether different, Than the story of The Stapenhill Witch. There is no surviving historical account identifying her or recording the tragedy she is said to have suffered. Instead, hers is a local ghost story, passed down as part of the supernatural folklore surrounding Burton Abbey and the River Trent.
According to the story told on Burton’s ghost walks, the sp
irit of a young girl has been seen repeatedly around the old Abbey buildings and along the riverbank.
She is said to have met a tragic end in the river.
The story goes that the little girl was being looked after by her grandfather. At some point, he fell asleep while he was supposed to be watching her. During that time, the child went into the river and drowned.
It is the aftermath of the tragedy that gives the story its haunting quality.
According to the legend, the little girl’s spirit has never moved on. Instead, she is said to remain around the Abbey and riverside, searching for her grandfather – the person who was supposed to have been looking after her.
There is something particularly poignant about this story compared with some of Burton’s darker tales. The gaol stories are about punishment, the Stapenhill Witch story is rooted in fear of witchcraft, and the stories of priests and monks connect with the town’s medieval religious past. The little girl’s story is much more personal: a tale of loss, guilt and a child apparently unable to find peace.
Ghost walkers have reportedly encountered the figure around the old Abbey buildings and beside the river, although these accounts are, of course, paranormal folklore rather than verified historical events. The story has also changed in its telling over time, as happens with many traditional ghost stories.
There is no reliable historical evidence confirming the identity of the girl, the circumstances of her death or even that the event happened exactly as the legend describes. She is also not specifically established as a ghost of the Olde Royal Oak. Her story belongs more broadly to the folklore of the Abbey and riverside area.
Yet that makes it an intriguing story to encounter while exploring Burton.
The former Abbey site, the river and the historic Market Place are all within a landscape that has been occupied and reshaped for centuries. Standing beside the river today, surrounded by the modern town, it can be difficult to imagine the Burton of hundreds of years ago. Stories such as this allow visitors to look at that landscape differently – and perhaps to imagine the people and tragedies that have become part of its folklore.
And if you are walking beside the river at dusk, with the old Abbey buildings behind you and the water flowing past, it is not difficult to understand how such a story could have taken hold.
Perhaps that is the enduring appeal of Burton’s ghost stories. They don’t just tell us about ghosts. They tell us about the places themselves – the buildings, streets, river and people that have given the town its character over hundreds of years.
So keep your eyes open when exploring Burton’s historic quarter. You never know which of its old stories might be waiting around the next corner.
Want to learn more about Burton’s ghastly past? Then join one of Burton’s Ghost or History Walks if you dare!